Exploring Albuquerque

Today was a great day.  We had an easy morning and then we headed to the airport to pick up our "hitchhiker" for the next couple of days. Nana (Sharon) arrived around lunch time. Sharon will stay with us for the next couple days until Salt Lake City.  We are so excited.


We went straight to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.  Its a museum dedicated to the Pueblo Indian Nation.  We had an authentic Pueblo lunch with fresh baked breads from the Adobe Oven.  Then it was time for the dance program.  We watched four Zuni dancers perform.  The first dance was a prayer to the Mother Earth for rain to help with the severe drought.  Molly upon hearing this stated: "Well it worked. As the clouds and a rain sprinkle moved in."  The second dance was a the warrior dance to help stop the wars and create peace on earth.  Both dances were a lovely rhythm of chanting and drums.

Our next stop was at Old Town Albuquerque.  A series of town squares in an old pueblo village. Its full of shops, music and eateries.  It reminded me of Old St. Augustine in Florida.  We got some great stuff here to help us remember our trip.

We are off early in the morning headed for the Moab Desert and a series of hikes to see the Arches.

Welcoming Committee

Mother Earth Dance

Zuni Dancers

Drum and  Chant

Warrior Dance

Practicing Weaving

Parking Meter in Old Albuquerque. You pick the spot, and push your cash through the slot.

Uncle Skip Gave Andy a Beardo for Alaska!

I Am A Paleontologist.

We are in Albuquerque New Mexico.  As usual on a day that we could sleep in, everyone was awake by 6:30am.  I was surprised considering the time zone change and the late night for the girls. Oh well.

Our morning was started off with Andy playing music with his uncle Tomas. Check out the band: (http://www.soncomoson.com/)

We didn't have much planned for the day except going to the Albuquerque Natural History and Science Museum. (http://www.nmnaturalhistory.org/)  Our family has a special connection with the museum as one of their Paleontologist is Andy's Uncle (http://www.nmnaturalhistory.org/gsmorgan.html).  We got a behind the scenes tour into the world of dinosaurs and other prehistorical animals. The whole time one of our favorite They Might Be Giants songs was in our heads:

It was an amazing and truly fascinating couple of hours. We got to meet volunteers painstakingly removing rocks from around bones, we viewed hundreds of cataloged fossil bones in various stages of research.  Andy even got to see the Glyptodon shell and Mammoth Tusks he helped to dig up about 10 years ago.

We then took our new found knowledge and walked through the museum with Gary and the family.  The museum is wonderful. We only explored a small portion of the museum.

We had lunch out and then promptly everyone took a much needed nap.  Tonight we will explore one of the towns lovely recreational pools to get in our swim and just spend time catching up.

We have special guest joining our adventure tomorrow, will post later!

Enjoy the pictures:

Specimens

Butterflies

Fossil Room

Showing us a skull reproduction

A mammoth femur

A camel and a buffalo, from the last ice age. These were found in a gypsum quarry, in a several million year old layer. Wait you ask - how could these bones be from the last ice age, which was only 10,000 years ago? There was a crevasse-like crack which the animals fell into, and were incorporated into the earlier layer.

Large Tortoise Shell

A mammoth tooth

A fish Fossil

Tiny Teeth

Fossil Footprints

Driving Along In Our Automobile....

Holy Cow!  We made it to Albuquerque, NM.  We drove through OK, TX, and parts of NM.  I have an imprint on my eyes of long, flat fields, cows, more cows, windmills, and did I say long flat fields?!

We are going to spend the next two days relaxing, doing laundry, seeing lots of family and a few sites!

Our morning started off well, as we got out the door early...7:30am!  We stopped a few hours in at the Cherokee Nation Trading Post.  The Cherokee was a large part of the plains life. It was a fun stop.  We also drove past the stockyards in Oklahoma City.  Its the largest stockyard in the country and is a huge area for the sale of cattle.

Our drive down I44, first brought lots of cattle and we were lucky enough to see a roundup! We also saw lots of Hay production and then these round lush circles of corn.  Yes, circles of corn.  The watering equipment goes around in a circle and creates these beautiful green spots in a land of dry yellow.  I was amazed.

When we crossed into TX, the landscape turned again into a dry, dusty, ranches.  As we crossed over all I could picture was a good western movie.  I could visualize the cowboys riding across the plains, keeping an eye out for Indians.

In TX, we stopped at the Big Texas Steakhouse.  Its a tourist trap, but what fun!  We ate subpar food, but laughed and played for a good portion of an hour.  Check it out!

New Mexico, was a welcome site!  It started out flat and bushy, but as we got closer to Albuquerque the Mountains arise from the background. 

I am amazed by the amount of semi-tractor trailer trucks on the road. They have a huge presence.  As Andy noted: "Its the way we move our country." Agreed!

We are with family now and getting ready for a lovely BBQ.  Its T's birthday today!  They live across from a park and it doesn't matter what city we stop in a playground is a welcomed sight. 

Tomorrow we visit the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science and hopefully the splash park!

Round Up the Cattle

Oklahoma Wind Mill

Hay Production

Windmills

Green corn circles

Green corn circles

Amarillo, TX Big Texas Steakhouse

Cadillac Ranch Amarillo, TX

Texas

New Mexico, flat lands

Finally Mountains.

RT66

"Get your kicks on RT66"... Not sure which part but the section between St. Louis and Oklahoma City is a bit dull.

We started off the trip on a high note and stopped in Cuba, MO to see the murals. Not sure the history or why they were created; but the murals are beautiful and very well done. (http://cubamomurals.com/public-art-in-cuba-mo/)  Close by Cuba, MO  is the worlds largest rocking chair and the Fanning Outpost. The outpost is a bunch of souvenirs and a target practice area located out back. Honestly, I think it's a way to keep the awe of RT 66 going in people's minds.

The scenery was spectacular. In the southern part of Missouri you can see the natural stone bluffs and caverns. When you enter into Oklahoma the scenery immediately changes to mostly flat, dry, plains. Farms are again abundant but this time with hay production and cattle. I did see a few corn fields. Another interesting fact is that along RT66 you pass through a various Indian Territories.  These territories are now known for their casinos.

Oklahoma City, is hot. It was 100 degrees when we pulled into downtown. The pool was located rooftop and outside and we had a great time stretching our legs. We then walked into a neighborhood called Bricktown for dinner. A lovely, clean area with lots of eatery choices.

I am continually amazed at how friendly people are to us and curious about our travels. The kids are great and are always anxious for the next hotel pool.

Tomorrow we head to Albuquerque, NM to see and stay with Andy's family. It gives us a chance to unwind and regroup.

So far, I wouldn't change a thing about our trip.

Oklahoma