Derek and I had a Delta Companion pass that had to be used by the end of May (which also happens to be when our anniversary lands). So we decided not to let that go to waste and find somehwere to fly in the continental US. The end of April and May were such busy months for us with all the end of school activities that we decided be better go for just a short time and somewhere close by. Derek also stated that it had to have a free hyatt hotel for us to stay at and needed to be somewhere we didn't think the kids would rather enjoy traveling with us. Somehow, we landed on the idea of flying in to Albuquerque and hanging in Santa Fe. We flew out on a Thursday night really late and just stayed at the hyatt right near the airport. Back at home Mom and George stayed with the kids and got them to and from their very last day of school for the year.
In the morning we relocated to a hyatt resort sort of between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. We spent that first day, riding bikes on the trails around the resort, lounging by the pool, grabbing some dinner close by, and roasting s' mores at the resort firepits that evening. It was a actually a welcomed rest and recoup day after the busy month of May.
The next day, we went into Santa Fe. We spent the day walking around all the adobe lined streets and window viewing all the art galleries. We had some great New Mexican food. They always asked if you want red, green or Chistmas (a little of both) sauce. And they have a lot of blue corn tortillas and chips.
Derek and I actually rather loves touring several church in the city and learning their history. The first was Cathedral and they had this statue of Mary the Untier of Knots in the back garden. There were little prayer cards that you could read to Mary and ask for her help untieing the knots in your life. And then people tie ribbons to the bushes and fences around.
Next, we toured a church that had this mysterious staircase that is an engineering anomally with no side or middle supports. At one point it didn't have railings which would have been so scary so they have been added since. They tell a legend of a mysterious carpenter who showed up, built the stairs and left without pay in response to some nuns praying for a solution for access to the choir seats above the chapel and limited space for a staircase.
The last church we saw was actually the oldest church structure in the US.
It also housed a church bell formed in 1356 and brought over from Spain apparently.
Santa Fe is actually a very old city established when the Spanish had settled that area of Mexico. We also walked through supposedly the oldest house in the US. We finished our Santa Fe day walking through the Georgia O'Keefe Museum. Then, we drove back to the resort, lounged in the sun at the pool and caught dinner at BJs near the resort which of course included a pazooki.
Sunday, we spent the day on a gorgeous drive through Jemez, NM national forest. Discovered the coolest natural soda dam along the way.
We hit a science museum in Los Alamos. Learned all about how Los Alamos because the location for the creation of the nuclear bomb during WWII. And we learned about the current nuclear research that continues there today. Very interesting, lovely town in the mountains of new mexico with beautiful 3 lane high ways, and huge satellite dishes and security gates surrounding the federal nuclear energy lab.
The rest of the day we spent hiking in Bandelier National Monument.
Hiked to some awesome cliff dwellings. I climbed some scary ladders. Derek refused.
Then we did a wonder waterfall trail that we had all to ourselves until the way back when we crossed one other group of hikers.
We ended the night with green chili pepperoni pizza from Dion's which totally seemed to hit the spot.
Then, we spent that night at the hyatt near the airport again and flew home to the kids early the next morning.
We actually had a great trip together. But our overall impression of New Mexico was...for sure check it out if you are in the area, but maybe don't make it a destination place.
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