Heading Home

It's 7:45 a.m. and I'm sitting in the Albuquerque airport, which they call the Sunport for some unknown reason. I got up three hours ago, and did have a cup of coffee before leaving my casita, but I'm still pretty bleary-eyed and can't remember too much of what I did yesterday. I remember that I saw a great photography exhibition at the Palace of the Governors called "Through the Lens: Creating Santa Fe" and later we drove out to the Shidoni Foundry to walk through the sculpture garden.

Then something truly memorable happened. Near Shidoni, we pulled over to the side of the road to look at the views and I saw it -- the magical beast that I've been fascinated by since my first trip out west when I was 11. There, sitting on a rock, surveying the panorama of scenery spread out below, was a jackalope in its natural habitat. I snuck up on him and got a photo from the back. He became aware of me, but was more curious than shy (he must have known I was a friend, not a foe) and came over to stick his nose in my camera before scampering off into the brush.

Back in Santa Fe at the end of the day, we had beers at Marble, a coffee house and brew pub whose wifi I'd been hijacking all week from the plaza. I then walked over to Cafe Dominic where I had fish tacos and listened to a cowboy folk singer. Hasta luego, Santa Fe. It's been fantastico.

Thursday's stats:
Distance walked: 21535 steps (8.15 miles)
Expenses: 
$9 for admission to Through the Lens: Creating Santa Fe at the Palace of the Governors
$17.81 Stampafe Art Stamps
$14.82 dinner

Churches, galleries and jackalopes

Today's post is going to be short as it's chilly in the plaza this morning.

Yesterday I looked in on three churches (the Cathedral, the Loretto Chapel with the miraculous staircase, and San Miguel Mission) before walking a ways down Canyon Road and going into several galleries. I'm feeling a bit sated where the art is concerned, so when the skies turned dark and the thunder rumbled, I turned around and walked back into town. I made it to Guadalupe Street just as the downpour started and ducked into Cafe Dominic where I had an amazingly good cup of sopa azteca. Hands down, it was the best thing I've eaten since I got here. My mates picked me up there and we went to a gigantic import emporium called Jackalope. I took several pix of the jackalopes they had for sale, and got a couple of the free jackalope temporary tattoos. I'm still seeking a genuine jackalope in the wild, however. Drinks and dinner followed -- we went to Maria's, home of the best margaritas in Santa Fe.

Wednesday's stats:
18322 steps (7 miles)
$4 to get into churches
$4 for lunch at Dominic's
$16 for stuff at Jackalope
$25 for drinks and dinner