Albuquerque, NM, Colorado, Utah, Arizona!

I have *so* many trips to attend to on the old blog. I am now keeping most of my traveling records on my Instagram, but this geriatric website seems a permanent spot for some of the excitement. It's my goal to (this Christmas break) catch up on many years of travel! 

This trip was a GSW to where our friend Ali was stationed - in Albuquerque, NM, along with some close-by Sante Fe adventures!

We did 4 states, 2 national parks, a protected wilderness, did an international event, took horse rides in the desert, tore up Moab on a side-by-side, went to a million (?) museums, and had delicious New Mexican food. 

Every single one of these photos, I believe, was from my friend Emily or Ali. The only one I took (I think?) was the picture OF them during sunrise at the Arch. 

Nothing is in order, either! Just bear with me (wipes brow from 2022). 

Day 1: 
We drove to Sante Fe to visit Meow Wolf (WEIRD and I loved it), visited historical Sante Fe (the buildings are beautiful), and enjoyed paletas (delicious). 

Day 1, pt 2: We prepped for our road trip, bought Space Force items at the commissary (well, I did!), and took the first of our desert horseback rides around sunset. I'm not one for desert scenery but OH MY GOSH is it gorgeous on a horse! 

Day 2: After prepping our food, water, and items for our road-trip, we first stopped at the Bisti Badlands area (see the wild horse herd at the very bottom!) to hike near hoodoos and see the wild ponies. The arroyos were actually damp, and you could see why they'd be so dangerous in a rainstorm. 

We drove onward and hit 4 corners - 4 states in one location (Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico). The area was normally touristy but it was nearly all but closed due to Covid. 

Day 3: We spent an entire day in Moab on a side-by-side and these girls ^^ might look sweet and innocent but we squealed into the rental spot 1 MINUTE before our time was out. We, and the SBS was muddy, wet (it had started raining) and I think all of us felt nothing but lactic acid drain from us for the next hour. We had a blast (and nearly lost my friend's boyfriend's car keys in the desert!!!) Worth the $$.

Day 3: Ali told us the best way to view Arches National Park is at sunrise, but to do that, you have to enter the park around 3AM (it's free then!), and hike...in the pitch dark. Only these guys would say yes to that, but let me tell you - that is the way to do it. There were a handful of people around (as opposed to hundreds), and sunrise over the area was breathtaking. It was amazing. 

We walked around Moab and had a great breakfast after this!

Day 4: At the end of the second day of Moab, we drove to Mesa Verde National Park to see the incredible pueblo heritage site. This place has been on my bucket list since I was a kid. It was so wild to see how they would have lived hundreds of years ago, tucked inside the cliff wall. You can still see the toe-marks of where people would have walked up and down!
Sadly while we were still in covid time they didn't have tours going down into the areas, but just seeing them through a telescope was fascinating. These communities were abandoned about 1200 years before someone came upon them!

Day 5: This day is a bit nuts. We woke up at 3:15 AM to get to the International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta that takes place in Albuquerque every year and IT! WAS! WORTH! IT! If you go, you must go in the pitch black at night, and be there for the lighting of the hundreds of balloons, and then see them at sunrise. I can't imagine it being any more beautiful at any other time of day. 

After heading back around 10AM and napping a bit, we went out to the National Museum of Nuclear Science (Trinity Test in New Mexico, anyone?) which was incredible. I really wish I could have taken the kids here after our 2024 final wrap of homeschooling (Washington DC 'field trip' in May 2024). We read, learned, and watched so much about WWII and the nuclear science at the time. I will never forget the 'shadow' markings on buildings that were found after the nuclear bombs dropped in Japan. I learned so much here - absolutely worth the money, but I likely wouldn't take anyone under 12 yr. 

Day 6 (I think?): We drove back through Sante Fe and did the Jemez hot springs which were a welcome bit of relaxation, and another sunset desert horse ride!