Blue Sky.
I’ve spent the last few days with my family in New Mexico as an early birthday visit and we did everything Santa Fe and Albuquerque had to offer us. From hot air ballooning at sunrise in Albuquerque to hiking at national monuments, I think it’s safe to say I’ve given my family a solid glimpse into what I do every day. Well, maybe not the hot air balloon, but definitely the hiking. Since New Mexico has so many national park sites and every stamp is important and special, I wanted to make sure everybody got a chance to explore with me and stamp my parks passport. My dad got the first one at Petroglyphs National Monument in Albuquerque where we did a short hike through seven hundred year old etchings on lava rocks. From the top, we were exactly one mile above sea level, mountains to the east and flat horizon to the west, a giant crescent shaped lava rock field opened up below us. After working up an appetite, we more than deserved the delicious chile relleno burrito from El Modelo. Their outside rose garden is a beautiful place to shove a massive plate of Mexican food in your face. Honestly, we were so hungry I’m surprised we even noticed the colorful decor.
Leaving the pristine and welcoming B & B bright and early, we stumbled up to the hot air balloon that would be our chauffeur for the impending sunrise. I immediately shot my hand up when they asked for a volunteer and ended up holding one side of the balloon while it laid flat on the ground, slowly filling with air. I stared into the massive patriotic balloon, mesmerized, for what felt like forever. The heat hit my cheek out of nowhere as the flames shot off, propelling the remainder of the balloon off the ground and flipping the basket onto it’s end in preparation for take off. If you’re thinking how scary this sounds, I can honestly tell you it is not at all. I’m afraid of heights and this is the least scary thing I’ve done. We casually floated up into the cool morning sky, sun rays appearing over the mountains, trees below blowing in the breeze. Once you get comfortable and settle into the basket, it’s truly one of the most relaxing feelings. Scraping the treetops briefly, we soared over the Rio Grande and the cookie cutter homes of Albuquerque, each one looking like the last from above. I couldn’t help but notice all the small details below, bikers, patterns in the landscape, long shadows cast along the river, the way the power lines were highlighted by the sun. Looking away from the sunrise to the other side of the balloon, I noticed our shadow dancing on the houses, casting darkness as we slowly glided past them. Last summer I did a hot air balloon ride in Napa and if you’ve followed me from the beginning then you’ll know it was a big reason for this trip and by far the coolest thing I will ever do. I remember the exact moment when I was flying that morning, looking out onto the other balloons around me, when I realized there was more out there I wanted to see. Here I am now, almost a year later, flying over Albuquerque, New Mexico, on the adventure of a lifetime. Ballooning over a city is very different than vineyards, as I’m sure you can imagine. Think about when you wake up in the morning and there are birds chirping, playing you a pretty tune for an alarm clock; now swap that sound with dogs barking. Fun fact, there’s something about the noise made from the balloon that sets off a high pitched sound that dogs are definitely not a fan of. They barked and ran in circles, echoing across Albuquerque, their owners stepping out and waving to us with smiles on their faces like it wasn’t the most annoying chorus in the world at 7 am. New pins and certificates acquired, we practically sprinted back to the B & B for a home cooked breakfast before our next adventure. Special thank you to Dad and Sam for making that happen, what an awesome birthday gift!
If any of you are fans of the show Breaking Bad, Albuquerque is the place for you. The highlights of the tour included the Car Wash, boasting a damn near perfect car wax, Twisters, which is actually Los Pollos Hermanos and New Mexico’s version of Taco Bell, and the laundromat where Mr. White and Jesse did not actually cook blue crystal meth in the basement. Congratulations to the few fans who managed to throw pizzas onto Walter White’s roof. I’m sure the nice couple I met who’ve been living there for the past forty years will agree with me when I say, you’re officially the worst fans ever. I can’t imagine living in a house that has been featured in such a famous show and having to share, at least the outside of my home, with close to two hundred visitors a day on busy weekends. No thank you. After driving around in an exact replica of Walter White’s 1986 Fleetwood Bounder, bullet holes and all, we headed to Santa Fe.
Albuquerque and Santa Fe, for being so close, are incredibly different. Other than the fact that both places have adobe architecture throughout, Santa Fe is very artsy and somewhat touristy as well. That’s bound to be the case though when you have a small artist community of all galleries and restaurants. The bustling town is not huge but definitely larger than I thought it would be. Canyon road is lined with so many galleries it's hard to count and window displays of every kind of artwork imaginable, beautiful trees and ornaments of dried red chile peppers decorating each one. I couldn’t help but notice the painted tiles detailing some of the buildings, contrasting the orange and pink shades of adobe and adding flavor to the already vibrant scene. The plaza was centered around a gazebo and monument, similar to that of Albuquerque’s, artist tables set up, music playing and food trucks on each corner. Speaking of food, I don’t know how I’ve lived my whole life without Sopaipillas and honey. The light, airy, fried bread is warm and golden brown and melts the honey in its pocket the moment it’s filled. Am I making you hungry yet? I’m making myself hungry just thinking about it and I just finished eating. We spent time walking around town, visiting the wonderful Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, a must see place even if you are not a museum fan, and strolling into a few churches. San Miguel Mission is the oldest church in America, the adobe structure and altar dating back to 1610, while the Loretto Chapel houses “the miraculous staircase.” The chapel was originally designed with a second floor landing but oddly no stairs and the free standing wooden spiral staircase was added in the 1800s and constructed with no glue or nails. Now supported with bannisters for safety, some say when you walk on it you can feel a bounce with every step. Unfortunately it’s blocked off to the general public so I’ll just have to take their word for it.
Adding two more national monuments to the list, my stepdad and brother and I woke up early one morning and headed to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, or as the locals call it, Tent Rocks. Driving through the Indian Reservation, we started our hike into the slot canyon, narrow and winding, enclosed by ribbons of rocks. The striped layers of different colored walls, the result of volcanic ash and erosion, became more intricate and curved as the hike continued. At one point they seemed as though they were melting like the slow drip of molasses, and the canyon opened up to reveal larger spaces with even grander formations. The rocks all seemed to curve and come to a point at the top, presumably why they are called tent rocks although I am not 100% positive. Looking up, plants grew out of the sunlit rims above like rooftop gardens and the hike reached a bit of a turning point when it changed from flat and winding to steep and rocky. The trail leveled out and looked onto the tent rocks from above, red rock mountains in the distance. Thinking that there had to be another side to the mountain, I turned the corner and just over the ridge the rest of the world came into focus. I mean, wow. Little word of advice, go here early. We got here a little bit after they opened and there were three other cars in the parking lot. When we left, the entire lot was full. It was very annoying with so many people, particularly since the slot canyon was so narrow. I can’t imagine having to take pictures with all those people in my shot.
I wanted to make sure that my Mom, Jay, and Thatcher got their own adventure with me like my Dad and Samantha did. So, after I said goodbye to them midday on Monday, the four of us headed north to Bandelier National Monument. I had heard really great things about the monument so I was excited not to be missing it. The easy, two mile loop from the visitor center was lined with large cliffs that almost looked like swiss cheese with all their holes. The rocks were a mixture of reds, greens, yellows, and were the perfect place for cliff dwellings. Unlike the huge openings with houses built into them at the Gila Cliff Dwellings, these were much smaller and made of out the already formed voids in the canyon wall. Climbing in and out by ladder, I stared out of their windows, again wondering what the Ancestral Puebloan's view must have been like when they lived there. Some were just big enough for two of us, some were large enough for an entire high school class to fit into; I know this because they did. Continuing along the side of the cliffs, past remnants of rock structures on the canyon floor and petroglyphs carved into the wall, we veered left, made a right past beautiful large trees with bright orange bark and came up to the Alcove House. A 140 feet climb up four ladders wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought. The signs explaining that those with a fear of heights ought to think about the decision to keep going was not going to stop me. Here’s my approach to heights; I get to a certain point, freak out internally, and make sure to close my eyes and take a deep breath. I’d rather not miss out on an adventure because I am afraid of something. I suck it up, talk myself through it, and enjoy the once in a lifetime experience, secretly hyperventilating the whole time. I will say, I am getting better. The climb brought us to a large opening at the top of the curved cliff acting like a giant stage and the mountains were the show. A round building made out of stone with a hatch for a door on the roof stood on one side and the view was breathtaking. The sun was hitting the home just right in the foreground and highlighted only the bright green patch of grass off in the distance. The people below crossing the stream along the trail looked like small dots in the landscape of green. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of exploring national park sites, each one is so unique, interesting, and filled with so much history.
I loved having my family here with me and I cannot thank them enough for making the trip to Santa Fe happen for me. I enjoyed lounging around, laughing, and telling stories with them like we do at home and exploring places we may have never seen had I not taken this trip. I definitely miss them. Living away from home for so long prior this trip, I didn’t see them all the time so that’s nothing new, but somehow being so far away and on my own feels different. It made seeing them, if only for a few days, that much more special.
Today is a new day.
Back to the routine I go - exploring, couch surfing, and talking to all of you every so often. Time to finish up New Mexico and make my way to Colorado!
- G.
The Photo:
Hot Air Ballooning.
Albuquerque, New Mexico.
5/5/17.
