Day 7: Santa Fe to E-ville

Day 7: Santa Fe to Albuquerque to Oakland 

Weather: Perfect to slightly too warm, raining in Albuquerque, perfect in E-ville

QOTD: How do you measure the butt brush factor?

Fitness center and breakfast: THB’s pancakes come out before the Greek yogurt, berries and a decaf cappuccino; DB had scrambled eggs, black beans and fried bananas and coffee, included.

The Inn shuttles us up to the top of Santa Fe for the International Folk Art Market. This is not quite Yogi’s quote: It’s too crowded, nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded and everybody is still going there.

Our tix ($10pp) let us in at 9am. There must be 300 people in line to enter at 9:15. When we leave at 10:30, there are still mobs on their way. There are booths from around the world. THB would like to tell you what was in those booths: he never got close enough to many of them to tell what they were selling.

All is not lost: the Museum of International Folk Art is amidst all the booths, and it is just as THB remembers it: one of the best museums in the world. One guy, Girard, collected folk art from around the world (though most of it from Latin America) and about 1/8 of his collection is displayed as tableaus, each one a perfect miniature story. The museum is free today with your admission to the Market, and very few people are taking them up on it.

If you come to Santa Fe, don’t miss this one, it is special.

After attempting to walk back to Santa Fe in the wrong direction, THB and DB reverse course and take a bus back down the hill to gallery shop along Canyon Road.

We stop for an excellent lunch at the Compound: rare hamburger and salad for DB; Thai steak salad and focaccia and crackers, for THB. With ginger soda and an ice tea, $50.

Back to the Inn to pack and rest up for drive to Albuquerque. The rental car companies have worked out a deal: no gas stations within 2 miles of the airport; very clever! Plus, there’s construction going on at airport (as always) and if you follow the signs you go through the airport to return your car 2 miles away (so 4 miles from a gas station).

Dinner in the airport: chicken salad for DB, drenched brisket and stone cold fries for THB, one local brewski, $50.

Flight back is only 1/4 full and on time.

Observations:

·       Go to Lightning Field

·       Go to Santa Fe and make it to the Museum of International Folk Art

·       Go to Lightning Field

·       Go to Vinaigrette for lunch, not dinner

·       Go to Lightning Field

·       Visit Ghost Ranch and make sure to go to the GOK museum in Santa Fe first

·       Go to Lightning Field

·       Compound is an excellent restaurant

Go to The Lightning Field!