The farmer’s market at Santa Fe’s Railyard district was fun – especially seeing the different types of beans and chili powders. Finished off the New Mexico History Museum at Governor’s Palace.
Sunday took us to Albuquerque to the Indian Cultural Center to see some native dances and view other exhibits, plus have a delicious lunch at their cafe and bakery.
Monday we took to the hiking trails in the mountains north of Santa Fe searching for some geocaches – success 3/3!!!
This is such a manageable city and we are lucky to have bicycles provided at our casita, so we can avoid paying for parking and cycle to the shuttle or into town and do the rest on foot. There are so many interesting museums that we’re going to buy a pass for four of them – to start with. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at La Taberna Boca, but unfortunately I broke a filling on a piece of hidden crab shell! Which means a visit to the dentist tomorrow – ugh!
photos from a quick visit to The Railyard district which is close to home.
The Cathedral Place area, St. Francis Cathedral, and Loretto Chapel with its “miraculous” staircase. The statue of the lovely Indian lady is of Katerina Tekakwitha, 1656-1680, first Indian of North America to be promoted a saint.
Views from Fort Marcy park.
An easy drive from Payson to Santa Fe and we were excited to see our little casita, get unpacked and go eat some good Mexican food (at Cafe Castro).
We have been here before, but wanted to return to these beautiful surroundings. These were rooms with a (spectacular) view!
Friday was a full-day with a long walk with Lucy to a geocache site – and she all dressed up in her “little black dress”!!
While we were out walking, Jack and DaNeil prepped the 4-wheelers and packed a picnic. Off we went on a 25 mile ride up into the Sierra Ancha mountains with our end destination being a huge cave and site of an Indian village. It was a fun and exhilarating and bumpy day!!
… And then on the way back down, we spotted a snake in the road. It’s head was crushed and rattlers removed, but it was still wriggling – obviously some kind of  final reflexes! Poor thing! But the first rattle snake I’ve seen in the wild.
DaNeil and Jack renewed their vows recently and she was telling me about her beautiful gown. We had no sooner ended our conversation, than I was out of my clothes and  slipping into something I had never worn the likes of in my life!!! Fun, fun! And Dennis’s ensemble matched mine (uh not so) perfectly!!!!
We are so lucky! this is the second time that we could see Dale Chihuly’s magnificent  glass works installed at the Desert Botanical Gardens here in Phoenix. Last time we went in the evening, but this time we opted for early morning which gave us a different perspective with the lighting.
There is a section of Saudi Arabia called “the empty quarter” and we discovered a very similar area on our drive through south eastern Arizona – a loop detour we made on our way to Phoenix.
3,530 miles!
We made stops at Lowell and Bisbee – two former copper mining towns.