oregon adventures

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

New Mexico Running


Veteran's Day my daughter Debbie and I flew to New Mexico to see my Dad and Stepmom Faith. Got to Albuquerque and Faith took us to see Dad who was sick. So we said a hasty hello and went to dinner with Faith and stayed in Albuquerque at the Best Western. The next day, Debbie and I tried to go on the Sandia Mt tram. Got to the gate and the man said they were closed for a week for maintenance. So we stopped at REI to get Debbie a jacket and I asked the girl at the counter where to run and she told me about a river path. First though, Debbie and I decided to go see some ruins. So we drove down to Abo and Quarai ruins.
They are ruins of Spanish missions and towns from around 1630 and still in pretty good condition for being 400 years old. It was a blue sky day, but in the high 30's. We took the long way back on a road that topped out around 8000 feet and 32 degrees, then down to Albuquerque and we saw several bike riders climbing the hill. Got back to the hotel and Debbie didn't want to run, so I drove downtown and found one of the trailheads for the river path. Started out and didn't see anyone and the pavement was uneven, so I was just getting worried when a bike went by. Then tons of bikes one at a time and some runners and then the pavement got better and a couple miles into it the path crossed the newer I-40 path. I kept going for another mile and then turned around and went back to the I-40 crossing and turned onto that path and crossed the Rio Grande on a beautiful pedestrian bridge and then back to the start for around 7 miles.
The next day Dad was feeling better, so we picked him up and went to Sante Fe to show Debbie that town. We stopped for lunch at a nice place and then Dad was having trouble with the 7500 elevation, so we drove around the center square and the capital and stopped for coffee and a break at Flying Star, nice place. Then back to Dad's place. Sunday we got Dad and Faith and drove to Acama to see the Sky City. It's an old city on top of a rock. Have to ride a bus to the top and take a walking tour. Debbie said let's eat first, but I said "after". Should have listened to her. The tour was very interesting and the 1600's intact mission church was incredible. However it was two hours long and by the end I was starving. So we ate at the visitor's center and then took off for El Moro National Monument. We got there 45 before closing so we couldn't climb to the top, but we could go about halfway up. Beautiful place and the rock itself is inscribed by civil war and Indian war era soldiers. Then the drive back in the dark.
Monday Dad tried to take us to the New Mexico Art and History museum, but it's closed on Mondays. So we went to the Rattlesnake museum instead. Tourist trap looking on the outside it was actually pretty good. Rattlesnakes from all over the world and maps showing their range. Then lunch at another Flying Star and then dropped Dad home and off to the airport for the ride home.