Rosario and I spent our anniversary in New Mexico, discovering its cuisine, Pueblo Indian cultures, and watermelon sunsets.
Sunset timelapse from the rooftop of The Bell Tower Bar in Santa Fe.
Albuquerque's Plaza Vieja calls to its Mexican roots and reminded us of walking through Lerdo and Torreon's plazas. A group of men gathered with their classic cars while Walter White waited on the other side.
Everywhere you go, dried chiles dangle from the sides of buildings.
Not far from the plaza, the colorful shop Camino 66 sits on the main road.
Our second day was full of travel to visit the Quarai mission in the Salinas Pueblo Missions national park. At night we tried to star search in Placitas, a town with few street lights. The nearly full moon flooded our view, however.
Instead, we settled for waking up early to watch the sun (and hot air balloons) rise over Albuquerque, while also avoiding the coyotes...
The following day, we visited the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, a museum maintained by the surrounding communities. There we learned not only about the regional cultures but also from exhibits about the sordid history of forcing indigenous children to attend American boarding schools, resulting in a language and cultural disconnect, in addition to other abuses suffered by the students.
There were also exhibitions on notable Pueblo Indian women and another about the U.S.'s Relocation Act during the early 50's which encouraged indigenous folks to move to cities, thus reducing the government's responsibilities to those who lived on reservations. Each day, the IPCC hosts a local dance group.
This trip would have been incomplete without a visit to Bandolier National Monument, the site of the mountainside-dwelling ancient cultures. A 140 feet climb rewards you with a short stay at the Alcove House.
