Santa Fe Ole' !!

Yesterday we were scheduled to do the front-end alignment but we got all hooked up and drove to the Freightliner place to find that they can't do the alignment after all.   No problem, we just go back to the plan of driving to Santa Fe to take in that beautiful area and hunker down for the next onslaught of winds on Friday and Saturday here. 

It's been years since we were in Santa Fe---what a delightful area.  I used to travel here on business,  but never saw "the sights".  We are in a great RV park here where the mgrs really love the area and sharing it with visitors.  There are lots of trees in the park and a great hiking trail around the perimeter that has beautiful views from the higher elevations.  We are at approx 7000' now and so a little chillier than the rest of NM.

  We spent the afternoon at the New Mexico History Museum which was well worth it--history of the conflicts this area has endured from the Spanish invasion in the early 1700s through the Santa Fe Trail that brought Americans into the area and into the Mexican-American war and then the Civil War...the westernmost battle of the Civil War was fought in Santa Fe.  Part of the museum was the Palace of the Governors, over 300 years of continuous occupation.   Beautifully done museum and recommended to all.  I thought the best quote in the museum was something to the effect that "whether it's six-guns, a law book or a friend in congress, it's all dangerous".

Today we traveled to Taos, via the "high road" (you take the high road and I'll take the low road...") which was a beautiful drive--little traffic, nice roads and beautiful mountain scenery which reminded us of home.  Our main objective in Taos was to visit the Taos Pueblo--which is a Pueblo that has ongoing commerce and inhabitants in the ancient  adobe buildings--some as old as 1000 years.  These have been continuously occupied for that length of time! 

Then on the way back we stopped at "Black Mesa" winery.  All the grapes they use are from NM and some interesting wines to taste.  As part of our tasting we got great wine glasses to add to our collection plus Jeff got a bottle of cab he liked. 

Because of the severe tornadoes, high winds, thunderstorms and flooding throughout the southwest, midwest and east, we have decided to curtail our trip this year (the worst weather in 40 years according to the ABQ weather station) and just continue north from here and then back to Seattle through Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho. 

It's with great regret that we have to forego our east coast visit with dear friends,but we don't want to add to the problems of people in the areas already hard hit by this string of tornadoes and flooding.  We certainly send our most sincere prayers and  best wishes to those that are in that area and will try again next year or the next to visit our friends out east.

Today is Caroline's birthday, and we wish her the very best birthday yet!  We'll see you in June.