The Road To Boulder & Santa Fe Redux

April 26 ~ 29

The first leg to Boulder is totally uneventful (that's a good thing) and boring (that's not a good thing). Stop overnight in Gallup, New Mexico in some "one night only" place.  Getting chillier and since we are still freezer diving, we haul out Chicken Provencal soup that I made early in the trip...add a salad and settle in for the evening. 

We look forward to the next two days in Santa Fe.  Takes us much longer to get there than we planned.  Tor is acting up again on the mountain climbs.  Spend four hours in Albuqurque having the transmission, oil etc. checked out.  After a minor fix, but with the knowledge we need to take Tor in for a "spa day" in Boulder, we plod on to Santa Fe.

Stay at the same place as last fall, Santa Fe Skies, (santafeskiesrvpark.com) and are able to get the space we like looking over the valley and out to the mountains. We were hoping to have dinner in town, but are too exhuasted to even think about it.  Freezer diving leads us to making "designer pizzas".  Have naan bread, remnants of chicken sausages....carmelize some onions, throw in julienned peppers, top with chevre and fresh basil.....plop in front of the tv, then enjoy the full moon.

We didn't make Los Alamos on our last visit and I know Rick will really love it...so that's our day tomorrow. 

Los Alamos is about 45 minutes from where we're staying....the drive is interesting. Some striking formations....

And some challenging roads....glad we don't have Tor with us.

Rick was, as expected since he's a nuclear engineer and computer scientist, enthralled with the Bradbury Science Museum (lanl.gov/museum). I, however, keep getting this feeling the whole thing is one big propaganda exercise for bombs and war.  I'm beginning to get a bit angry at the whole place.  Only later did I discover (see the website address) that it's been built by Los Alamos National Laboratory for exactly that purpose.

The fun thing to do in Los Alamos is a visit to The Black Hole (blackholesurplus.com).  This is shop,while bizarre to a lot of us, a treasure-trove to some, of used scientific equipment, electronics, lab supplies and about anything else you can think of.  Rick was in seventh heaven.

I love the things that were totally counterintuitive to the whole area.

And some things that are cross-bred...like a huge sunflower made out of missile casings.

Dinner at the Catina at Coyote Cafe (coyotecafe.com).  Coyote Cafe, opened in 1987,  is a restaurant that has been credited with creating modern southwestern cooking.  We opt for the open rooftop, casual Cantina that shares the same kitchen.  It's fun, lively and the portions are ginormous.  You have to order chips and salsa though and I'd recommend not popping for their signature, Silver Coin, margarita....no flavor, all ice.  Rick's Navajo taco is good and would serve about 4.  My fish tacos, also good, could round out a table for at least 6!Way too much to eat and they must have this happen all the time.....the waiter comes to the table with boxes and containers that are perfect for keeping everything in place.

We will head to Boulder in the morning and join the Cunningham clan in what I know will be a very festive weekend!