Mom & Dad's Visit to Albuquerque

Mom & Dad came to visit Pat and I March 5th through the 10th. It was such a great time seeing them and having them here. We had lots of time to sit and visit, and also to show them a different part of the country of where we live. We tried fitting in quite a bit during the week, despite it being a little chilly- between 50 & 60 degrees.

The four of us at Acoma Village/Sky City-a pueblo built on a plateau. The people who live here have no electricity or running water in their clay & straw homes. Of course others drive their brand new Ford pickups up to it to sell their pottery and jewelry for the tourists going through. We took a bus up to this area but hiked down the steep path. There never used to be a road to get up here, but thanks to John Wayne & his old western "Rio Lobos", they built one just for the movie years ago. And as long as I'm thanking him, Mom & I got to go shopping one day while Pat & Dad watched a movie or two of his.

The hike back down. Some areas were quite steep!

The Miraculous Staircase in Santa Fe, NM. This was built in 1878 in the Loretto Chapel. The nuns prayed for a different way to get up to the choir loft other than the ladder they were using. After many prayers, a man appeared at the Chapel with a donkey and a toolbox looking for work. Months later, the elegant circular staircase was completed, and the carpenter disappeared without pay or thanks. After searching for the man (an ad even ran in the local newspaper) and finding no trace of him, some concluded that he was St. Joseph himself, having come in answer to the sisters' prayers. The staircase has two 360 degree turns and no visible means of support. Also, it is said that the staircase was built without nails—only wooden pegs. There have been many people studying it-architectures, engineers, etc., and even x-rays done. No one still can determine how this was built without nails.




Mom and I with Abby and Coco (our golden retriever and llasapoo- AKA our kids!) at the park near our house. Pat and I come and walk the dogs here quite often.

The rest of the trip we visited Old Town in Albuquerque, rode the Sandia Peak Tramway, walked around the Square in Santa Fe, and stopped in Madrid, NM where Wild Hogs was filmed. Pat and I had such a great time with them here. We look forward to seeing you again in NM when Sweet Pea arrives!