Finding America

Day 11

It was cold this morning and it was still a bit overcast. As we traveled west the sky ever so slowly began to clear. About an hour into the journey west we pulled over in Santa Rosa for a fuel stop and to look at their Blue Hole.

Santa Rosa rest atop limestone much like Central Florida and likewise has several lakes that were formed by sinkholes. Santa Rosa’s Blue Hole is 81 ft deep and pumps out fresh water like a spring. It appeared from the signs surrounding the hole that it was often used for scuba diving and in the hole itself there were semi permanent submerged platforms, possibly for decompressions stops.

Anyhow check out the video to see this natural wonder first hand and see what I look like wet in 40 degree weather. Brrrrr….

After that little bit of craziness we put on some good tunes and started west again. The highway we look loosely follows the old Route 66 path so on occasion sign would designate the particular leg of the journey as traveling on the famous byway.

It took us a good while to make it all the way to Albuquerque as it is west of dead center and Tucumcari is on the eastern border of NM. Kamrin and I traded time behind the wheel and the time passed quickly. The topography of central New Mexico is so fascinating and it makes driving a joy to gaze upon the patchwork of rock, grasses, brush and sky.

It was on our way to Albuquerque that we spotted our first snow covered peaks in the distance. Then as we climbed in the patches of lingering snow could even be seen along the roadside. Check out this video below of my hilarious discovery.

We pulled into our RV park around 1pm and once Kodi was parked we went into town for a little exploring. I had seen a video online about Nob Hill a gentrified bit of Albuquerque right near the University of New Mexico’s campus along the old route 66 path. The few blocks which comprise this little trade area are full of unique shops and restaurants. Needing to get some grub our first stop was Kelley’s Brewery Pub. The restaurant occupies the old garages and show room of a Ford dealership that was a veritable landmark in its route 66 glory days.

After lunch we took a walking tour of Nob Hill and stopped in a few stores. Most notable was the Mask Shop which sold allsorts of interesting Mexican folk are and in particular specialized in statues from the folk festival “Dia de los Muertos”. Nob Hill is certainly in interesting place and worth a stop if you like your unique shopping and dining with a flair for the eclectic.

Staying on old Route 66 we drove to the heart of Albuquerque to find Old Town. Established nearly 300 years ago in April of 1706 by Spanish settlers. Old Town was a colonial farming village and a military outpost along the Camino Real between Chihuahua and Santa Fe. The central plaza was full of people and it was easy to see it’s historical roots by the traditional Spanish pattern of a central plaza surrounded by a church, homes and government buildings.

We strolled around for a while and then stumbled upon a rattlesnake museum. Yipeeee snakes and crawly things. The museum was really cool and we even got a certificate of bravery for visiting. Check out the video for some close up shots of these amazing critters.

After our tour we returned to the RV as the day was getting late. Taking advantage of the good weather we used the adjacent vacant rv site for some much needed exercise. We felt a little foolish running circles around the park and using our stretch bands to do exercises, but it felt good to get the blood pumping after so much driving of the last few days. When we finished our workout I set up the grill and Kam and I made some dinner. We lucked upon and Alison Kraus concert on the local public broadcasting station and with we spent the evening enjoying our view, the food, the concert and our company. What a great way to end the day.

Actually to make our day perfect we decided to take our friends advice from Avery Island and try a little Tabasco on our ice cream. You’ll have to wait for the Tabasco tour video to be posted to see the results but suffice it to say it was an interesting combination.