Maybe New Mexico?

Santa Fe, New Mexico

I haven’t ignored my vacation planning completely while I’ve been being domestic. I’ve been considering New Mexico. My time share has a resort in Santa Fe called, what else, Villa de Santa Fe. The Web site says “ Take a colorful journey to the base of the breathtaking Sangre de Cristo Mountains at Villas de Santa Fe. Discover Indian pueblos, historic sites, Spanish colonial art or stunning adobe churches and architecture”.
More searching indicates that the best time of year to visit is September to November.  That fits with the Big Balloon Festival in Albuquerque.

Villas de Santa Fe

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

In 2023 the Balloon Fiesta is scheduled for Oct 7 -15. so it falls right in the sweet spot for visiting Santa Fe. According to google maps the drive is 62 miles and should take about an hour of actual drive time. There are a lot of stops you can make along the way so I would need to try not to get side tracked or distracted.  The balloons fly in the early morning or the late afternoon/evening so lots of time during the day for exploring.

Photographers — Albuquerque Balloon Fest Insider Tours

Loretto Chapel

Located in Santa Fe, Loretto Chapel was built around 1873 by the Sisters of Loretto. I remember visiting the Spanish Missions when I visited San Antonio, TX and really enjoyed them.  Loretto Chapel has a so called miraculous staircase. Its a 20-foot-high circular stairway to the choir loft built by a wandering carpenter after the chapel itself was completed in 1878. The carpenter used wooden pegs (not nails) and the staircase itself has no visible means of support. They say it is hard to get pictures of the staircase as there are always so many tourists admiring it but I’d love to try.

Bandelier National Monument

I’m not sure if I am up to the physical part of this but I sure want to try. At the base of Frijoles Canyon are a collection of ancient cave dwellings and other stone structures belonging to ancestors of the Pueblo tribe. Explore the settlement by following the paved trail through the village and climbing the wooden ladders into the caves themselves.

Visit Bandelier National Monument for History and Hummingbirds - Birds and Blooms

Roswell

It seems like a trip to New Mexico wouldn’t be complete without a stop in Roswell where the modern UFO era began. Unfortunately Roswell isn’t just around the corner. It’s almost 200 miles and a 3 hour drive and that’s without stops along the way. I guess that is one that would have to be “played by ear”. 

Alien Abduction Day

I was thinking about the alien abduction phenomenon. You know the one. It all started back in 1961 with the abduction of Benny and Barbara Hill in my back yard of Lincoln, New Hampshire.

I saw the spot when I was on vacation there a few years ago. I never realized it was New Hampshire just a couple hours away from me until I saw the plaque marking the spot.

Anyway, now everyone who is abducted seems to be in bed and asleep, not out driving around like they were.  Abductees describe feeling a heavy weight on their chest and when they open their eyes they are staring into large oval shaped ones. Then they are whisked away to be probed and prodded.

Well I’ve solved the mystery or so I think.

I would ask if these abductees own a cat.

The other night I was in a deep sleep when suddenly I found it hard to breathe. As I struggle to wakefulness I found myself staring into a pair of huge glowing, oval eyes. For a moment I was stunned and almost in a panic. Then slowly my eyes focused and I was staring at Rocky, my cat.

He was curled up on my chest nose to nose with me. Thus the difficulty breathing and the weight on my chest. In the dark he looked just like those aliens everyone describes.

Yup, abducted by kitty cat. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

Every Day’s a Holiday

Did you know that just about every day in the year has some holiday or observance attached to it?

Yesterday was the “Ides of March” as in  “Beware the Ides of March”, the warning the soothsayer called out to Julius Caesar. It was also the date of Caesar’s assassination so I guess he really should have taken the warning to heart.

Today’s weird and wonderful holiday is “Everything you do is Right Day”.  (Go away Dudley Do Right!)

I could use a day like that!  Sometimes it feels like everything I do is wrong no matter how hard I try. I’m sure you’ve all felt like that a time or two. Then we get a day where everything you do is Right and my world is back on track! (Would that it were so easy) In any case it’s a nice thought and kind of balances out the bad.

Going back to March 15. Did you know that it’s also Buzzards’ Day?

Buzzard Day is an Ohio holiday where once a year eager residents scan the skies for the return of the bald headed bird. To them this graceful creature signals rebirth not death.

Oh and I missed National Potato Chip Day on March 14 but I’m sure we’ll make up for it on Friday, March 17 when we snack on chips while downing our pints of Green beer. ‘Tis an Irish celebration, St Patrick’s Day, is.

Just a couple of other quick hits…March 20 is National Alien Abductions Day, I kid you not.

Not enough weird holidays for you. March 28 is “Make Up Your Own Holiday Day.” With holidays like National Goof off Day and Chip and Dip day I can’t think of anything I’d want to make up. Someone has beat me to all the good stuff. What about you?