So yesterday…. I felt much better Monday morning. Mark and I took it easy, though. We had breakfast at Range Café, a large diner not far from our VRBO. I was impressed with their branding. (I know, “whatever.”But it was clear they had a pro designing their materials—menus, signage, even the exit sign in the parking lot were all really well done.) Mark had a dish with cheesy grits, eggs, chicken, avocado, and green chile. I should have taken a picture before he dug in, but here’s the near aftermath. Yes, that’s about half way through his meal.
I knew already that I had been eating too much, so I tried to eat a little lighter but ended up getting a red-velvet cinnamon roll as big as my head. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as great as it sounds.
FYI, I hate this picture of myself. Me head is HUGE.
It was probably 10 when we left the cafe, and we had lunch plans at El Pinto with Kevin, Jeff, and their friend, Steve, at 11:30, so we didn’t do a lot after breakfast.
El Pinto is actually a really neat, place with beautiful grounds. It’s been there forever. Steve said his parents used to take him there when he was a kid. I’d definitely recommend it.
I was still trying to cut back on the amount I was eating, so I had planned not to have anything. I feel bad going to a restaurant and just getting tea, though, so I ordered a pork quesadilla. It was very, very good, and I ate half thinking I’d snack on the rest later. Of course, I walked out without the second half.
After lunch, Steve passed Kevin and Jeff to us, and the four of us started our journey northward. Taking 125 from Albuquerque is easy, but it’s just not fun. I insisted we drive up the Turquoise Trail, and I’m so glad we did. It’s beautiful country, and I can see what drew Georgia O’Keeffe to the area. We stopped along the way in a town called Madrid—that’s “MAA-drid,” not “muh-DRID.” It’s how we’d say it in Ohio, the land of Russia (ROO-she) and Vienna (vi-AN-nuh). At least we got “Athens” right, and “Toledo” isn’t too far off.
Madrid is a funky little art community. It had been an mostly derelict mining town until the 60s, when hippies and counter-culture folks started relocating to the abandoned shacks that had been left behind.
Talking with artists and gallerists in town was a lot more fun than I would have expected. I’m always worried that if we’re not buying, they’re not interested in talking to us, but that really isn’t the case—especially not in Madrid. I ended up buying a sand painting, and Mark bought a, well, I’m not sure what to call it, exactly. It’s a small wooden box—maybe 3 by 8—with a surface of reclaimed, dyed mica.
It was a bit quiet in town; a lot of the studios and galleries are closed on Mondays. We spent a few hours going into the shops that were open and got through about half of the town. We’re going to return to Albuquerque on Thursday—again by the Turquoise Trail—and we’ll catch the other shops along the way.
The VRBO I booked for us here in Santa Fe here is very nice. It’s a spacious 3/2 with a cozy living area and small kitchen. It’s well appointed, and we have been quite comfortable. We got settled in, but we didn’t stay long. It was nearly dinner time when we finally got to Santa Fe, so we drove to Santa Fe Plaza, wandered for a bit, and then got dinner. Still trying to digest the mountain of food I’d been eating, I only ordered dessert—mud pie. I shouldn’t have done even that! I had acid reflux all night and slept most of it in upright in a chair. Maybe I’ll learn; I skipped breakfast.
The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum beckoned today, so we spent a few hours enjoying her work then wandered the plaza again. (The gallery’s and shops were closed the night before.) I’ll tell you more about that in the next post.
Oh, and I realized I’m not taking many pictures on this trip. I forgot my big camera, and I haven’t been remembering to take my phone out of my pocket. I’ll do better the rest of the trip.