New Mexicos

A quick jot about New Mexico:

Tucumcari:  We stayed here because it began to get dark and we were tired of driving.  We stayed at the Tucumcari KOA for $25.  This is a neat little town tucked away on old Route 66.  The low-roofed motels and RV parks are still there as are a few diners and ice cream parlors.  This little town in worth a drive through.  The KOA has wi-fi and other handy amenities and the people are very friendly plus you get to camp with the mesa on the horizon.

Santa Rosa: We used the internet at the library here.  They didn't stare and laugh at me which I considered a huge plus for this town.  We realized Asher was getting a little overheated from (obviously) the heat and the dry climate.  To remedy this situation, we took her out of the car and doused her with water and made her drink some.  A nice man came up to suggest that we check out the town's park with a lake we could use to cool her off.  He didn't even bat an eye when he saw that we did not have a cute furry dog but instead had a large scaly reptile on the lawn of City Hall.  Nice people in Santa Rosa.

Pecos Pueblo:  Nothing says Southwestern frontier like some pueblo ruins.  This is a cool area to check out and provides a nice stopping and stretching point before you reach Santa Fe.  The ruins and the historical accounts of this area show the pueblo and the Spanish mission and walk you through the various stages of history that this location played out.  There were also students making mudpies in a pit area not too far from the mission (ok, I think they were actually making adobe bricks to help with the restoration of the ruins...).  Oh yeah, the signs "Rattlesnake area: avoid and report" were pretty exciting although we had nothing to avoid or report.

Santa Fe: We camped in the national forest here for $10.  We did see a coyote on the hill just above our campsite and we were able to enjoy our first campfire of the trip.  It was a great deal and we met some very nice folks from Oklahoma, Pat and Pat (Patrick and Patricia, perhaps?) who were very familiar with the Santa Fe area.  They gave us a map and some suggestions for different places to check out and dine at.  Joey also sent along a text with suggestions of places to check out since he and his girlfriend had been in SF just days before us.  We ended up eating at La Choza where we filled ourselves with New Mexican foods (think chilis), definitely one of Scott's favorite foods.  It was delicious and the outdoor dining area was an extra perk here, as were the good margaritas.  We also saw the Santa Fe Railroad while out that way which appeals to the train-loving kid that still exists within us.

We didn't care for Santa Fe so much, to be honest.  The sales people were generally aloof when they realized we were simply browsing or didn't really know what we were looking at.  Perhaps this is better off the Plaza area.  The open air market was the best part of the Plaza; artists bring their wares and sell them for good prices.  These artisans are much nicer and friendlier than the Santa Fe Plaza sales people.

Albuquerque:  We only passed through this oddly spelled city.  We did, however, stop to dine at the Frontier Restaurant, on the suggestion from our friend Adam.  This menu is vast and you walk up and place your order at the bar.  They then flash your number over a screen and you go and retrieve it.  This place was packed, the food was good and served up quickly, and the cinnamon rolls are killer.  It's right off the UNM campus, too, so you get a pretty eclectic crowd here which always makes for great people watching.