New Mexico: antiques, tiny houses, gorgeous scenery, rocks!
After spending weeks with my brothers, regressing to teenagers and laughing like rabid hyenas… this back-to-real-life-stuff is incredibly tedious.
The wedding was wonderful; and more importantly— I think my brother is very, very, very, fortunate.
He married an amazing human.
The last day Paul and I were there, we hung out with the newlyweds; and at the end of the afternoon, it was hard to to say goodbye like a normal person… what I really wanted was to insist that they get in the car with me. At gunpoint, if necessary.
Thank you again, to everyone who made suggestions for our trip!
We didn’t have time to do everything! But what we did do was amazing! New Mexico is gorgeous and I cannot wait to go back!
But holy heck, SO DRY! I feel like my skin shrunk two sizes and my hair was bizarre the entire time— stick straight, flat, EXCEPT at the top… like a mohawk? A mullet? I do not know but… not a good look.
We did:
Bandelier National Monument– Bandelier’s human history extends back for over 10,000 years when nomadic people lived IN the cliffs.
We also took the high road to Taos, and stopped at the church with the holy dirt.
And we spent time in both Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
The miraculous staircase— the MIRACULOUS part sets you up, and I think they should consider changing the name.
It is a BEAUTIFUL and FASCINATING staircase! But I associate the word MIRACLE (when used without irony) with the parting of seas and being BROUGHT BACK FROM THE DEAD… so I was expecting a staircase BEYOND MY COMPREHENSION.
But since it turned out to be an actual SET OF STAIRS, it was still within the REALM of things I am able to imagine, and thus was somewhat less impressive than if they had called it something like the “hey! that’s something! staircase.”
Carson National Forest, which was my favorite— SO AMAZING!!
The trees and the mountains and the beginning trickle of the Rio Grande are mind boggling in their grandeur. It actually MADE ME UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE GO CAMPING.
All of these years on earth, I’ve been mystified why people would CHOOSE to sleep in DIRT, rather than their own bed… WHILE ALSO POSSIBLY BEING MAULED BY A BEAR.
I get it now.
Sadly, Paul says that we can never go camping because I would need three sherpas.
OR A TINY LOG CABIN.
If you go to Taos, the BEST part is the drive up to the mountain/ski area… the scenery will melt your eyeballs.
And also, go by the Maison Faurie antique store, to see a great collection of antique blue transferware! I’ve never seen some of the pieces that he has!! A leg bath?
I wanted this SO BADLY!
IMAGINE it: FILLED WITH DAHLIAS!!! Sunflowers! Some Sweet Pea trailing down the sides!
My other favorite was our stop in Albuquerque; we went to The Dirty Bourbon for dancing. The two-step in New Mexico is way different than it’s northern counterpart and we realized that we need to move here, immediately.
Also, they had a disco saddle (rather than a disco ball)… the hallmark of a truly fine establishment!
Now a totally smooth transition from disco saddles, to a PSA regarding pediatric hospitals.
If you have children… or know children… or might someday be a bystander in an emergency involving children? This is a book you should read.
Healing Children: A Surgeon’s Stories from the Frontiers of Pediatric Medicine
I read this on my trip and enjoyed it… it’s an easy and engaging read, but more importantly, the author is the head of Children’s National Medical Center, in D.C. and he writes about how parents are not provided with the the information they NEED to make the best medical decisions for their children.
He writes about how the actual SCIENCE of medicine for children is SO DIFFERENT than adults… that a child’s ENTIRE LIFE can be impacted by receiving care from doctors who specialize in pediatric medicine.
He writes about how EVEN AS the president of children’s national hospital, he still has trouble getting this message out, and it dismays him at how this information is not more widespread… so, I’m doing my part to share!
OK! That’s it for now! The new refrigerator alcove is FINISHED and I’m super excited to share it with you! Stay tuned!
November 30, 2017 @ 11:01 am
OMG! That leg bath is “other-worldly”!!!!! What a trip you had! Thanks for sharing!
November 30, 2017 @ 11:08 am
What an awesome trip – happy happy happy! And that little log cabin, tho!!!!!!
I’ve got a degree in pharmacology and I do know that drugs for adults can have very different effects in kids, and…. I think we are sometimes too quick to give any drug, or a specific kind of drug, to kids. It takes some actual *thought* – which is unfortunately sometimes lacking. Thanks for the recommendation.
November 30, 2017 @ 11:11 am
I visited the southwest for the first time this year and was shocked at how connected I felt to the landscape. I’m a northeastern girl and love green everywhere. The southwest called to me though. As did this book. I just bought it – thanks for the suggestion.
November 30, 2017 @ 11:16 am
Cracking up………a (miraculous?) staircase AND a disco saddle………now my life is complete knowing they are out there! I have been out west on an RV trip headed to Yellowstone and you are right, the scenery is amazing, especially when you live on the east coast and are more at home with greenery (me)……..just another example of how incredibly beautiful this country is. And so happy to hear you’re gaining an in-law you like, you will be bonding with her for years to come. If you’re like me, with no sisters, she will fill that void and you’ll never know the difference. Your trip sounds an unforgettable time you’ll always remember, glad you are back!
November 30, 2017 @ 11:17 am
No pictures of your hair? How can we go on?
November 30, 2017 @ 12:43 pm
I second this request. We must see a picture of the hair.
December 1, 2017 @ 2:17 am
I agree! Where’s the hair??
November 30, 2017 @ 11:41 am
Wonderful,
Wonderful tiny log house,
Wonderful transfer ware leg bath !?!
Wonderful post!!
November 30, 2017 @ 11:43 am
My Mother, sister and I laugh so much whenever I visit them in the UK. My children would look at me as if they had never seen this person before – which they hadn’t, of course, I was always Mum to them. But back home the laughs and crazy hilarity never stopped; no one laughs with me like they do.
November 30, 2017 @ 1:14 pm
I live in Tyler, Texas which is not far from the Louisiana border. My son dated a nice young lady back in high school. It was their senior year and they wanted to do something special for spring break. They decided to take a 1 day duration car trip, which they decided would be New Mexico. That young lady, my son’s girlfriend- I was so impressed! She calculated the miles, road stops, meals and lodging in order to figure out a budget. She even included souvenirs in the budget! They both worked but I offered to pay for the trip as a gift.
I knew my gift of money was used responsibly. They had a fantastic time, New Mexico is such an unusually beautiful and most quirky state to see. After they graduated and went off to college, they broke up due to distance. I noticed she had a new boyfriend, and she took him on another trip to New Mexico. My son has since graduated college, and is currently living and working in Europe. I cannot help but think that little high school spring break day long drive trip helped ease the transition for him. I thought about it immediately when I saw your post.
Come to think of it, my late parents spent their honeymoon in White Sands and Carlsbad Caverns N.M.
November 30, 2017 @ 1:22 pm
Tell Paul there’s no need for sherpas because CAR-CAMPING is perfectly respectable. Depending on the size of your vehicle, you could even take along a fancy thing or 2. Or a rocking chair.
The people who taught me this skill had 5 children. They insisted we take some comfy folding chairs (this was before the lightweight collapsables of today’s generations). We started out in a 4-door Chevy Malibu, circa 1970, that they helped us load to the roof! Eventually we graduated to a Grand Caravan. With roof rack. That’s camping in style!!
You too can do this! In fact, if you want to camp in the Pacific NW, we have a basement full of camping gear, all organized in big bins so it’s ready to load, and you’re welcome to take as much or as little as you want. Avoid most parts of the Olympic Peninsula because the moss will entomb you before you can blink, but other than that we’ve got some great natural beauty that’s dry most of July and August.
November 30, 2017 @ 2:02 pm
I went to Santa Fe in July and had the same reactions to the miraculous staircase. Beautiful? Yes. Miraculous? Nah.
Next time you go to NM, I highly recommend Tent Rocks and Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs!
December 1, 2017 @ 9:01 pm
Did anyone explain to you the story of the staircase? or that it was built without any nail/screws/etc????
November 30, 2017 @ 2:07 pm
You would be astonished at how much gender and ethnicity also impact medicine and medications. Certain Asian groups lack an enzyme in their liver that prevents some antibiotics from working as well for them. Africans (black Africans) often experience hypertension differently than other ethnic groups, and many BP meds are not as effective on them. Women’s blood vessels expand and contract with their emotions, and men’s do not; this also impacts treatments and meds.
Endlessly fascinating and hopefully political correctness will not prevent further studies along these lines.
And yes, New Mexico is glorious!
November 30, 2017 @ 2:08 pm
Disco Saddle!!!!!! OMG…
November 30, 2017 @ 2:24 pm
I agree New Mexico is fabulous! I think the staircase is thought to be miraculous because there is nothing supporting it! At least, that’s what I’ve heard and so it appears …..
November 30, 2017 @ 5:54 pm
You were all the way up in Taos and didn’t visit the Pueblo? It’s absolutely beautiful and is a part of the World Heritage Society. It’s been occupied for over 1,000 years and is one of the most photographed buildings in the country. It’s also where my maternal grandmother grew up.
November 30, 2017 @ 6:14 pm
Ah! We wanted to! We drove over there, but they were having funeral services, so were not open (understandably!) and we were leaving that afternoon… it’s on our list for next time!! xoxo VEB
November 30, 2017 @ 10:03 pm
Beautiful part of the country! Haven’t been there since the ’80’s, when we drove through on our way to visit family in Tucson, but I remember White Sands, as I was in awe of seeing the immense amount of bright white sand in the middle of all the browns and reds. We had our young girls with us, and they had a blast sledding down the sand! But my favorite part of that trip was seeing the Red Rock Canyon in Sedona, Arizona, and the Grand Canyon. THAT really made me think of the size of our country, and hence its small part of this big world we live in. I still can’t imagine that dinosaurs once roamed that land. And that humans lived in caves. Amazing. So glad you got to see the wild west!
November 30, 2017 @ 11:30 pm
You need a nice travel trailer if you want to go camping in style. We have one with 2 slide outs that we take to a beachside RV park in Oregon twice a year. But we did do some dirt sleeping in our younger years. Paying our dues I guess. I love that little cabin! ((hugs)), Teresa 🙂
December 1, 2017 @ 12:22 am
As always, I love your comments. Having never been there can you tell us what’s with the church with the holy dirt? Any relation with the camping dirt? Since I love camping that’s the holy dirt! 🙂
December 1, 2017 @ 8:01 pm
I visited NM for the first time this summer. It is beautiful and the food so delicious!
December 4, 2017 @ 11:00 am
Just saw an 8 foot long Victorian bookcase on Craigslist in Carlisle, PA. I would send link but I am incapable of actually figuring my phone out, or just too lazy. Would make a good pantry!
December 4, 2017 @ 11:05 am
I have to add, it is only 6 feet tall, imagine if you stacked it on top of a bank of lower cabinets with a slab of stone. Also, there is no way you should ever pay that price in Central, PA !!! They probably paid practically nothing at auction!