Friday, August 31, 2007

Song for 2005

In my 2005 Mayfly, I included Drew's Summer Roof from his & We Hope album. From the first time I heard this song, it had an impact on me. Frankly, part of the emotional impact is that it Drew singing. & We Hope represented a leap from his previous recordings. With no musical aptitude, I am in awe at Drew and Morgan's musical ability.

The song for 2005 is Andrew Heringer's Summer Roof.

Miniature Golf

Jack had originally wanted to play miniature golf with Sharon on the afternoon of his birthday. It was so hot that they decided to wait until tonight. The three of us played 36 holes at Scandia.


Golf, originally uploaded by heringermr.

Sent from my iPhone

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Jack's 9th Birthday

We celebrated Jack's 9th birthday!

 

We went to dinner at the Wasabi Grill. His presents included a mountain bike, a hamster and cage and Madden 2008 for the PS2.

Jack with new bike


Jack with new bike, originally uploaded by heringermr.

Sent from my iPhone

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Another Woof, Daddy Review

Obscene Jester: metatext: Reader and Woof, Daddy at the fringe

Taos Pueblo

Taos Puebo
National Register of Historic Places #1966000496

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This historic place is located 3 miles north of Taos in the county of Taos, New Mexico. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 36° 26.323 W 105° 32.729.

You can log your vist to this site at waymarking.com.

Taos Pueblo 

Taos Pueblo 

Taos Pueblo 

Taos Pueblo is the only living Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark. It is the ancient pueblo of a Northern Tiwa speaking Native American tribe of Pueblo people. As of 2006, about 150 people live in it full-time.

The multi-storied adobe buildings have been continuously inhabited for over 1000 years. In the Pueblo, electricity, running water, and indoor plumbing are prohibited.

Taos County New Mexico Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places
Taos County, New Mexico

{GPS Coordinates of Site Location}

1966000496 Taos Pueblo - [map] - {36.438707,-105.545488}
1966000948 Kit Carson House - [map] - {36.406933,-105.572467}

Monday, August 27, 2007

Portraits of Morgan

My sister took a number of portraits of Morgan. My favorite is shown below. The others are here, here and here.



Pilar

After driving the High Road on the way to Taos, we drove Highway 68 on the way back to Santa Fe. This road runs along the Rio Grande River and through part of the Rio Grande Gorge.

Pilar
New Mexico Historical Marker

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This marker is located on Highway 68 in Pilar, New Mexico. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 36° 16.080 W 105° 47.324.

You can log your visit to this landmark at waymark.com.

 

In 1795, 25 families were granted land along the Rio Grande at Pilar, then known as Cieneguilla. The Battle of Cieneguilla was fought at Embudo Mountain near here in March 1854. A large force of Utes and Apaches inflicted heavy losses on 60 dragoons from Cantonment Burgwin near Taos.

Pilar is located on the southwestern edge of the Orilla Verde Recreation Area. The BLM managed recreation area is neslted along the banks of the Rio Grande and offers visitors a wide variety of recreation opportunities.

At the California Aerospace Museum

California Aerospace Museum 

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Ralston Peak Hike

On Saturday, Janie, Jeana and Sharon hiked from Echo Lake to Ralston Peak. They took the water taxi to the west end of the lake and then covered almost eight miles. They are training to hike Half Dome in September. Using data from the garmin, I generated maps for the hike.



Saturday, August 25, 2007

The Da Vinci Experience

Jack was supposed to have a practice flag football game, but the other team failed to show up. The coaches ran a practice instead. With Sharon off hiking Echo Lake and Ralston Peak with Janie and Jeana, Jack and I went to The Da Vinci Experience.

The Da Vinci Experience is an exhibit of more than 60 replicas of the transportation, military, and mechanical devices developed by Leonardo da Vinci in the 15th century. The Artisans of Florence took Da Vinci's notebooks and built working replicas of his ideas. The models include hang gliders, a bicycle, a double-hull boat, an air-screw (precursor to the helicopter), a fly wheel, an early tank, a robot, a chamber of mirrors, and a movable bridge among others. There is also a small gallery housing re-creations of his paintings, including Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.

Jack complained on the way about going, but once we got there he was very engaged. A nunber of the exhibits are interactive; Jack really enjoyed those. When we wandered through the small gallery, Jack noted loudly "I seen the real Mona Lisa."

Afterwards, we explored the rest of the California Aerospace Museum. There are a few exhibits inside and about two dozen aircraft out back. There was a large helicopter and a plane that you could climb into and explore.

Truchas Peaks

Driving along the high road from Santa Fe to Taos, we climbed up into the mountains and into some forested areas that could have been in the Sierras.

Truchas Peaks
New Mexico Historical Marker

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This marker is located on Highway 76 near Truchas, New Mexico. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 36° 03.006 W 105° 48.625.

You can log your visit to this landmark at waymark.com.


Ice age glaciers carved these beautiful alpine peaks, among the highest in the New Mexico Rockies, rising to 13,101 feet. Precambrian quartzite, some of the oldest rock in New Mexico, forms the core of the Truchas (the Spanish word for trout) Peaks, part of the Pecos Wilderness that encompasses some of the most pristine mountain terrain in the state.

Friday, August 24, 2007

Boulevard Bistro Again

Sharon, Janie and I went to the Boulevard Bistro in Elk Grove for dinner. I had the Pork Tenderloin, while Sharon and Janie both had Salmon Risotto. While I thought that my meal was better than the first time we went there, Sharon was disappointed with her dinner.

Cordova

On our trip from Santa Fe to Taos along the Kings Road, we drove down into Cordova and stopped at one of the woodcarving shops.

Cordova
New Mexico Historical Marker

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This marker is located on Highway 76 near Cordova, New Mexico. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 36° 00.356 W 105° 53.815.

You can log your visit to this landmark at waymark.com.

 

Originally named Pueblo Quemado, after an ancient burned-out Indian pueblo located nearby, Cordova was settled prior to 1748, but was abandoned due to Indian attacks. Permanently re-settled by 1750, the village was renamed Cordova after a prominent local family. The village chapel, San Antonio de Padua, is an outstanding example of Northern Mexico art and architecture. Cordova is home to a unique style of woodcarving begun by Jose Dolores Lopez (1868-1937).

 

Putting up the flag at school


Putting up the flag at school, originally uploaded by heringermr.

Sent from my iPhone

Thursday, August 23, 2007

First Flag Football Practice

Jack had his first flag football practice of the 2007 season.

Las Trampas

Although the guidebook trumpeted the San Jose de Gracia Church, Sharon was not impressed.

Las Trampas
New Mexico Historical Marker

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This marker is located on Highway 76 in Las Trampas, New Mexico. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 36° 07.865 W 105° 45.505.

You can log your visit to this landmark at waymark.com.

 

The village of Las Trampas was established in 1751 by 12 families from Santa Fe, led by Juan de Arguello, who received a land grant from Governor Tomas Velez Cachupin. The church of San Jose de Gracia is one of the finest surviving 18th-century churches in New Mexico.

 

 

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Song for 2004

In July of 2004, Sharon, Jack and I traveled north to celebrate the Wallen's 25th Wedding Anniversary. I wrote a toast for that night which I never gave.
Last month Sharon and I had an opportunity to host the Wallens--John, Jill, Becky and Nat--at our home for the weekend. All of us attended the wedding of a friend that John and I have known for almost 30 years.

That weekend reminded me of words to the song that struck a chord in me the first time that I heard them.

The song is titled Everyone use Sunscreen and the specific words are:

Friends may come and go,
but to a precious few you should hold on.
Work hard to overcome the differences in life styles and geography,
for the older you get the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.


I want to thank John and Jill for working hard to overcome the differences in life style and geography of the last twenty years. As those of you here tonight know, they are the precious few worth holding on to.

It was my honor to have been there 25 years ago to celebrate their wedding and its my privilege to be here tonight to embrace their gold wedding anniversary.

Congratulations.
The song for 2004 is Everyone use Sunscreen by Baz Luhrmann.

Santuario de Chimayo

On the trip to Taos via the Kings Road, this is the stop that Sharon and Jack enjoyed the most! El Santuario has been called the "Lourdes of America".

Santuario de Chimayo
New Mexico Historical Marker

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This marker is located on Santuario Drive in Chimayo, New Mexico. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 35° 59.333 W 105° 55.937.

You can log your visit to this landmark at waymark.com.

 


In 1816, Bernardo Abeyta and the other residents of El Potrero, then a separate community, finished this massive adobe chapel honoring Nuestro Senor de Esquipulas. It is noted for its 6-foot crucifix and its tradition of healing the sick. The Santuario remained in the Abeyta family until the 1920s.

 

Monday, August 20, 2007

First Day of Fourth Grade

First Day of Fourth Grade
 

First Day of Third Grade


First Day of Second Grade


First Day of First Grade


First Day of Kindergarten

Sunday, August 19, 2007

2007 Back to School Ice Cream Social

We spent part of the afternoon at a back to school social at Jack's school. It gave him a chance to meet his new teacher, check out the new classroom and run around with his friends.

San Francisco de Asis Church

San Francisco de Asis Church
New Mexico Historical Marker

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This marker is located on Highway 68 in Rancho de Taos, New Mexico. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 36° 21.517 W 105° 36.517.

You can log your visit to this landmark at waymark.com.

 

This mission church is one of the oldest churches in the United States dedicated to San Francisco de Asis. It was constructed between 1813 and 1815 under the direction of the Franciscan Fray Jose Benito Pereyro. It is an outstanding example of adobe mission architecture. The church continues to be a place of worship, an integral part of the community as well as a tourist attraction.
 
 
San Francisco de Asís Mission Church is one of the best known and most photographed churches in New Mexico. It was the subject of four paintings by Georgia O'Keefe and photographs by Ansel Adams and Paul Strand. Georgia O'Keefe described it as, "one of the most beautiful buildings left in the United States by the early Spaniards."

The Spanish Colonial adobe building has twin bell towers and an arched portal entrance that overlooks an enclosed courtyard. The interior has a large carved reredos (altar screen) divided into painted panels, a ceiling of vigas (beams) that rest on elaborately carved double brackets and a traditional choir loft.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Thunderball


Continuing our efforts to watch all of the James Bond films in order, we finished the day watching Thunderball. Released in 1965, this is the fourth film in the James Bond series, and the fourth to star Sean Connery as MI6 secret agent James Bond, 007.

The film follows Bond's efforts to find two NATO nuclear bombs stolen by SPECTRE. They hold the British ransom for £100 million in exchange for not destroying English or American cities.

The search leads Bond to the Bahamas, where he encounters Emilio Largo, the one-eyed SPECTRE Number Two. Helped by the CIA and Largo's mistress, Bond's search culminates in underwater battle with Largo's frogmen outside Miami.

On an inflation adjusted basis, Thunderball was the most-watched film of the series, with almost 140 million paid tickets.

2007 Flag Football Player Clinic

Over the last three years, Jack has played soccer in the fall. He has done very well, but with less and less enthusiasm for the sport. I have tried hard to keep up his interest in soccer, but failed. Unlike baseball and basketball, he just does not have any passion for soccer.

We made a decision to sign him up for flag football for this fall. Today was the player clinic. The coaches run the kids in groups of 20 through a number of drills to evaluate their skill levels. After the clinic, the coaches got together and drafted the kids on to teams. Jack had a great time. He spent the next couple of hours talking about it.

I spent the time visiting with a number of parents from the school.

Friday, August 17, 2007

2007 Santa Fe Day 7

Sleeping a little later, Jack, Sharon and I all went to the exercise room in the hotel. Jack rode the stationary bike 5.25 miles, while I ran on the treadmill. Sharon did both the treadmill and the stair climber.

Getting cleaned up, we had a leisurely breakfast in the hotel. Afterwards, we wandered back downtown. I went back to gift shop at the Palace of the Governors to get a book. I picked up a book on the 1680 Pueblo Revolt. Sharon and Jack headed to the New Mexico Museum of Art. Sharon had not been there yet and wanted to see the Georgia O'Keefe's that were on display. She ended up getting a poster of Georgia O'Keefe sitting on the back of motorcycle.

Back at the hotel, Sharon and I worked on packing up. We pulled away from the hotel about 12:30 p.m. With a quick stop to top off the rental car, we were in the Albuquerque airport terminal a little after 2:00 p.m. We caught a 4:00 p.m. nonstop flight back to Sacramento and were home about 6:30 p.m.

Back in Sacramento


Back in Sacramento, originally uploaded by heringermr.

Sent from my iPhone

Hotel La Posada de Santa Fe


Hotel La Posada de Santa Fe, originally uploaded by heringermr.

Sent from my iPhone

Santa Fe County New Mexico Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places
Santa Fe County, New Mexico

{GPS Coordinates of Site Location}


1966000489 Palace of the Governors - [map] - {35.687783,-105.9383}
1966000491 Santa Fe Plaza - [map] - {35.68735,-105.938583}
1974001209 Pinckney R. Tully House - [map] - {35.68945,-105.9405}
1975001166 Alfred M. Bergere House - [map] - {35.689472,-105.940383}
1975001168 Fort Marcy Officer's Residence - [map] - {35.688467,-105.938683}
1988000897 Archbishop Lamy's Chapel - [map] - {35.73005,-105.90966}

Thursday, August 16, 2007

2007 Santa Fe Day 6

After last night's events, we decided to play it by ear and see how the morning went. The original plan was to head to Taos. Jack bounced back so I went and got Starbucks and rolls for breakfast. By 9:00 a.m., we were in the car on the High Road or Kings Road to Taos.

The first stop was the Santuartio de Chimayo; Jack and Sharon particularly enjoyed this stop. After stopping at a vista point, we went down into the village of Cordova, a woodcarver's community famed for unpainted religious carvings. None of the pieces that we saw struck our fancy and we did not buy anything. The third stop was the San Jose de Gracia Church in Las Trampas. Although highly touted by the guidebook as one of the best-preserved and most representative examples of the Spanish Colonial churches in New Mexico, Sharon was not overly impressed.

From there, we drove the rest of the way into Taos. We actually went through an area that was heavily forested. I am going to write a longer post on the terrain that we saw over the course of the trip.

We stopped in Taos for lunch. We wandered through plaza. Old town Taos has a much less commercial feel than Santa Fe. We ended up having lunch at the Apple Tree Restaurant. The restaurant was recommended both by one of the guidebooks and by the attendant in the parking lot; it was very good.

After lunch, we wandered briefly through the Kit Carson Home and Museum

The next stop was the Taos Pueblo. Taos Pueblo is the only living Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark. The multi-storied adobe buildings have been continuously inhabited for over 1000 years. There is no electricity or running water. As we pulled up to the pueblo, it started to storm: lightning, thunder and pouring rain. We waited by the admission booth for a break in the rain. We wandered through the settlement, including the San Geronimo Church, while it rained lightly. Jack ended up buying a tomahawk in one of the shops. The pueblo is in a valley with some towering peaks in the background.

The final stop for the day was the San Francisco de Asis Church in Rancho de Taos. We toured the church, saw a film on parish's history and viewed the mystery painting!

We took the more direct route back to Santa Fe. For part of the way, the road runs along and through the Rio Grande Gorge offering some interesting scenery.

It was almost 6:00 p.m. by the time we got back to the hotel. We got cleaned up, had a drink in the hotel bar and had the shuttle take us to Andiamo's for dinner. After almost a week of New Mexico cusine, we both felt in the mood for something else on the last night. Although not as good as Luggatti's, the food was solid, but the service was slow. Sharon faded during dinner. We called the hotel shuttle and were back at the hotel and down for the night a little after 10:00 p.m.

North House at Taos Pueblo

North House at Taos Pueblo 

South House at Taos Pueblo

South House at Taos Pueblo

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

2007 Santa Fe Day 5

After the early morning and late night yesterday, we were slower this morning. We had breakfast on patio at the hotel.

When we finished breakfast, Sharon headed out for a couple of hours of shopping. Jack and I headed to Museum Hill. Museum Hill is a complex of four museums located southwest of the downtown. We stared in the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian. This is a small museum located in an 8-sided Navajo hogan-type building. Jack got a christmas present for Sharon in the gift shop.

From there, we went to the Museum of Indian Culture and Arts. I found two of the exhibits interesting. First, there was an exhibit of the works of Pablita Velarde. She was commissioned by the National Park Service, under the Works Progress Administration (WPA), to create scenes of traditional Pueblo culture for the visitor center being built at Bandelier National Monument. She produced over 84 paintings in casein on Masonite, matte board and glass between 1939 and 1945. Sixty-eight of these paintings were included in the exhibition. Second, there was a large exhibit from the excavation of Casas Grandes. Located in northwestern Chihuahua, Mexico, Casas Grandes was once a bustling village with sophisticated adobe architecture, Mesoamerican-style ball courts, and a complex system of stone-lined canals. Casas Grandes was the most complex society of its time, blending elements of ancestral Puebloan and Mesoamerican culture. During the Medio period of A.D. 1200–1450, Casas Grandes was a major regional center of interaction and trade, with evidence of ball courts and exotic goods such as copper, shell, turquoise, and macaws. This museum also contained a room designed for kids. Jack had a great time building a large pueblo and knocking it down and playing a board game with pairie dogs.

Next, we went to the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art. This museum had a treasure hunt sheet for kids that Jack particularly enjoyed. He and I had to work to find the last item.

Leaving Museum Hill, we stopped at Journey's End. This bronze sculpture captures the travails faced along the Santa Fe Trail.

Heading back to the hotel, we caught up with Sharon. We had the hotel shuttle take us to the Guadalupe Cafe for a leisurely lunch. This is someplace we would definitely recommend.

After lunch, Sharon headed for a yoga class at Body, while Jack and I wandered back downtown. He and I went to the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum. They were showing some cartoons of indian mythology in the back that Jack enjoyed. We then hiked up the hill above the downtown to Fort Marcy park. The trail includes a cross was built to honor 21 fallen Franciscan friars in the 1680 Pueblo Indian Revolt and plaques providing an overview of the 400 year history of Santa Fe. There is essentially nothing left of the fort at the top of the hill.

Back at the hotel, I ran four plus miles on the treadmill while Sharon and Jack crashed in the room.

At this point, the fun really began. We had a reservation at the restaurant in the Inn of the Anasazi. Jack said that he was feeling under the weather. At some point while I was running on the treadmill, he started drinking a lot of water (I mean a lot!) saying that he was dehydrated. We got ready for dinner and walked to restaurant. Shortly, after we sat down for dinner, Jack said that he was feeling sick. I started to walk him towards the bathroom. He started throwing up at the entryway to the restaurant. He was throwing up all the water that he drank; I mean a lot of water. I walked him back to the room. We put him to bed. Sharon and I ordered room service and watched Jon Steward and the Colbert report.

Dressed for dinner


Dressed for dinner, originally uploaded by heringermr.

Sent from my iPhone

Archbishop Lamy's Chapel

I am reading Death comes to the Archbishop. The book is based on the life and career of the first Archbishop of the Santa Fe, Jean-Baptiste Lamy.

Archbishop Lamy's Chapel
National Register of Historic Places #1988000897

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This historic place is located at 1297 Bishops Lodge Road, Santa Fe in the county of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 35° 43.803 W 105° 54.580.

You can log your vist to this site at waymarking.com.







Journey's End

Journey's End Santa Fe Trail

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

2007 Santa Fe Day 4

Up at 6:00 a.m., we loaded the car and hit the road a little after seven. With a stop at Starbucks, we got to the Bandelier National Monument Visitor's Center about 8:15 a.m. The park was empty, just us and the rangers.

The ancestors of modern Pueblo people built thriving communities in the area about 600 years ago. Several thousand Pueblo dwellings are found among the mesas and sheer-walled canyons. The best-known archeological sites, in Frijoles Canyon near the Visitor Center, were inhabited from the 1100s into the mid-1500s.

We hiked the main loop trail pass the Big Kiva, through the village of Tyuonyl on the valley floor and up into the cliff dwellings to see the talus houses and the long house. There are several places where you can climb up short ladders in the cliff dwellings.

From there, we hiked along Frijoles Creek to the the Alcove House. This dwelling is accessed by climbing 140 feet on a series of stairs and wooden ladders. I am not fond of heights, but all three of us went to the top.

On the way back to the Visitor's Center, we saw a small black bear on the trail. Jack was thrilled.

When we got back to the parking lot, it was completely full. There were people everywhere. It was nice to have started early and have the place essentially to ourselves.

We used the GPS to find a restaurant for lunch and headed into Los Alamos. We had lunch at the Central Avenue Grill.

We were back in Santa Fe a little after 2:00 p.m. Unfortunately, the room was not ready. We are spending the next couple of days at the La Posada. While the Bishop's Lodge was three plus miles out of town, this hotel is three long blocks from the plaza.

Leaving the car and luggage, we walked to the San Miguel Church. Constructed in the early 17th century by Tlaxcalan indians, this structure is one of the oldest churches still in use in the United States.

Back the hotel and into the room, we headed to the pool. We ended up having a very late dinner at Geronimo. I had elk, while Sharon and Jack split lobster and beef short ribs. This was the best meal that we have had so far on the trip. The restaurant is set in an old house way up Canyon drive.

We had walked to the restaurant, but got the hotel to come and pick us up.

Bandelier National Monument







Monday, August 13, 2007

2007 Santa Fe Day 3

Up early, I ran about two plus miles along the trails above the lodge. I ran part of the trail that we had rode with the horses the previous day. I now have new respect for the horses; I was surprised how steep parts of the trail were as I struggled up them on foot.

We had an early breakfast at the Burrito Company near the Plaza. Afterwards, while Sharon shopped, Jack and I wandered around.

Our first stop was the Santa Fe Plaza. The Plaza has served as the end of El Camino Real (The Spanish Royal Road from Mexico City), The Santa Fe Trail and the Old Pecos Trail.

From there Jack and I went to the Governor's Palace. Originally constructed in the early 17th century as Spain's seat of government for what is today the American Southwest, the Palace of the Governors chronicles the history of Santa Fe, as well as New Mexico and the region.

Our next stop was the New Mexico Museum of Art. There was only one piece that impressed me: Blue River by Georgia O'Keefe.

At this point, we hooked back up with Sharon. The three of us headed to the Georgia O'Keefe Museum. We saw an interesting film on her life. I was a little disappointed with the current exhibition; it focused on her abstract work. I would have been more interested in seeing her landscapes of the Southwest.

After wandering through the town, we spent some time touring the St. Francis Cathedral. Started by Bishop Jean Baptiste Lamy in 1896, it is based on the Romanesque cathedral in his hometown of Clermont-Ferrand, France. The church contains the Conquistadora Chapel to the left of the altar. The walls of this chapel are all that remains of the old adobe church dating from the early 1600's.

From the there, we went to the Loretto Chapel. Influenced by the French clergy in Santa Fe, the Gothic Revival-style chapel was patterned after King Louis IX's Sainte-Chapelle in Paris; a striking contrast to the adobe churches already in the area.

We had a very late lunch at the San Francisco Street Bar & Grill. Using the GPS after lunch, we found an Albertson's and bought some food for breakfast. Leaving Albertson's, it started to rain again, but not as long or as hard as the first two nights.

Back at Bishop's Lodge, Jack and I toured the chapel and then headed to the pool. Jack and I spent some time playing football in the pool.

Getting cleaned up, we had a late dinner at the Blue Corn Cafe and Brewery. Billed as New Mexican food, both Sharon and I thought that the food was better than at the much more hyped Shed where we ate on Saturday night.

After dinner, we packed up. We are getting up early tomorrow, heading out for the day and changing hotels.

Palace of the Governors

The Palace of the Governors is the oldest building in the United States. It was built in 1610 as Spain's seat of government in the area.

Palace of the Governors - Santa Fe

At the pool


At the pool, originally uploaded by heringermr.

Sent from my iPhone

Sunday, August 12, 2007

2007 Santa Fe Day 2

Sharon got up early and went to a yoga class. Afterwards, we wandered down to the Lodge for breakfast. The service was slow; it hard to figure out whether or not they do not have enough staff or they just do not care.

After breakfast, Sharon went to the spa for a hot rock massage, while I ran on the treadmill and Jack rode six plus miles on the stationary bike.

Getting cleaned up, we went into town to explore the Canyon Drive area of Santa Fe. This street has a concentration of art galleries.

Back at Bishop's Lodge, we went out with a group for a horseback ride. We rode for two hours up to the top of the Bishop's Lodge property. At the half way point, there was a great vista point; pictures will not do it justice. You could see some peaks in Colorado. It started to rain at the end of the ride.

Changing into our suits, we headed to the pool. At some point, it really started to rain and we went back to the room. It rain hard for a little over an hour accompanied by thunder and lighting.

We had dinner at the SantaCafe. Dinner was excellent, it got two wows from Sharon. She and Jack split rack of lamb, while I had a hanger steak. Sharon gave the dinner her highest rating (beyond category), while I thought it was not as good the meal we had in Reims.

We crashed back at the room about 10:30 p.m.

Horseback Riding at Bishop's Lodge

Horseback Riding at Bishop's Lodge

Saturday, August 11, 2007

2007 Santa Fe Day 1

When we started talking about where to go on vacation this summer, I suggested Santa Fe. At about the same time, advertisements started running for nonstop service from Sacramento to Albuquerque on a new regional carrier called ExpressJet. Some good rates on round trip flights and a little research by Sharon cemented the decision.

We caught a morning flight on ExpressJet from Sacramento to Albuquerque. Our luggage beat us to the baggage claim. We picked up a rental car and drove the 65 miles to Santa Fe. It was a very easy and quick trip. Even losing an hour due to the time change, we were at the hotel before 3:00 p.m.

We are spending the first few days at Bishop's Lodge. It is located in the hills just outside of Santa Fe. After checking in, we wandered around the property checking out the historic chapel, the restaurant, the stables, the pool and the spa. We headed back to the pool and spent a couple of hours swimming and hanging out. Jack and I played some ping pong.

Sharon and I had an interesting conversation with the bartender at the pool. Orginally, the Bishop's Lodge was family owned. It was bought by a corporation in 1998. The bartender was lamenting the changes, particularly the decline in the quality of the service. Unfortunately, our experience at the frontdesk when we checked in mirrored some of these observations.

We had a late dinner reservation downtown. We headed to the area around the Plaza and wandered around to get our bearings. As we were driving into town it started to pour. It appears that every afternoon there are thunderstorms for an hour or two. Sharon started to do some jewelry shopping; she has an idea for some things that she wants to try and find.

We finished the night having dinner at the Shed. The Shed serves northern New Mexican cuisine which mixes Pueblo, Spanish and Mexican influences. Parts of the building date from the late 1600's. The food was hot from the liberal use of chile peppers.

Bishop's Lodge


Bishop's Lodge, originally uploaded by heringermr.

Sent from my iPhone