Walking on Sunshine

“I’m walking on sunshine, And don’t it feel good” – Katrina and the Waves

No, no it doesn’t feel good at all. I mentioned previously that my biggest fear for #RTXVIII was heat. Today was hot, but I’m a bit concerned that I may have used that title too soon since there are likely many more hot days ahead of us, and today wasn’t even that bad. What a busy day 5 it was though! Since we wrote early afternoon yesterday I’m going to backtrack a bit to fill in some of the fun and craziness from last night.

First the positive, after finishing our drinks and writing session in Los Alamos we headed back to Santa Fe and Rooftop Pizza. We chose a table in the shade on the balcony and ordered what an article we found described as a chicken enchilada in pizza form along with a meaty pizza and salad. As we were enjoying the last few bites another family came in and their daughter insisted on sitting at a table with a view over Santa Fe, but in the blazing sun. Her parents smartly declined and sat at a shaded table next to us. However, she persisted and went to enjoy the view. With no hesitation Ellie got up to join her and we got to spend a new minutes getting to know her parents as we discussed their shared sense of independence, our trip, and their summer in Santa Fe. If you’re reading, I hope you all have a great time getting to know the city and people!

The negative part of the evening came when we returned to the hotel. We found that the lock on our door had been changed. This was mildly annoying since we had stopped at the desk before we left and spoke to someone to ensure this wouldn’t happen. The situation became quite annoying when we returned to the desk and found a 30 minute wait to get new keys. This, combined with our already dissatisfactory opinion of the place led to a heated few minutes. Eventually, though things were resolved and we were even able to get in a quick swim.

This morning started with an awesome breakfast at Tecolote. We very rarely eat breakfast out on these trips, generally opting for whatever can be scavenged from the hotel or a Clif Bar. I had read about this spot as I was planning the trip and thought it would make for a great post backpacking brunch. It turned out to also make for a fabulous pre-Georgia O’Keefe museum breakfast. All of us had a hard time deciding which New Mexican specialty to go with, but honestly I don’t think there would have been a way to go wrong.

From there we headed to the Georgia O’Keefe museum. We usually don’t do museums on these trips so it’s weird that we’ve hit two in two days, and have a third on the agenda for tomorrow. I guess that’s what happens when we’re forced to rethink plans. The museum was awesome. There was a ton of her art on display from the oil paintings of flowers and skulls that she’s famous for to her pastels and sketches, her images of New York City, and landscapes and cloudscapes from around the world. One of the highlights for me was seeing some of the bones that she had collected in the desert that inspired her paintings.

After soaking up all the culture we could before our parking meter ran out we piled back into Fred and made the hour trek south to Albuquerque and Petroglyph National Monument. With no particular plan in mind or knowledge of the park we headed straight for the Visitor’s Center where the girls collected yet another Junior Ranger book. Far more excitingly, Molly and I were also offered our first ever opportunity to become Senior Rangers! We jumped at the opportunity and were off to our first hike of the day Piedras Marcadas Canyon where we were immediately amazed at the quantity of petroglyphs crafted into the rocks. I’ll let the pictures below speak for themselves.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

By the time we reached the end of the trail everyone was feeling a bit overcome by the combination of intense heat, no shade, and sandy hiking. We did the only reasonable thing and headed for the nearest Lotaburger, a chain that the internet had promised me was the In-N-Out of New Mexico. Zoe and I split a Lotaburger with chilis and cheese and it was fine. No need to return anytime soon though. Its reassuring to know that we’re only a couple weeks from the true In-N-Out experience. Hopefully the Grandy’s stop we’re planning next week will be more impressive.

After cooling off and completing most of our Senior Ranger activities we headed for the Boca Negra Canyon where we were able to climb a hill with awesome view over all of Albuquerque and up close views of even more petroglyphs. By the time we finished that mile (note to family: can we coin the term 1 mile Petroglyph?) we decided to head back to the ranger station to claim our first ever Senior Ranger Pins!

After a quick dip in the pool and showers (plus time to write everything above this paragraph we headed off to dinner at a place that the internet promised would be a “one of a kind dining experience”. It was. If you’re ever in Albuquerque Ben Michael’s restaurant is a must stop experience. We walked into the home/restaurant the owner/chef/server/host Ben Michael built himself. Literally built, from the bricks in the walls made from material in the surrounding land to the timbers cut from a nearby forest. He greeted us from the kitchen and came out to help us choose a table and ask if we wanted water (with ice?). He returned with waters and listed off some beers he had, then talked the girls into a mint tea. He said he’d be right back, then left the building only to return a minute later with a fistful of mint from his garden. As we enjoyed some chips and salsa along with our drinks we watched a blues band set up on the patio just outside where we were seated.

After a song or two we were told the food options: enchiladas with pork, chicken, cheese, or vegetarian. We opted for two pork and two chicken so we could have a taste of each. Meanwhile, the band fired off a couple more songs with audience members sporadically joining in on the piano set up across the room or various percussion instruments they’d brought along.

Our meals arrived and the enchiladas were served with pinto beans and a white corn flavored thing I’ve never had before. After clearing my plate Ellie and I were encouraged to step onto the dance floor where we were also able to grab a few photos. Each trip there are some memories that stand out months later, I wouldn’t be surprised if this evening’s dinner is one of those.