Sherry and I just came back from an exciting week exploring the desert and towns of New Mexico. There were way too many experiences to list them all here, so I will just share some of my favorites and let the pictures do the talking.
Albuquerque
We started our adventure in the city of Albuquerque, which is surrounded by desert and sits at 5,312 ft of elevation. We woke on our first morning to see a huge flotilla of balloons in the sky, including one which had seemingly landed badly among the power wires near our hotel. If you read this column, you already know that one of our reasons for the trip was to participate in the Balloon Festiva (see Up, Up and Away, adventure #54).
Petroglyph National Monument
Despite the government shutdown, this beautiful park was open, and Sherry and I did a short hike exploring the Boca Negra Canyon. This site houses hundreds of stone markings, some more than 500 years old. This ancient form of graffiti was used to communicate the presence of animals, water, or to help measure time. Or maybe the locals just could not find anything interesting on Tik Tok…
Trolley Tour
We took a very touristy trolley tour which explored some of the film sites in the city (think “Broken Bad”, “The Avengers”, “Oppenheimer” or “Stranger Things” season 4) and celebrated its location along the famous route 66. On the tour we saw dozens of murals and learned about the history of the city.
Old town Albuquerque
Our apartment was near old town and we enjoyed the shops and scenery. The area was bustling, with antique cars parked on the street and live music being played seemingly everywhere. We loved the Mexican style architecture and lively cantinas.
The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History
One of my favorite places in Albuquerque takes us through the history of nuclear power, the creation of the atomic bomb (which happened nearby) and the science behind the concepts. The backyard features some of the amazing aircraft and missiles used to deliver the weapons. It also shared the history of peaceful energy creation through nuclear power and some of the accidents which have occurred.
I was left with two feelings: First an admiration for the remarkable achievement to split the atom and end WWII, and also that it is remarkable that despite the arms race with the Soviet Union, that we have not experienced a nuclear war. The concept of mutually assured destruction seems to have worked (at least so far).
The Turquoise Trail & Madrid
Our next destination was Taos, and we headed north the slow route via the “Turquois Trail.” This was the old route north before the interstate was built and has a number of charming small villages. We enjoyed a stop in Madrid at 6,212 ft. There we met a very chatty artist named Claire at her studio on Firehouse Street, who lovingly gives each of her artworks a name and a backstory. The road up was great scenery and we passed through a ghost town named Cerillos, home of the famous Casa Grande Trading Post and mining museum.
Taos
Taos Art Museum at Fechin House
When we arrived in Taos (6,969 feet) we made a bee line to the Fechin House. We greatly enjoyed this fascinating home built by Nicolai Fechin, a Russian-born, famous portrait artist who got his start back in New York. He designed the house for himself, his wife Alexandra and his daughter Eya, carving many doors and cabinets by hand.
The grounds also include a fine art museum and his beautiful studio.
Taos Pueblo
We spent a couple of hours exploring the Taos Pueblo, an active native American community complete with pueblo style housing and shops. There are currently more than 2,000 members of this community. Our guides taught us the history of this area and the spiritual significance of the Blue Lake to the north. After the tour we stopped in an adobe style home for some delicious flatbread.
Ojo Caliente
On our way down to Sante Fe, we stopped for a refreshing visit to Ojo Caliente and their dozens of hot spring tubs near the side of beautiful cliffs. The natural spring baths are designed to inspire deep relaxation and healing.
Santa Fe
When we reached Santa Fe (at 7,000 feet, the highest capitol city in the US), we explored Canyon Road, famous for its numerous art galleries and had a wonderful dinner at Geronimo one of the top 10 restaurants in the US, per Trip Advisor. We visited Site Santa Fe, a museum featuring local artists in the Railyard District and discovered some beautiful and moving artwork at the galleries nearby, including a piece by Kristine Poole called “Fragility of the Mind”. I simply could not take my eyes off of this sculpture and the inner turmoil and sadness it conveyed.
We also enjoyed lunch at the Tea House back on Canyon Road, then off to the Georgia O’Keefe Museum.
Wandering through the central plaza area we came across a mobile Sukkah and took the opportunity to celebrate the holiday by shaking a lulav and etrog.
In the evening we reunited with a co-worker of mine Alex, who moved to the area during the pandemic, meeting at the rooftop bar of the La Fonda hotel. Alex is now using his technology skills to manage the A/V installations at several of the museums we visited. It was great to reconnect again after four years.
We ended our visit to Santa Fe with a Jewish/History walking tour led by Stephanie and learned about the history of the city, the large population of crypto Jews (from Spain during the Inquisition) and the critical contributions of a small number of Ashkenazi Jews from Europe.
Our last night in town we had another delicious dinner at Restaurant Martin.
Tent Rocks National Monument
I’ll end this blog with one of my very favorite parts of the trip. While staying in Santa Fe, we visited Tent Rocks, on the Kasha-Katuwe Reservation, which was recommended by our friends Debbie and Eric. This excursion could be an adventure all its own, with its beautiful canyons, caves and amazing rock formations. Sherry and I hiked 3.2 miles together and I did another ½ mile with 600 ft of vertical to get to the top. Along the way we met Andrew, from Baltimore and I enjoyed his company on the steep part of the climb. The sites were simply stunning and a great way to end a fantastic trip.
