In the last few years, my two sisters and I have been taking a summer bonding trip. Each year we travel to an exotic locale, usually by car. This time we drove to Santa Fe (the villa in Italy was booked).

As someone recently wrote in a magazine, only people of a certain age can appreciate a car trip that doesn't involve a multimedia experience. The magazine writer apparently tried to re-enact a car adventure with her own family, who paid no attention to one another, the scenery, or the bonding experience, except to say things like, "Pass the remote."

Our trip was a little more low-tech. We said things like, "Pass the gum." Why would we want to run a video or tune out, when we could enjoy the spectacular scenery from here to Pueblo?

Besides, we had a higher purpose. Aside from the "we are family" gig, we might have dubbed this the celebrity stalker/shopping trip, since we spent a lot of time going out of our way in search of movie stars who had fled to the area to get away from people like us.

In Santa Fe, we were told that Alan Arkin is part owner of Harry's Roadhouse, so off we went. We didn't see Alan Arkin, but we did have an absolutely terrific dessert, which we split three ways. Then we had a second terrific dessert, which we split three ways. Then we had a third terrific dessert - but we did split it three ways.

While we were in Santa Fe, we went in search of a famous ghost named Julia Staab. Yes, even a ghost was celebrity enough for us stalkers. Apparently she lives at La Posada Hotel, which was originally her home before they built a hotel around it. I'd be mad too. Many people claim to have really, really seen her and they request the room where she allegedly died. Of course we didn't see her - a ghost is never around when you need one.

Someone told us that Julia Roberts lives in Arroyo Seco, which is this little community outside of Taos, so off we went on our way back to Denver. We don't really care if she lives there, it's just an excuse to shop and play our favorite game from Us magazine in which they find a celebrity doing something normal and point it out to the readers. "See Julia Roberts. She's buying an ice cream. She's just like us."

Our version is slightly different: "See Julia Roberts. She's buying an expensive necklace she can't afford. She's just like us. Oh, wait. No she's not."

Of course Julia Roberts was nowhere in sight.

With three "celebrity" strikeouts, it was time to call it a vacation. We drove home, and the only tense moment came driving near Castle Rock in the dark in a blinding rainstorm. I was leaning so far into the windshield, I could have been the headlight. About the only sound was someone popping gum. My sisters stopped talking. I stopped talking - which my co-workers would find hard to believe, but that's how tense it was.

When the rain refused to stop, despite our best incantations, we decided to change course. We got off the highway and found the nearest restaurant. The only way to unwind was to order dessert - split three ways of course.

Mart Meitus is the Food editor, when she's not stalking celebrities. meitusm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5229