There were very few cars but lots of ‘elk crossing’ signs. Back on Rt 40 the 75 mph speed limit shortened our trip considerably. We checked into the Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town and went for a walk through the old town. We’d visited ABQ several years ago but now it looks more prosperous and inviting, less ghost-townish.
The highlight of our visit to ABQ was dinner with my former AstraZeneca cubemate Terry. As previously mentioned (blog post Lab Girl, May 13, 2017) we spent a lot of lab and desk time talking. And so it continued, although Greg had lots to say as well. It was great seeing Terry and catching up.
ABQ has weather that allows for hot air ballooning about 300 days a year and the next morning was typically perfect so we went up in one! Being slightly afraid of heights I worried a bit but our pilot Paul explained procedures and expectations as we went along and the Rainbow Ryders outfit was so efficient they alleviated pre-ride jitters. Once we were jammed in the basket (with 10 others) we ascended smoothly and quietly before any fears could erupt. It was a beautiful experience, floating with the wind and hovering above the petroglyphs in the National Forest. We landed exactly where Paul said we would and then celebrated with champagne and inaugural ride certificates. I highly recommend doing this especially if it’s on your bucket list!
Our next and final destination was Santa Fe, NM 1 hour north. It was still early in the day so we went hiking before hotel check in. The Atalaya trail was only 5.8 miles RT from the St. John’s trailhead but ascended 1800ft to 9000ft. This hike was hard for me due to the loose, sharp stone and the altitude. The view of Santa Fe and the distant mountains was great but I was happy to finish.
We checked into the Hotel La Fonda, the oldest hotel in the US, and we were upgraded! Yay! Our room had a great view of the Cathedral Basilica of San Francisco and its towers which kept accurate time. But, The bells! The bells! The Cathedral is located on the site of the original church built in the early 1600s. Santa Fe’s history dates to the late 16th, early 17th century. It was a major stop on the Santa Fe trail and is the oldest and highest elevation capitol city in the US.
Dinner at La Casa Sena was amazing (elk tenderloin) and again, we were asleep early and exhausted. The next day we strolled and shopped around Santa Fe and also checked out the NM Museum of Art before dining at The Shed. Terry drove up for another dinner visit and more talking and more hugs. Remarkably, no candy was exchanged.
We then departed for the East Coast and reliable auto transportation (I hope). Dollar Rental agents were aghast at our tales of woe when we returned the car at ABQ Sunport. We received a credit but will also pursue the strongly worded email route. After arrival in Rochester, NY we celebrated our nephew-in-law’s birthday at a trendy bar and then attended a Bebernitz Oktoberfest family party the next day at niece Cheryl’s hops barn in Ontario, NY on the old homestead.
(What?! Rochester, NY and Ontario, NY are southwest of Saranac Lake! It counts!)
Over those 16 days travelling through Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico we’d driven 1800 miles, hiked over 55 miles, had spectacular sunny weather (hot and cool), saw all kinds of wildlife, plantlife, and geography, ate some pretty good food and drank bad beers (forget the wine), stayed at mostly good if not great hotels, chatted with nice people everywhere, and enjoyed being together throughout. This was a memorable trip.
Til next time…
Visiting ABQ or Santa Fe? ABQ is a sprawling suburb around a small city with high crime. The weather is generally superb. Old Town is quaint and offers some history for buffs. There’s a funicular to the top of the Sandia mountain. Otherwise??? We used the Rainbow Ryder’s for hot air ballooning but there are lots of companies. There were at least 10 balloons up with us. There’s a train from ABQ to Santa Fe but we drove the 60 miles. There’s not a lot of parking in Santa Fe. There is a lot of history there. And art and art museums. The town square is delightful for people watching with hawkers selling fake silver and turquoise jewelry amongst the legit jewelers and artisans and strolling musicians. There’s a ton of excellent restaurants and hotels and a few breweries. There are a bunch of hiking trails, easy and hard. I recommend a visit here.
My new reality 