Albuquerque and Santa Fe

I promised in my last post that I'd put up a few of my own Wigwam pictures in the morning. Some of you asked if it was a real wigwam. You can't really tell from the pictures, but it's made of cast concrete.

Inside, it was surprisingly roomy and comfortable, with a bathroom and shower. Tuesday morning we were up and out of our Wigwam before 7 am for the drive to Albuquerque, New Mexico. We continued to listen to Hillerman's The Dark Wind as we drove through Arizona. 

When we crossed the state line into New Mexico, the legendary Joe Leaphorn was planning to meet Jim Chee for coffee in Shiprock. Out our window, on US 40, the highway signs read "Shiprock, Next Exit", while the advertising billboards asked us to "Stop at Chee's". It was a hoot.

While we were in the middle of the Petrified Forest, I got a text from my co-worker, Gabriela Ernsberger, letting me know that we had to stop at Cracker Barrel; otherwise, it wasn't an official road trip.  We had never been, so we stopped there when we reached Gallup.

I have to say, it lived up to it's billing. I'm always so happy that I get two eggs, hashbrowns and toast for $9.00 at IHop, now that I'm (far) over 55. At Cracker Barrel I got two eggs, sausage, bacon, ham, hashbrowns, grits, biscuits, gravy and fried apples for $10.00. 

It was billed as "The Sampler". I'd hate to see a full order. For my diet's sake, I hope they don't ever build a Cracker Barrel closer to home.

In the event that you've never been to a Cracker Barrel either, they also have a gift shop with snacks and trinkets. They had a wide variety of sodas that I never see for sale any more.

The candy isle, too, was more extensive than I see at 7-11 or the supermarket. I bought this three-color Neapolitan coconut candy that I remember eating as a kid. (On the front of the package it says "Since 1895".)

In Gallup, we went shopping at the trading posts along Route 66. Because of Covid, the normal Indian Markets have been closed throughout all of New Mexico. I wanted to look for moccasins for my granddaughters, and rugs and blankets for ourselves. 

We had heard that Gallup would be much less expensive than Taos or Santa Fe. Kathy convinced me that our granddaughters would never wear the moccasins, and the rug and blanket prices were still out of my comfort zone (although they were all very beautiful.)

After our shopping we got back on US 40 to Albuquerque, and got to our motel around 3:30. The Sandia Peak Inn, on Central Avenue was very, very nice, and certainly much less cramped than the Wigwam. It was also less expensive.

The Sandia is a family-run motel and they were very friendly. The grounds were very attractive, with the trees just coming into bloom. Our room was large and clean and had a table, a desk, a microwave and a refrigerator. We could park right at our door. We'd definitely stay there again. 

Tuesday evening was definitely one of the highlights of our trip; we spent the evening with Skip Heitzig and his wife Lenya. For those of you who don't know him, Skip is the founder and Senior Pastor of Calvary of Albuquerque, one of the largest churches in the United States. 

He is a prolific author, a composer, and serves on the board of Franklin Graham's relief agency, Samaritan's Purse. Lenya, besides being a pastor's wife, is also an author, co-hosts the podcast All the Things, and runs the ministry Reload Love, which ministers to children who are victims of terror.

They are also both fascinating people. I felt we could have kept talking all night.

On to Santa Fe

By now, we realized that booking hotels that offer a free breakfast was a losing strategy. Eating out of a bag isn't the same as sitting at a table. When we left the Sandia Peak Inn by 8 am, heading for Santa Fe, we realized that our first stop had to be breakfast.

We had a guidebook, but New Mexico is still a little more closed than Arizona or California. We drove down Central Avenue (historic Route 66) through downtown Albuquerque, and found our first two options closed. However, across from the University of New Mexico we found that the Frontier Restaurant was still open.

Since UNM classes are still virtual this spring, the eatery wasn't overrun with students. We both had the breakfast burrito with shredded pork and green chili sauce. I've eaten Mexican food in California with green chili sauce, but New Mexico green chili sauce is definitely in a different category. Very hot. The cinnamon rolls were also hot, but sweet, not spicy. 

There are three ways to get to Santa Fe: the fast way, on the freeway, the long way, through the Jemez Mountains, and the just-right trip via the Turquoise Trail, through Madrid (pronounced MAD-rid).

Madrid is about half-way to Santa Fe. We stopped for gas in Cedar Springs and made it to Madrid by noon. The town was originally a coal mining town with as many as 4,000 residents. 

Like Jerome in Arizona, it was abandoned and rediscovered by the bohemian arts crowd.

Today, its full of colorful shops. We spend about an hour and a half visiting most of them and taking pictures.

Madrid's other claim to fame is as the backdrop for the John Travolta film, Wild Hogs. I've never seen the movie, but one of the sets they built is a pilgrimage site for Harley-riding Travolta fans. Going with the flow, Kathy and I took our selfie there too.

In Santa Fe

Santa Fe is strange, and I don't mean in the Sedona sense, which I expected. It seems like everybody wears a mask, all the time, indoors or outdoors, waking or sleeping. It's a little disconcerting.

We got into town early, so we checked into the Sage Hotel on Cerrillos Road. The room isn't as large as the one in Albuquerque, but Kathy says it beats a Wigwam. We hadn't eaten lunch in Madrid, and the breakfast burrito from the Frontier was only a memory, so we headed around the corner to La Choza for lunch.

Kathy learned her lesson from breakfast, and had the chili on the side. I just assumed that it was a problem with the Frontier, and left it in my chili rellenos and blue corn enchilada. It goes without saying that Kathy was right and I was wrong.

The interior of the restaurant, and so many of the buildings we've seen here in Santa Fe, was captivating. Our artist daughter, Hosanna Rubio, thought that this heart decoration over the arch was beautiful.

After lunch, we walked around down town. Our idea of buying inexpensive southwest memorabilia in Gallup hadn't borne fruit, so we adopted a different tack; visiting thrift stores. After all, those Santa Fe folk surely have some good rugs and clothing to discard. We visited several thrift stores. Double Take near downtown was especially impressive. Nevertheless, we weren't successful. Navajo rugs and turquoise and silver jewelry never makes it to the bargain rack. 

Many of the businesses in the downtown area, including the Cathedral, closed at 4 pm. Kathy thought it might be part of the Covid restrictions, rather than a cultural preference, like eating dinner at 10 pm in Spain. Since we couldn't go inside, I took a picture outside with the statue of St. Francis, the patron saint of Santa Fe.

I talked Kathy into standing next to the statue of Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American Saint.

On the way back to the car, we visited one of the tourist emporiums, and came away with some "southwest themed" blankets and clothes. Not hand-made on a wooden loom over months, with hand-died wool, nor signed and numbered. But, lovely all the same. We were both pleased.

The Painted Desert and Petrified Forest

We slept in this morning, since we weren't going far; Holbrook is only about an hour from Winslow. We had a little bit of a scare before we checked out, since I couldn't find one of the two fancy keys that they'd given us. I searched high and low through the hotel, removing cushions from chairs and looking under furniture. The key never showed up, and I had visions of a $200 key replacement fee. Kathy and I prayed about it, and, in the end, they just asked us to send it back if we found it, and didn't charge us anything.

We stopped at Safeway for another of their great ham and egg breakfast sandwiches, and were on the road, listening to Tony Hillerman's The Dark Wind. This time Chee, Leaphorn and Bernie are trying to solve a murder related to a "lost" gold mine. The Sinister Pig ended with Jim finally telling Bernie that he loved her, and the redemption of the villain with a heart of gold. A very satisfactory ending.

After an hour, we turned off US 40 onto Exit 311 and used our National Parks Pass for only the second time. Kathy hadn't signed it when she bought it, so the ranger at the gate wouldn't let us in until she did. You can drive the 28 miles through the park from north to south, as we did, or vice-versa. Since we started from the north gate, the first section was the Painted Desert.

Since we had all day, we purposed to visit every sight and walk every trail. We came close to doing it. Our first stop was the Painted Desert Rim Trail, starting at Tawa Point and going to the Painted Desert Inn. This early 20th Century Pueblo Revival style building originally consisted of fifteen small rooms rented to tourists, but was then turned over to the Fred Harvey company for staff housing. Now it is a museum that has the largest petroglyph discovered in the region. Unfortunately, like many sights, it's now closed for Covid. 

Our next stop was the Puerco Pueblo and the banks of the Puerco river. This site was inhabited from about 1200 to 1400, after Walnut Canyon. Only the footings and a Kiva remain of the old pueblo. The most interesting part was the petroglyphs. 

Leaving Puerco Pueblo, we stopped at Newspaper Rock which has over 600 petroglyphs on one rock. Unfortunately, you can't get close. (Probably fortunately for the paintings.) Instead, you stand on an overlook and study them through binoculars which are mounted there. I used my phone's telephoto feature to take this picture, but you still can't see much.

Along the way, we stopped and took a picture of these interesting formations, called the Teepees.

Right after that, we saw our first petrified log, laying right next to the road. You would swear that it was wood, but when you touched it, you saw that it was really stone.

Our next stop was the badlands of Blue Mesa. This is a 1.2 mile trail from the top of the mesa, down to the valley floor. It is a very steep descent.

On the floor, the path takes a loop which walks past even more fallen petrified logs. 

Once we walked back up, our next stop was the Agate Bridge, a 110 foot petrified tree which fell across a ravine. In the early 1900s tourists would pose for photos standing on the tree. In 1915, a concrete abutment was added below the tree to support it. Even with the support, though, tourists are no longer allowed to walk across it.

By this time, it was almost 4 pm, and our resolve to walk every trail had faltered. We visited the overlook at Jaspar Forest, and skipped the Krystal Forest (which looked similar to Blue Mesa), and Agate House, which required a mile walk.

We made one last stop at the visitor's center, to buy a legal piece of petrified wood for our own, and to walk the final Trail of Giant Logs. All in all, though, we satisfied our petrified wood itch. Almost.

We got back to Holbrook around 6 pm and checked into our room, Teepee #3 at the Wigwam Motel #6. We arrived too late to take a picture, so I stole this one from the Web. I'll have one with Kathy and I in the morning. 

We hadn't really eaten a meal all day. The Fred Harvey's in the park was closed. So, we were famished. It turned out, though, that Kathy's petrified wood itch, wasn't quite scratched. On our way to dinner we went to Jim Gray's Petrified Wood and picked out a few pieces for our grandchildren. I saw a small log that I liked. It was about 8-inches round and 18 inches high. It cost $1,800 and weighed 600 pounds. 

Tomorrow, we're leaving Arizona, and heading for Gallup and Albuquerque in New Mexico.

Palm Sunday, Walnut Canyon and La Posada

Another busy day here in Arizona. I was wiped out yesterday from walking the Red Rock State Park, so I got up early this morning to post yesterday's blog entry. By the time I was finished, it was time to head out for church. Today was Palm Sunday, which has always been significant to Kathy and I; it was 35 years ago today that the Lord gave us the name Hosanna for our daughter.

There is a Calvary Chapel in Flagstaff and Steve VanDalen is the Pastor. They meet in a high school just outside of town. We got there a little early and were able to talk with Steve before the service began. During the service we learned a new chorus that Kathy really liked: Crushing Snakes. After the service we spent a little more time visiting with Steve and his wife Brittany, and their three children.

We went to lunch at the Northern Pines restaurant and then cruised through the historic downtown section of Flagstaff, before heading off to see the Walnut Canyon National Monument on the way to Winslow. 

Walnut Canyon is an area that was populated by the Sinagua Indians (the ancestors of the Hopi and perhaps the Zuni) between 1100 and 1250, about the time of the Crusades in Europe. The Sinagua built their homes into the side of the cliffs, using the naturally occurring overhangs as roofs and the remote location for protection.

When we arrived at the National Monument, the ranger let all of the cars behind us back up, while he explained why we shouldn't purchase two single-entry tickets for $30 when we could, as senior citizens, purchase a year long pass to all of the national parks for $20. I was very impressed, and of course, we bought the pass.

To walk down into the Canyon, (called the Island trail), you have to climb down 385 steps. A sign at the head of the trail reads, "Climbing down is optional; climbing back up is mandatory." It wasn't as bad as it sounds, though, and it was really spectacular. 

Kathy really enjoyed it. There were a lot of other families on the trail as well, those with children, and couples who were closer to our age.

After Walnut Canyon we got back on US 40 and headed for Winslow. We thought about stopping to see the Meteor Crater, but our guidebook said that it's kind of an overpriced attraction. Kathy said, "It's a hole in ground!". We skipped it in favor of something much more significant.

Winslow is famous both for its mention in the Nat King Cole song, Get Your Kicks on Route 66, as well as the more recent Jackson Browne song, recorded by the Eagles, Taking It Easy. Like every other tourist to this town, we had to take our picture, standing on the corner.

The real reason we stopped in Winslow, though, it to spend the night at one of the classic restored hotels in the world, La Posada. Build by Fred Harvey, and designed by Mary Colter, this was one of the premier tourist destinations for upper-class tourists visiting Indian Country. They even made a Judy Garland musical about it, Harvey Girls.

When it opened in 1929, before the stock market crash, this was the place for the rich and famous to go. Howard Hughes, Bob Hope, Albert Einstein, Frank Sinatra, and others all stayed here. 

After the depression and World War II, train travel dried up, and middle-class Americans took their automobiles instead, staying at places like the Wigwam Motel (where we'll sleep tomorrow). By the 1950s, La Posada closed for good. The Santa Fe company converted it into offices.

In 1997, Allen Affeldt, and his wife, the painter Tina Minon, purchased the property with the goal of restoring it to its original glory. Today, it's almost always fully booked. Apparently, it's very popular with European tourists, who rent motorcycles, living out the Easy Rider Route 66 dream.

The other reason people come from all over to Winslow is to eat at the hotel's Turquoise Room. This was our vacation splurge night, so we made reservations for 5:30 (the only time we could get).

This time, I didn't forget my duty; I remembered to take pictures of the food. We started by sharing a bowl of sweet corn and black bean soup in a yin/yang shape, with the La Posada initials drizzled over the top. It was great.

Then, I had the wild platter; a deep-fried quail, with a tender elk medallion, accompanied by a cheese and corn tamale, covered with bison, venison, and javelina chili. (I told Kathy that I was going for it; no more chicken breast or shrimp or pasta for me.)

Kathy's dish was certainly as unique, if not as "out there". She had grilled salmon, cooked inside a tamale. It was also delicious.

Tomorrow we're going to put our new National Parks pass to good use and visit the Petrified Forest, sleeping at the Wigwam Motel #6 in Holbrook, the last one left in the United States.