Santa Fe

Santa Fe was really beautiful....the drive from Albuquerque was beautiful... the mountains were beautiful, the sky was beautiful... that word just seems to become trite when trying to describe the scenery...but it's funny to look at all the pictures I was taking from the car as I was trying to drive... it just seemed at every turn... beauty was just all around... I arrived in Santa Fe after about an hour on the road from Albuquerque and getting gas and jewelery (lol) at the Santa Domingo Pueblo. I tried to check into the hotel, but the room was not ready yet, so I decided to go to Bandelier National Park...I love National Parks... and this was no exception! It's in the mountains and pine forest, and there are paths to the preserved pueblos. You can see pteroglyphs, kiva's and climb ladders to see inside. It was great... there is also a path that leads to a ceremonial kiva carved into the side of the mountain... there were 3 ladders to climb up 140' ... yikes!! you then reach the top and then climb down into the kiva... it was great... a hard climb for me... but i did it!!! thank goodness i was wearing a hat, so I could only see the next rung... i couldn't see up and I certainly wasn't looking down until I reached the top!! It took awhile to catch my breath once I reached the top.. I didn't realize till the next day, that Santa Fe is at an elevation of 7,00o'. So it wasn't entirely that I am sooo out of shape...anyway, after making my way down, (which is almost harder than climbing up), and hiking back to the car... I made my way back to the hotel, showered and went out on foot in search of a marguerita and food.... Ultimately I found both... walked back to the hotel and collapsed!!
I was so sick of being in my car, that the next day, I decided to cancel all the things on my agenday that had to do with driving and just hang out in the town...and it is a great little town... you can shop for hours....on the sidewalk at The Palace of Governors, Native Americans set out blankets with their wares, mostly jewelery, and it was great to browse... I, of course, had to buy a pair of turquoise earrings. They are beautiful... There was a HUGE thunderstorm so I ducked into the museum at the Palace of Governors, and learned a bit of the history of Santa Fe... which is fascinating.. the Palace of Governors was built in 1610 and is the oldest building that is still in continuous use... So many cultural influences there... Spanish... Native American... it was great... I felt bad that I didn't make it to all the places on my list, but I know that I will go back there... It was a very special place...
I found a great Tex Mex place for dinner... A local favorite... the best marguerittas and the food wasn't bad either...lol... instead of chips and salsa on the table tho... they had, not bread, but dough, like a soppapilla (?) with out the sweet... of course ... YUM!
I got up early the next morning.... I wanted to make it to Boulder to see Nick's lacrosse game, so I was in my car at 7:30, but in keeping with the "bad directions in New Mexico, I wasn't on the highway until 8:15. I will admit that at the 40 min mark of being lost, I was getting annoyed... lol. Just as I found a gas station to ask directions, I saw the highway sign...
Entering Colorado from the south is breath taking.... The mountains are amazing! the view is like the one etched ont he quarters... rugged, snow covered... amazing.... and even with getting lost... I made it in time to see 3/4 of the game...
I had arrived!!!