Home

Photo & Journal Index

Total Trip Map

Recent Map

Caroline's Reading List

Email Scott

Email Caroline

Hey, We Live In Albuquerque Again!  

08/17/07 - Albuquerque, NM

After a quick detour to Aztec Ruins National Monument, we find ourselves back in the Duke City

(Shutterfly photo album - Utah Parks & Aztec Ruins)
Woke up this morning in Cortez, Colorado, just 45 minutes west of Durango (in case that helps anyone).  Started the day with a leisurely Comfort Inn breakfast on their outdoor mountain-view deck, along with more French tourists.  We feel bad that the poor European tourists eat chain hotel continental breakfasts and drink the terrible coffee, after they (Europeans) provided such tasty breakfasts for us all last summer.  "Mmmm", they must say, "I think I'll have just one more slice of that delicious perfectly square piece of white sandwich bread, and maybe a banana that won't be ripe for 3 more weeks!".

We kept to our word and drove right by Mesa Verde, but were so intrigued by the Aztec Ruins National Monument in Northwest New Mexico that we simply couldn't help ourselves and had to stop.  Contrary to the name, as you might guess, these are not actually Aztec ruins, but were mistaken as such by the first Spanish explorers to come across them.  They went ahead and named the town there Aztec, which apparently stuck.  In any case, these were really cool ruins to see.  The round ceremonial Great Kiva is the only of its kind that's been fully restored.  So while it may lack a teeny bit of authenticity, it's still interesting to see how it actually looked during its 500 years of use.

After leaving the ruins, we officially resigned ourselves to the fact that our trip was over, and we headed straight home.  Our house seems nicer than we remembered - anything would after some of the recent motels we've seen.  Everything was in order, except for our dead grass.  The sprinkler system went out during a power outage a couple of weeks earlier, and there hasn't been a drop of rain since.  We have to say thanks to our generous neighbors Charles and Sandy for looking after the place, cutting the (formerly living) lawn, taking out the trash, and generally just being great neighbors.

Now, time to fill the refrigerator and cabinets again, unpack, and sleeeeeep.... time to sleeep.


Caroline is a bit taller than the original inhabitants


Aztec Ruins National Monument

 


The ceremonial Great Kiva at Aztec Ruins


Interior of the ceremonial Great Kiva at Atec Ruins


The ceremonial Great Kiva at Atec Ruins


Interior of the ceremonial Great Kiva at Atec Ruins


Aztec Ruins National Monument