Thursday, September 25, 2014

To Albuquerque and back

Last week my sister and I took a trip to Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico. My sister arrived Sunday evening and we went out for a late dinner. We left Arvada Monday morning and stopped in Colorado Springs to lunch with our cousin Dick. Dick and his wife Terri are missionaries. They have traveled and lived all over the world. After lunch we took a tour of Garden of the Gods park. They grow really big rocks there.


Balanced Rock, Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Our great, great grand father, Edmund G. Ross, was Governor of the New Mexico territory for four years (1885 - 1889.) While he was Governor he lived in a house called Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe. It's not actually a palace - in reality it's a one floor adobe building. The building has a lot of history behind it and is now part of the New Mexico History Museum. There were a lot of people milling about and I didn't think is was very picturesque so I didn't take any pictures.

We went into the Loretto Chapel and saw the miracle staircase.


Spiral staircase, Loretto Chapel, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

We also went into the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. The Basilica is very attractive.


San Miguel church was being re-mudded and didn't appear to be open. I would like to have seen more of Santa Fe and toured some of the museums but we both tired out fairly quickly, and most attractions charge an entry fee.

We toured the ruins in Pecos National Historical Park which include the remains of a Pueblo village, kivas, and a spanish mission.


We planned to spend a night in Albuquerque but turned it into a fast round trip instead. We visited Edmund's grave site, ate lunch, gased up and started back to Colorado.

I enjoyed the trip even though it was fast paced. I would like to have spent a few hours in Walsenburg, taken highway 12 around the Spanish Peaks into Trinidad, view the history in Trinidad, see Fort Union and spend some time in Las Vegas, NM. Unfortunately, I have to admit I don't have the energy or the money it takes to make such a trip.