Christmas in June

Today was really rough.  It was a short day as far as mileage goes, but I'm tired and cranky.  I didn't get much sleep last night due to ill sleeping arrangements (ugh! rollaway bed.).  Unfortunately, the prospect of getting some rest tonight doesn't look very promising as I'm sharing a double bed with my mom.  Oh well! At least I have tomorrow night to look forward to... maybe.

Before leaving Amarillo, I went boot shopping!  I'm proud to report that I found some boots, and here they are: 

Above:  A work of art for my feet!  Notice the fantastic angel wings in white! I can't wait to break 'em in!

I also got a purple pair, but they are packed away right now.   I guess I'll have to take a picture of those later!

Moving on...

BIG NEWS - We left Texas and headed into New Mexico!  Another state to mark off the list!  We're making progress!   Here is our route for Day 4:

Day 4:  Amarillo, TX to Albuquerque NM

Map courtesy of maps.google.com

I was amazed by the abrupt change in the landscape between Amarillo, TX and Albuquerque, NM.  The open fields filled with cattle and "decent" vegetation quickly gave way to dry, reddish land with short, stubby bushes.  I finally saw a mesa in real life! It took me a while to recall the proper term, but with the help of my father, I eventually came up with it.  Here are a few shots of the land along the way today:

Above: Shots from our trip on Day 4.  Notice the river in the upper right corner - that's the Rio Grande (Nice river, but it isn't so GRAND in these parts!)

We spent all day on I40, and much of the time, we could see the Historic Route 66 off in the distance. It is really sad to see the current state of such a great American icon.  Nevertheless, it was neat to hear my dad talk about driving Route 66 with his brother many years ago.  Apparently they drove night and day (very dangerous, I know!), and their trip through New Mexico happened to occur at night.  So, he had never seen the countryside of New Mexico either! 

We arrived in Albuquerque, NM around 4 pm (Mountain Time), unpacked and headed out for dinner in Old Town Albuquerque.  We ate at a cute little restaurant, The Church Street Cafe.  The food was pretty good.  I couldn't decide on red vs. green chile on my tamale so I got both (referred to as "Christmas" style).  I liked both a lot and refuse to weigh in on the local argument of which is better!  Here are some shots of our evening in Old Town:

Above: Shots of Old Town Albuquerque, NM.  The statue in the upper left corner is of Don Francisco Cuervo Y Valdez - the founder of Albuquerque

 Above: Pictures from the Church Street Cafe!

On the way out of Old Town, we saw a cute little couple getting married.  I tried to snap a quick photo but failed miserably.  They looked so happy it was infectious!  Anyway, I wish them the best of luck in the future! 

'Til tomorrow!