21st Anniversary
October 20, 2015
State of New Mexico
City of Santa Fe
Courtyard of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
Day One
Having squeezed our family into an apartment in Woodinville for less than a week, this anniversary was upon us. After leaving our four boys in the adventurous care of Granny and Grandpa, we headed to the Seattle airport where Julie learned the surprise destination for this anniversary: New Mexico. After landing at the Albuquerque Sunport our first stop, in honor of our friends in Seattle, was the location where Microsoft had its first office in Albuquerque. We then settled into our mountain-view room at the Tamaya Resort, a vast resort whose southwestern adobe-style buildings blended into the landscape. This was to be our home for a couple days as we set off on day trips to explore the surrounding area.
Day Two
We worshiped with Trinity Reformed Church in Edgewood, NM whose congregants knew several families in our church back in Seattle. Pastor Tom Brainerd, his wife, Jeanne, and their lovely daughter, Ruth hosted us for a delightful lunch and afternoon visit in their home. The fellowship was sweet, the food was delicious, and the views were peaceful from their home on the hill. After such generous hospitality, we drove back to the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway built in the 1960s with the longest single cable tram in the world rising 3,800 feet. Because the rock in the mountain has a pink color, when Coronado first saw the mountain in 1540, he named it “Sandia” which means “watermelon” in Spanish. I think they were parched. As we rode up the tram, a storm was brewing across the valley which made for stunning sunset views with swarming clouds fighting the colors at the close of the day. It was fun to watch the line of rain as it blew through the valley. When the rains reached us, we ducked into the mountain-top restaurant for a beverage and watched the lightening strikes. On our way back to the tram, we walked through a touch of snow that had trickled in with the rain. Back at the bottom, the temperature was balmy again.
Once we returned to the resort we roamed the grounds and parked ourselves on a covered porch beside one of the many adobe fireplaces accompanied by overhead heaters for a cozy spot where we ate and chatted for the rest of the evening. The barbeque brisket quesadillas were especially mouthwatering and, of course, contained green chilies, which are a staple of every dish here in New Mexico.
Day Three
Driving towards Four Corners in the northwestern part of the state, we were continually surprised at how quickly the landscape changed in New Mexico from the flat, scrub-covered plains, to the valley bowl of Albuquerque, to the top of Sandia Peak, to the bluffs that shoot up hundreds of feet. The different colors in the rocks mixed with brown and green shrubs presented endless variation to the landscape. Keeping with tradition, we began listening to the Agatha Christie Poirot mystery, Lord Edgware Dies.
Once we got around Farmington in the Navaho Nation, we saw our first large sections of agricultural land. We grabbed a picnic lunch in Farmington knowing that we were headed into no-man’s land. Shiprock was our next attempted stop just as a deluge struck with pelting rain. It was a short-lived storm followed by beautiful sun breaks that shifted to illuminate Shiprock in interesting patterns as the clouds moved along. Shiprock, a 7,177 foot tall monadnock, is the most prominent landmark in northwestern New Mexico, is on Navajo Nation land, and plays a significant role in Navajo religion, myth, and tradition. The most difficult part of traveling through the area was seeing the vast poverty evident in the tiny, dilapidated dwellings just set in the dirt.
After driving away from Shiprock, Julie saw us pass a “Welcome to Arizona” sign! Wait a minute, this is our New Mexico adventure! It turns out that the only road to our next destination was through the neighboring state. Four Corners Monument is the only point in the United States where four states meet: New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. It is on Navaho Nation land officially. We got a kick out of standing in four states at the same time! Rumor has it that the governors of each state have lunch there together once a year around a table where each official can sit in his own state. Eric has always been a map lover and has wanted to see this point since he was a boy. We ate our picnic on the grounds, although not spread over the landmark as there were other folks who wanted a photo opportunity. On thing we noticed driving through New Mexico, and which was evident at Four Corners, is that nothing off of the main roads is paved. We spent a lot of time on dirt roads that quickly turned to mud at the slightest rain.
Driving back to Tamaya we stopped on the Continental Divide which reminded us of our wedding renewal 13 years ago in Montana where we stated our vows on the Divide in Glacier National Park. Upon arrival at our hotel, we tool a dip in the hot tub and circular pool under the starry moonlit night followed by another meal on the patio of the resort finishing with an education in the tastings of tequila and its history.
Day Four
While Eric headed out for a morning trail run on the grounds of the resort, Julie sauntered to the Tamaya Mist Spa in her robe for a morning of pampering. The peaceful steam room and hot tub prepared her for a lengthy massage that melted away the surprisingly stressed muscles from all of the recent house moving activities. Following a soothing manicure, Julie was reunited with Eric and fully relaxed and ready for an afternoon of exploring the town of Santa Fe.
Again the sky was looking ominous upon our arrival to old town Santa Fe. The proclaimed 330 days of sun per year were not as believable this week. Eric was intent to buy Julie a new pair of shoes which were found at our first shop stop, the perfect Cinderella moment. Then hungry for lunch, we ducked into Santa Fe Bite promoting their best burger in New Mexico. As we sat down, the buckets of heaven opened again, this time adding chunky hail and powerful winds. Nice timing! We ate (or attempted to finish) the truly best hamburgers we have ever had: fresh, hand-made 10oz. green chili cheese burgers accompanied by freshly made chips and buns. Yum! The storm had eased to a trickle as we resumed our trek to the St. Miguel Mission Church built by Spanish explorers in 1610. It is the oldest church in America. There was a 700 year old bell we got to hit with a hammer that was supposedly forged in 1356 (the year forged on the side of the bell), although some experts believe it is actually younger and is supposed to read 1856.
Down the street sat the Loretto Chapel where the mysterious, spiral staircase was built free standing by an unknown man. This architectural feat still amazes woodworkers and structural engineers. The two interesting stories about the Loretto staircase surround both the the identity of its builder and the physics of its construction. We also enjoyed the stained glass rose pattern at the back of the chapel.
Walking about the plaza, we happened upon the Chuck Jones Gallery where there were fabulously whimsical paintings and sketches from both Chuck Jones and Dr. Seuss. Some of the Dr. Seuss art included taxidermy of the heads of some of the fictional creatures in his books. We smiled and giggled all the way through.
Now in search of the state capital building, we assumed it would be the tallest building with flags near the plaza. Wrong. It was a round building with a flat roof, known by locals as the “Roundhouse” derived from the Native American meeting places of similar shape and name. We didn’t have time to visit inside as it was time for the wedding.
The Brainerd family (Tom, Jean, and Ruth) met us in the plaza, and we walked to the grounds of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. Tom officiated with a poignant reminder that the protection against anything without or within putting our marriage asunder lies in “blessing the name of the Lord” from the Psalms of ascent where the reminder is to look back at the blessings and mercies and history of what God has brought you through and then bless Him. This act of remembering and giving praise provides confidence to walk into what God has you in now and what he has for you in the future. It was such a delight to have Jean and Ruth there as friends and witnesses, so we walked over to The Shed (a local hideaway) for a celebration snack. We bid our new friends farewell hoping to cross paths again in the future.
We returned to our room to watch the movie Far From the Madding Crowd, an adaptation of one of Julie’s favorite books. The movie was well done, and we enjoyed talking about all of the rich intricacies of the story and characters.
Day Five
We were on the move and off to Los Alamos, home of the National Laboratory that was established as part of the Manhattan Project in WWII. We were impressed by the mountain roads approaching Los Alamos and by its remote location. However, today, it is a sprawling lab complex employing 10,000 people. Based on a recommendation we got at church on Sunday, our main stop was the Bradbury Science Museum (not named after the author, Ray Bradbury). The scope of both the history and current research done at The Lab was remarkable. Fully 25% of the workforce there have PhDs in their field. We purchased some atomic gifts for the boys before leaving. They might glow!
The drive to Taos followed the Rio Grande River Gorge. At one point, we came over a ridge to see this massive scar in the plain where the gorge sliced through the landscape. We arrived at the Taos Pueblo in the steady rain and were able to tour the oldest inhabited pueblo in America (over 1000 years old), led by a young native of the Red Willow Tribe. Their religion is a mixture of native belief and Catholicism where Mary is prominent and represents Mother Earth. Each family maintains a wood burning adobe oven outside which can hold 350-400 degrees for over 4 hours for cooking. The original entry to the abodes, before doors and windows were added, was through the roof where ladders led. The family would climb the ladders, go over the roof and into the home, then pull up the ladders leaving a protected fortress. Also on the pueblo was a graveyard with a mostly demolished church which was original to the people from the 1619. It had been destroyed three times, but the bell brought over by the Conquistadors in the early 16th century still hung in the crumbling bell tower. In the background was Taos Mountain with a picturesque touch of snow at the top. We thought nothing of it at the time.
The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge crosses the chasm just outside of Taos and towers 565 feet above the river. In a drenching rain, Eric walked across the bridge for a personal view. It was then time for our journey over the mountains toward Las Vegas (no, not that Vegas). We began the climb in the intense rain that shortly thickened to wet snow only to settle into a white-out snow storm. The road went from slush to 3-inch pack on the uphill winding pass. We pressed on for 20 miles following in the tracks of another vehicle until our car was unable to continue on. Wisdom and prayer dictated that we turn around and try to reach a small ski area we had passed 10 miles back. Victory! A kind man advised us on an alternate route to our destination of Tucumcari maintaining a low elevation. That route meant we still had 5 hours of travel. We pulled into our personal motel garage and tumbled into our cozy room at the Blue Swallow Motel on Historic Route 66 at 11PM thrilled to have safely arrived from a day of unexpected adventure. Thanks to our gracious God for his care over us!
October 20, 2015
State of New Mexico
City of Santa Fe
Courtyard of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
Day One
Having squeezed our family into an apartment in Woodinville for less than a week, this anniversary was upon us. After leaving our four boys in the adventurous care of Granny and Grandpa, we headed to the Seattle airport where Julie learned the surprise destination for this anniversary: New Mexico. After landing at the Albuquerque Sunport our first stop, in honor of our friends in Seattle, was the location where Microsoft had its first office in Albuquerque. We then settled into our mountain-view room at the Tamaya Resort, a vast resort whose southwestern adobe-style buildings blended into the landscape. This was to be our home for a couple days as we set off on day trips to explore the surrounding area.
Day Two
We worshiped with Trinity Reformed Church in Edgewood, NM whose congregants knew several families in our church back in Seattle. Pastor Tom Brainerd, his wife, Jeanne, and their lovely daughter, Ruth hosted us for a delightful lunch and afternoon visit in their home. The fellowship was sweet, the food was delicious, and the views were peaceful from their home on the hill. After such generous hospitality, we drove back to the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway built in the 1960s with the longest single cable tram in the world rising 3,800 feet. Because the rock in the mountain has a pink color, when Coronado first saw the mountain in 1540, he named it “Sandia” which means “watermelon” in Spanish. I think they were parched. As we rode up the tram, a storm was brewing across the valley which made for stunning sunset views with swarming clouds fighting the colors at the close of the day. It was fun to watch the line of rain as it blew through the valley. When the rains reached us, we ducked into the mountain-top restaurant for a beverage and watched the lightening strikes. On our way back to the tram, we walked through a touch of snow that had trickled in with the rain. Back at the bottom, the temperature was balmy again.
Once we returned to the resort we roamed the grounds and parked ourselves on a covered porch beside one of the many adobe fireplaces accompanied by overhead heaters for a cozy spot where we ate and chatted for the rest of the evening. The barbeque brisket quesadillas were especially mouthwatering and, of course, contained green chilies, which are a staple of every dish here in New Mexico.
Day Three
Driving towards Four Corners in the northwestern part of the state, we were continually surprised at how quickly the landscape changed in New Mexico from the flat, scrub-covered plains, to the valley bowl of Albuquerque, to the top of Sandia Peak, to the bluffs that shoot up hundreds of feet. The different colors in the rocks mixed with brown and green shrubs presented endless variation to the landscape. Keeping with tradition, we began listening to the Agatha Christie Poirot mystery, Lord Edgware Dies.
Once we got around Farmington in the Navaho Nation, we saw our first large sections of agricultural land. We grabbed a picnic lunch in Farmington knowing that we were headed into no-man’s land. Shiprock was our next attempted stop just as a deluge struck with pelting rain. It was a short-lived storm followed by beautiful sun breaks that shifted to illuminate Shiprock in interesting patterns as the clouds moved along. Shiprock, a 7,177 foot tall monadnock, is the most prominent landmark in northwestern New Mexico, is on Navajo Nation land, and plays a significant role in Navajo religion, myth, and tradition. The most difficult part of traveling through the area was seeing the vast poverty evident in the tiny, dilapidated dwellings just set in the dirt.
After driving away from Shiprock, Julie saw us pass a “Welcome to Arizona” sign! Wait a minute, this is our New Mexico adventure! It turns out that the only road to our next destination was through the neighboring state. Four Corners Monument is the only point in the United States where four states meet: New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. It is on Navaho Nation land officially. We got a kick out of standing in four states at the same time! Rumor has it that the governors of each state have lunch there together once a year around a table where each official can sit in his own state. Eric has always been a map lover and has wanted to see this point since he was a boy. We ate our picnic on the grounds, although not spread over the landmark as there were other folks who wanted a photo opportunity. On thing we noticed driving through New Mexico, and which was evident at Four Corners, is that nothing off of the main roads is paved. We spent a lot of time on dirt roads that quickly turned to mud at the slightest rain.
Driving back to Tamaya we stopped on the Continental Divide which reminded us of our wedding renewal 13 years ago in Montana where we stated our vows on the Divide in Glacier National Park. Upon arrival at our hotel, we tool a dip in the hot tub and circular pool under the starry moonlit night followed by another meal on the patio of the resort finishing with an education in the tastings of tequila and its history.
Day Four
While Eric headed out for a morning trail run on the grounds of the resort, Julie sauntered to the Tamaya Mist Spa in her robe for a morning of pampering. The peaceful steam room and hot tub prepared her for a lengthy massage that melted away the surprisingly stressed muscles from all of the recent house moving activities. Following a soothing manicure, Julie was reunited with Eric and fully relaxed and ready for an afternoon of exploring the town of Santa Fe.
Again the sky was looking ominous upon our arrival to old town Santa Fe. The proclaimed 330 days of sun per year were not as believable this week. Eric was intent to buy Julie a new pair of shoes which were found at our first shop stop, the perfect Cinderella moment. Then hungry for lunch, we ducked into Santa Fe Bite promoting their best burger in New Mexico. As we sat down, the buckets of heaven opened again, this time adding chunky hail and powerful winds. Nice timing! We ate (or attempted to finish) the truly best hamburgers we have ever had: fresh, hand-made 10oz. green chili cheese burgers accompanied by freshly made chips and buns. Yum! The storm had eased to a trickle as we resumed our trek to the St. Miguel Mission Church built by Spanish explorers in 1610. It is the oldest church in America. There was a 700 year old bell we got to hit with a hammer that was supposedly forged in 1356 (the year forged on the side of the bell), although some experts believe it is actually younger and is supposed to read 1856.
Down the street sat the Loretto Chapel where the mysterious, spiral staircase was built free standing by an unknown man. This architectural feat still amazes woodworkers and structural engineers. The two interesting stories about the Loretto staircase surround both the the identity of its builder and the physics of its construction. We also enjoyed the stained glass rose pattern at the back of the chapel.
Walking about the plaza, we happened upon the Chuck Jones Gallery where there were fabulously whimsical paintings and sketches from both Chuck Jones and Dr. Seuss. Some of the Dr. Seuss art included taxidermy of the heads of some of the fictional creatures in his books. We smiled and giggled all the way through.
Now in search of the state capital building, we assumed it would be the tallest building with flags near the plaza. Wrong. It was a round building with a flat roof, known by locals as the “Roundhouse” derived from the Native American meeting places of similar shape and name. We didn’t have time to visit inside as it was time for the wedding.
The Brainerd family (Tom, Jean, and Ruth) met us in the plaza, and we walked to the grounds of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. Tom officiated with a poignant reminder that the protection against anything without or within putting our marriage asunder lies in “blessing the name of the Lord” from the Psalms of ascent where the reminder is to look back at the blessings and mercies and history of what God has brought you through and then bless Him. This act of remembering and giving praise provides confidence to walk into what God has you in now and what he has for you in the future. It was such a delight to have Jean and Ruth there as friends and witnesses, so we walked over to The Shed (a local hideaway) for a celebration snack. We bid our new friends farewell hoping to cross paths again in the future.
We returned to our room to watch the movie Far From the Madding Crowd, an adaptation of one of Julie’s favorite books. The movie was well done, and we enjoyed talking about all of the rich intricacies of the story and characters.
Day Five
We were on the move and off to Los Alamos, home of the National Laboratory that was established as part of the Manhattan Project in WWII. We were impressed by the mountain roads approaching Los Alamos and by its remote location. However, today, it is a sprawling lab complex employing 10,000 people. Based on a recommendation we got at church on Sunday, our main stop was the Bradbury Science Museum (not named after the author, Ray Bradbury). The scope of both the history and current research done at The Lab was remarkable. Fully 25% of the workforce there have PhDs in their field. We purchased some atomic gifts for the boys before leaving. They might glow!
The drive to Taos followed the Rio Grande River Gorge. At one point, we came over a ridge to see this massive scar in the plain where the gorge sliced through the landscape. We arrived at the Taos Pueblo in the steady rain and were able to tour the oldest inhabited pueblo in America (over 1000 years old), led by a young native of the Red Willow Tribe. Their religion is a mixture of native belief and Catholicism where Mary is prominent and represents Mother Earth. Each family maintains a wood burning adobe oven outside which can hold 350-400 degrees for over 4 hours for cooking. The original entry to the abodes, before doors and windows were added, was through the roof where ladders led. The family would climb the ladders, go over the roof and into the home, then pull up the ladders leaving a protected fortress. Also on the pueblo was a graveyard with a mostly demolished church which was original to the people from the 1619. It had been destroyed three times, but the bell brought over by the Conquistadors in the early 16th century still hung in the crumbling bell tower. In the background was Taos Mountain with a picturesque touch of snow at the top. We thought nothing of it at the time.
The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge crosses the chasm just outside of Taos and towers 565 feet above the river. In a drenching rain, Eric walked across the bridge for a personal view. It was then time for our journey over the mountains toward Las Vegas (no, not that Vegas). We began the climb in the intense rain that shortly thickened to wet snow only to settle into a white-out snow storm. The road went from slush to 3-inch pack on the uphill winding pass. We pressed on for 20 miles following in the tracks of another vehicle until our car was unable to continue on. Wisdom and prayer dictated that we turn around and try to reach a small ski area we had passed 10 miles back. Victory! A kind man advised us on an alternate route to our destination of Tucumcari maintaining a low elevation. That route meant we still had 5 hours of travel. We pulled into our personal motel garage and tumbled into our cozy room at the Blue Swallow Motel on Historic Route 66 at 11PM thrilled to have safely arrived from a day of unexpected adventure. Thanks to our gracious God for his care over us!
Our marriage turned 21!
Day Six
We woke up on our actual 21st anniversary at what Julie lovingly called the Kozy Kone (if you don’t get the reference, watch the Pixar movie, Cars). After a warm bit of coffee and conversation with the owners of the Blue Swallow, we had a yummy breakfast at the Kix on 66 diner. We will try to recreate their recipe for the New Mexico Quesadilla with egg, bacon, cheese, and, of course, green chilies! It was AMAZING!
On to Carlsbad Caverns to venture under the earth! We arrived with one minute to spare before they shut the doors to the last elevator down into the caverns. Whew! The bonus was that we had the Big Room almost completely to ourselves for an hour. That’s unbelievable given the numbers of people that regularly parade through. Since Julie had been there before, Eric had a special tour guide who didn’t even consider throwing him into the “Bottomless Pit.” The vast space and intricate formations were a continuing example of the variety of creation that we have seen during the week. Julie renamed one of the formations, Giant Walrus. After the interior of the caves closed for the day, we took the trail over to the natural entrance of the cave and prepared to see the evening “bat flight” when the 400,000-500,000 bats fly out of the cave for their nightly feast. Before the bats, however, hundreds of cave swallows flew around the opening with their bright underbellies glinting in the setting sun. They are the cue that the bats are on the way out. All of the swallows dive bomb back into the cave opening signifying to the observers that the bats were next. The brazilian free-tail bat is the predominant bat at Carlsbad traveling up to a third of a mile to get out of the cave. Other species of bats live up to three miles into the cave and must travel that distance to get out each night for dinner. As they exit, the bats swirl in a counterclockwise direction circling seven times before flying up into the open sky in groups of roughly 1,000. Eric called it the bat tornado. And they just keep coming for up to three hours until they are all out. Their flapping and the echoing off of the surrounding rock produced a sound that if you closed your eyes would sound just like a nearby rushing stream. These bats are also known for their musty smell, which was more noticeable after about ½ hour of watching them. They can fly up to 60 miles and return at dawn re-entering the cave with a dramatic dive-bomb action. Knowing that such a view of wildlife in its natural activity is not usually accessible without a great trek, we sat in the quiet, listening to the sound of their wings, watching their congregated bodies pass through the layers of sunset-colored sky, thinking of what an incredible hand God maintains upon his creation. Absolutely awesome to witness!
We finished the night in Artesia, NM, where we had visited eight years ago when my nephew, Stephen Hinson, married his beautiful wife Erin. We celebrated our true anniversary with an Italian dinner, and took our cake back to hotel to enjoy later. Our marriage officially came of age today.
Day Seven
We remembered our cake from last night and were tempted to eat it for breakfast but restrained ourselves waiting for a mid-morning snack. This being the second day of warm sunshine, our snow adventure seemed almost like a dream. We started west from Artesia across the flat New Mexico landscape finally reaching the foothills where we climbed to Cloudcroft. This ski town brought back memories for Julie where her Dad and brother, Kevin, came to vacation in the late 1970s. The outdoor ice rink where Julie learned to skate was still there, although it had been updated a bit. The tubing hill was still advertised where Julie and Kevin slid down many years ago. Beginning our steep descent out of Cloudcroft, we glimpsed the valley below and the white sands that were our goal. We had to visit our traditional “World’s Largest” for the trip, and this one happened to be the World's Largest Pistachio nut. It’s true. We did stop at the shop to taste many unusual flavorings upon the actual pistachios (yes, even green chili).
White Sands National Monument is in the middle of the White Sands Missile Range and adjacent to Holloman AFB. (We saw several F117s flying. Cool!) The main road to the monument as well as the monument itself is closed whenever the range is used for missile testing. Thankfully, no missiles were flying around us that day. At the White Sands National Monument, we were educated about the dunes at the visitor’s center and rented a saucer sled for some dune play. In the park, the pavement ends and you drive on the packed sand that they have to plow because the sand is shifting. The scope and scale of the dunes is staggering. We picked a tall set and walked up for some sledding fun. Because of a recent rain, the sand was much easier to walk on as it still held some moisture. The sun was warm and bright, the sand was cool and soft, and our laughter was free and easy. Julie and her Dad and brother had also enjoyed playing at White Sands in the dunes years ago, so it was especially fun to share that with Eric.
We drove across the missile range on route to Hatch, NM, the chili capital of the world. So many hanging chilies, even red ones drying on the roofs in the sun! No wonder they put chilies in everything!
Then we went in search of Spaceport America, New Mexico’s visionary airport for space travel. While it is in operation (Virgin Galactic is the anchor tenant.), you cannot just drive up and go in, yet, as there is no visitor’s center at the site. However, we wanted to see what we could of it since we were unable to take a pre-schedule tour. There were no road signs getting there, and it was truly in the middle of no-where. But you arrive at a fully secure and spacey-looking compound with signs pointing you to the "Vertical Launch Complex" in addition to other spaceport facilities. The guard that works the lonely 16-hour shift was all too happy to chat with us and answer our questions. It will be fun to note in 30 years whether this spaceport “takes off” or “crashes”. We stayed the night in Socorro.
Day Eight
On our trek back to Albuquerque, we saw cowboys on horseback herding cows! It was right out of the old west. Then, out of the plains, in a high valley, rose the Very Large Array (VLA)! The impressive cluster of 27 dish antennas capture radio frequencies from space gathering startling volumes of data for astronomers and scientists around the world. As we stood under one of the enormous dishes, they all began turning in tandem to a new position. It was SO COOL! Again, we were inspired by the level of scientific research and activity found here in New Mexico. Keep asking questions!
We finished our travels and our second Poirot mystery, Death in the Clouds, and headed back to Seattle to celebrate Zachary’s 4th birthday the next morning.
Our takeaway: New Mexico is a state of science, green chili passion, and varied landscape both above and below ground.
We woke up on our actual 21st anniversary at what Julie lovingly called the Kozy Kone (if you don’t get the reference, watch the Pixar movie, Cars). After a warm bit of coffee and conversation with the owners of the Blue Swallow, we had a yummy breakfast at the Kix on 66 diner. We will try to recreate their recipe for the New Mexico Quesadilla with egg, bacon, cheese, and, of course, green chilies! It was AMAZING!
On to Carlsbad Caverns to venture under the earth! We arrived with one minute to spare before they shut the doors to the last elevator down into the caverns. Whew! The bonus was that we had the Big Room almost completely to ourselves for an hour. That’s unbelievable given the numbers of people that regularly parade through. Since Julie had been there before, Eric had a special tour guide who didn’t even consider throwing him into the “Bottomless Pit.” The vast space and intricate formations were a continuing example of the variety of creation that we have seen during the week. Julie renamed one of the formations, Giant Walrus. After the interior of the caves closed for the day, we took the trail over to the natural entrance of the cave and prepared to see the evening “bat flight” when the 400,000-500,000 bats fly out of the cave for their nightly feast. Before the bats, however, hundreds of cave swallows flew around the opening with their bright underbellies glinting in the setting sun. They are the cue that the bats are on the way out. All of the swallows dive bomb back into the cave opening signifying to the observers that the bats were next. The brazilian free-tail bat is the predominant bat at Carlsbad traveling up to a third of a mile to get out of the cave. Other species of bats live up to three miles into the cave and must travel that distance to get out each night for dinner. As they exit, the bats swirl in a counterclockwise direction circling seven times before flying up into the open sky in groups of roughly 1,000. Eric called it the bat tornado. And they just keep coming for up to three hours until they are all out. Their flapping and the echoing off of the surrounding rock produced a sound that if you closed your eyes would sound just like a nearby rushing stream. These bats are also known for their musty smell, which was more noticeable after about ½ hour of watching them. They can fly up to 60 miles and return at dawn re-entering the cave with a dramatic dive-bomb action. Knowing that such a view of wildlife in its natural activity is not usually accessible without a great trek, we sat in the quiet, listening to the sound of their wings, watching their congregated bodies pass through the layers of sunset-colored sky, thinking of what an incredible hand God maintains upon his creation. Absolutely awesome to witness!
We finished the night in Artesia, NM, where we had visited eight years ago when my nephew, Stephen Hinson, married his beautiful wife Erin. We celebrated our true anniversary with an Italian dinner, and took our cake back to hotel to enjoy later. Our marriage officially came of age today.
Day Seven
We remembered our cake from last night and were tempted to eat it for breakfast but restrained ourselves waiting for a mid-morning snack. This being the second day of warm sunshine, our snow adventure seemed almost like a dream. We started west from Artesia across the flat New Mexico landscape finally reaching the foothills where we climbed to Cloudcroft. This ski town brought back memories for Julie where her Dad and brother, Kevin, came to vacation in the late 1970s. The outdoor ice rink where Julie learned to skate was still there, although it had been updated a bit. The tubing hill was still advertised where Julie and Kevin slid down many years ago. Beginning our steep descent out of Cloudcroft, we glimpsed the valley below and the white sands that were our goal. We had to visit our traditional “World’s Largest” for the trip, and this one happened to be the World's Largest Pistachio nut. It’s true. We did stop at the shop to taste many unusual flavorings upon the actual pistachios (yes, even green chili).
White Sands National Monument is in the middle of the White Sands Missile Range and adjacent to Holloman AFB. (We saw several F117s flying. Cool!) The main road to the monument as well as the monument itself is closed whenever the range is used for missile testing. Thankfully, no missiles were flying around us that day. At the White Sands National Monument, we were educated about the dunes at the visitor’s center and rented a saucer sled for some dune play. In the park, the pavement ends and you drive on the packed sand that they have to plow because the sand is shifting. The scope and scale of the dunes is staggering. We picked a tall set and walked up for some sledding fun. Because of a recent rain, the sand was much easier to walk on as it still held some moisture. The sun was warm and bright, the sand was cool and soft, and our laughter was free and easy. Julie and her Dad and brother had also enjoyed playing at White Sands in the dunes years ago, so it was especially fun to share that with Eric.
We drove across the missile range on route to Hatch, NM, the chili capital of the world. So many hanging chilies, even red ones drying on the roofs in the sun! No wonder they put chilies in everything!
Then we went in search of Spaceport America, New Mexico’s visionary airport for space travel. While it is in operation (Virgin Galactic is the anchor tenant.), you cannot just drive up and go in, yet, as there is no visitor’s center at the site. However, we wanted to see what we could of it since we were unable to take a pre-schedule tour. There were no road signs getting there, and it was truly in the middle of no-where. But you arrive at a fully secure and spacey-looking compound with signs pointing you to the "Vertical Launch Complex" in addition to other spaceport facilities. The guard that works the lonely 16-hour shift was all too happy to chat with us and answer our questions. It will be fun to note in 30 years whether this spaceport “takes off” or “crashes”. We stayed the night in Socorro.
Day Eight
On our trek back to Albuquerque, we saw cowboys on horseback herding cows! It was right out of the old west. Then, out of the plains, in a high valley, rose the Very Large Array (VLA)! The impressive cluster of 27 dish antennas capture radio frequencies from space gathering startling volumes of data for astronomers and scientists around the world. As we stood under one of the enormous dishes, they all began turning in tandem to a new position. It was SO COOL! Again, we were inspired by the level of scientific research and activity found here in New Mexico. Keep asking questions!
We finished our travels and our second Poirot mystery, Death in the Clouds, and headed back to Seattle to celebrate Zachary’s 4th birthday the next morning.
Our takeaway: New Mexico is a state of science, green chili passion, and varied landscape both above and below ground.