Last night of our Cousins New Mexico Road Trip
New Mexico Road Trip GoodbyeI cannot believe that our week-long cousins road trip to New Mexico is over. In a word, it was fantastic! Of course, saying goodbye is not easy, and the fact that we were together 24/7 for the past 8 days, makes it more difficult to part. The good news is that Tanya, Cosette and Dominic will be back in New York in a month and we for the first time in over 30 years, we will be spending Thanksgiving together!  Downtown Santa Fe
Yesterday, our last day, was rainy and wet. We left our private rental late morning for a walk around downtown Santa Fe. The rain made it a little tough walking around with the kids - Kelsey was not a happy camper. But, we forged ahead and did the touristy thing - walking around, taking pictures, shopping and seeing the sights.  The miraculous staircase at Loretto Chapel, Santa Fe
 Loretto Chapel We headed right into Loretto Chapel. Although this former Roman Catholic church was closed in 1968 and became a museum, to me, this lovely little chapel still felt quite sacred. The miraculous circular staircase is what tourists from all over come to see because of the mystery as to the identity of the builder and the physics of its construction.  A bite to eat at The French Pastry Shop in Santa Fe After visiting the gift shop and making a few purchases, Kelsey was done with walking around in the rain. I decided that a quick snack would do her good. We ducked into a nearby cafe, "French Pastry Shop." Their menu was full of classic french items including crepes, French onion soup and Croque Monsieur and Madame. Gianna had a sugar crepe and I had a chocolate almond cookie with a hot chocolate - YUM! Kelsey enjoyed a french baguette. Taking pictures in the rain was not easy, but we did manage to capture some shots of the Town Square and even the New Mexico Capitol Building, also known as The Roundhouse. I wish I could tell you how hard it was pouring as we ran up the steps to snag some pictures. It was definitely an experience!  The Santa Fe Capitol Building in the pouring rain Ok - so on the road again - this time to see the Brontosaurus roadside attraction. Now, let me tell you, this was just the weirdest thing we ever decided to drive out of our way to see! These 2 huge prehistoric beasts were just sitting there next to a steel building. But, of course, the Travelin' Cousins made sure we got out in the middle of a downpour to get a photo op! After the ridiculous dinosaurs, the ride back to Albuquerque was less than an hour. It was a peaceful drive and if I only I wasn't driving - the photos I could have taken along the way. Because of the stormy weather, the colors and the clouds in the sky against the backdrop of the mountains looked like a water color painting of whites and blues. And then, just as we were entering Albuquerque...a rainbow!  Laughing - in the rain - at the Brontosaurus Roadside Attraction Our last night together was a feast of vegan sushi at NU Vegan Restaurant. Tanya is going to do a full review of this very interesting eatery in two weeks! This morning brought tears and hugs and sad goodbyes, especially for the three girls. Cosette tried to talk us into coming back to California. It amazes me how close these girls have become! So much to look forward to as we re-unite next month!  Farewell cousins dinner! I'm headed back home to New York today and Tanya will continue the road trip down to Carlsbad Caverns in NM and some other great sights, which she'll be telling you all about during the next few days - so stay tuned!! Happy Saturday! -E | Ciao 4 Now to our Cousins! |
Early morning Good Byes. Elisa and girls heading back to NY. While Tanya and crew are heading to Carlsbad Caverns National Park!
