Let's Go - Gallup, NM or Bust - via Albuquerque

It is reunion time again and since it is in Utah, we have made the decision to do a road trip and spend a few extra days on each end of the gathering.  Our bags are packed and we are on our way bright and early as the trip through Texas takes forever and we have a desire to see something new today as well.

Once we pass into New Mexico, the terrain starts to change and I begin to spot these beautiful pink flowers in the fields.  After about 100 miles of this, I ask Mister to stop at some that are closer to the road so that I can check them out.

They are brilliant in color and I would love to get close enough to smell one, but the cactus is a wee bit scary to me.

A little further down the road we stop to check out some bright yellow flowers as well.  I love the desert flora -- I think there is great beauty in it.  Great yucca plants everywhere as well.  In Dallas, one of my favorite plants in the summer is the Red Yucca.  The bloom is beautiful.

We arrive in Albuquerque in the afternoon and although my childhood memories of it are pretty vague, I want to check it out.  We make a stop and wander the older area a bit.  I absolutely am in love with the architecture and the adobe walls.  I would love to someday have an adobe home with an interior courtyard.  They have the right idea here.

The San Felipe de Neri church in Old Town is such a shining example of keeping history alive.  It was started in 1706 and is still operating today.  Incredible.

It still has the old archway entrance and it's courtyard.

As we walk through the grounds, one can almost feel the history.  I sit back and try to picture what it would have been like in that era.  I know that I cannot even begin to comprehend it, but there are times when I feel as though I would like to give it a try (for an experiment of course, I have not gone totally nuts).

There is a wonderful, thriving town square that is bustling with activity.  This just gives the feel of "community", something that is lacking in most modern cities.

We discover many little nooks and crannies - all immaculate.  The people here obviously love their home as much as we do.  The straight lines, gravel, and occasional bursts of color from the flower decor makes it picture perfect and fits in completely with how I picture the southwest.

After a stop at Turtle Mountain Brewing (yes, it does sit in the shadow of a mountain that has a turtle shape and a legend to go along with it) for a meal and something to drink, it is late and we still have a long way to go.  I try and take a picture from a moving vehicle on the highway as we watch the sun go down.  It was beautiful -- the picture, not so much.

A couple of hours later, we arrive and crash.  Long day, but fun one.