Welcome to “Kirk” and “Fe”

Welcome to Albuquerque or as we like to call it the “Kirk”. This city is full of history with the Indian Cultural Center and fun attractions like the Sandia Tramway.  We didn’t visit either of these attractions. As a matter of fact the more I looked back at pictures I realized this visit was about food. New Mexico is all about the chilies. I mean red and green chilies are all over the New Mexico signs, burgers, and burritos. So on a recommendation of my sweet Uncle Steve, we went to Nexus Brewery for a green chili burger.

I know this is an exciting picture.
I know this is an exciting picture.

I did get the burger with my chilies on the side. Haha, you will notice a trend with this. We also ordered the fried zucchini which was out of this world yummy. I was really hungry and ate my burger before I got a pic so just trust me that it was good.  Thank you Uncle Steve!

The next day Micheal and I got out to cruise Route 66 and possibly find a market that I saw on the map. There were parts of Route 66 that were charming and other parts not so charming. Nob Hill was a section that I loved with trendy shops and small eateries. Then downtown had the historic theater that is still showing pics today. We came to almost the end of Route 66 and there was my market. I was thinking it was a flea market but when we got inside it was a grocery store.

This is authenic Mexican!
This is authenic Mexican!

Once inside I was amazed at all the food I had never seen before. As we entered the produce section, there they were…..green chilies!

They were all this big!
They were all this big!

We saw 10 lb bags of pinto beans and small bags of dried shrimp. (complete with head and eyeballs) We also saw this…

Caramel
Caramel

That is caramel, cherries, and homemade cream (sour cream to us southerns). I can understand buying sour cream by the pound but I have to admit confusion on why you would buy some of these things in bulk. Although this wasn’t a flea market, it was still very exciting!

Before we left on this adventure my Uncle Steve gave me a spreadsheet that he has been putting together on places to eat around the U.S. Sadly, there weren’t any for the “Kirk” so I started doing some research and found El Pinto.

Gorgeous! and look more chilies!
Gorgeous! and look more chilies!

This place did not disappoint! I would drive back today for the guacamole! Anyway, Mike has gotten better and he is hungry. So we order the chicken quesadilla to share for appetizer….

Mouthwatering!
Mouthwatering!

See the guacamole? Then for dinner we got the Green Chili Burger (mild chilies on the burger) and a Chicken burrito. Shockingly, Micheal ordered the rice.  Wow! This food was delicious!  I added it to the spreadsheet and then highlighted it….haha.

So I bet your wondering if we actually went to see anything and yes we did. First Micheal and I went to the aquarium and botanical gardens.

It looks bigger from the road.
It looks bigger from the road.

This was something Micheal was interested in so we went. I have to say we were kind of disappointed because it really was small, but we did see some marine life.

He stood there for a minute and was done.
He stood there for a minute and was done.

There was a whole section on the Gulf Coast which we thought was funny. We were only in the aquarium for about 20 minutes and that was looking at everything.

Sharks are cool but only if they are in the water and you aren't!
Sharks are cool but only if they are in the water and you aren’t!

After the aquarium we decided to stroll through the garden. You pay for both when you buy a ticket so to Micheal’s dismay we walked through. Nothing was blooming but there was a children’s castle to walk through that was fun. First, the dragon outside…..

Scary!
Scary!

then as we walked thru the tunnels, we found mushrooms…….

So I sat on it.
So I sat on it.

and then the last tunnel we walked through I looked up and saw this.

It scared Micheal. That always makes me laugh.
It scared Micheal. that always makes me laugh.

I wouldn’t recommend going to either of these places but sometimes you don’t know unless you try it.

We are so close to Santa Fe that I can’t help but go. I found a route that is kind of a back road (which is my favorite) called the Turquoise Trail. It is simply lovely!

Here we go!
Here we go!
Steep and curvy.
Steep, curvy and watch out for cows!

This drive takes you through some small towns, like Madrid. Madrid is very important to the movie industry. Movies have been filmed here and on the Turquoise Trail since the 1960’s.

It's only about a city block long.
It’s only about a city block long.

The only movie we kind of knew was Wild Hogs. I was going to tell you about the movie but I didn’t watch all of it.  Anyway there is a place called Maggie’s Diner that has been made famous from the movie.

Maggie's Diner
Maggie’s Diner

We thought we would stop in for a quick bite to eat but we were quickly told by a sign on the door that it was not a diner. Instead it is kind of a raunchy t-shirt shop. That was a little disappointing but we did get a good cup of coffee at the Java Junction

I love coffee and my husband.
I love coffee and my husband.

and we saw some funny things from different artist.

The weather bone.
The weather bone.

Some of my favorites, if the bone is wet it is raining, if the bone is moving it is windy and if the bone is gone….run!

When we finally get to Santa Fe we found some parking behind the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. (it’s not always easy finding parking for the big truck)

The church
The church is very pretty!

The church is downtown and wow! the whole area was beautiful. All the buildings were pueblo built. I think that is how you would say it….but any how, I loved it.DSC_0340DSC_0347

After all this walking we had to eat. Well we actually have to feed Micheal or he gets cranky. So we referred to our spreadsheet and found two places in Santa Fe. One, The Shed and the other, Bobcat Bites. We walk to The Shed and it is closed. So we go to Bobcat bites, which is now called Santa Fe Bites.

We picked you second, but don't take it personally.
We picked you second, but don’t take it personally.

I bet you can’t guess what we tried, you got it, the Green Chili Burger (chilies on the side)

Very cute place.
Very cute place.

It was a good thing the chilies were on the side, I can smell them through the photo they were so hot! Once again the food was yummy! Good job Uncle Steve!

On our way back to the truck we passed the Loretto Chapel. This chapel was built in 1872 for the nuns. During construction the architect suddenly died and the builders realized there was no stairway to the loft. During that period of time ladders were usually used but the nuns didn’t feel comfortable with this. So for nine days the nuns prayed that someone could help. On the tenth day a straggly stranger appeared and told them he could build a staircase but he would need total privacy to do. So for three months he locked himself into the chapel and with some primitive tools and non-native wood he built a spiral staircase. When the work was done he vanished without being payed, the nuns did not know his identity and to this day no one knows who he was. This staircase has come to be know as the miraculous staircase. I am telling you all this and we didn’t even go inside to see the staircase. I guess the pictures on the internet were sufficient for me.

You can get married here and have special events.
You can get married here and have special events.

That was our day in Santa Fe. It was great and I think I liked it better than the “Kirk”.

Now back in the “Kirk”,I kept reading about Old Town and you know if there is shopping involved I have to go check it out. Micheal and I loaded up and headed down Route 66.

Get your kicks...
Get your kicks…

We went over the Rio Grande…..

Rio Grande
Rio Grande

and realized it wasn’t so Grande. I think the Mississippi River has got our standards high! We came into Old Town and parked on the square.

Some statue of a guy that probably did something for the city.
Some statue of a guy that probably did something for the city.

There were a lot of shops with Indian stuff.

See!
See! I didn’t buy this.

We just walked around and went into some of the shops. Like this one…

IMG_4229

and all of a sudden I am surrounded………

Minnetonkas
Minnetonkas

now this is my kind of shopping. I did try on a couple but left with nothing. You know the camper life is supposed to be a simplified one, plus I all ready brought 15  pairs of shoes so I don’t know where I can put anymore. Here are some more pics of Old Town.

IMG_4236IMG_4235I hate to say I wasn’t impressed but this really isn’t my kind of shopping. Of course it is always fun to look.

The time has come to say goodbye to New Mexico. I really enjoyed the beauty of this land. It really did live up to my expectations and the food was yummy!

Sunsets are very pretty too!
Sunsets are very pretty too!

In the morning we head to…..Arizona. Yay!

 

West bound and down….

If you aren’t singing this title, something is wrong with you! Well it is day 5 in Little Rock, my toilet is working like a champ, Mike has the flu and it is raining…again! But it is time to move on, so we get the camper hooked up in the rain…boo…and we take off. I am ready to be out west so we decided to travel for 3 days and try to see what we can on the way. First stop is Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma, where the winds come swiftly across the interstate!
Oklahoma, where the winds come swiftly across the interstate!

I don’t have a lot of photos due to driving and Mike was sleeping. However, he did get a picture of the one thing we saw a lot of…..

Moo....
Moo….

We also got to see parts of Route 66. One of the attractions is Lucille’s Service Station. It was built in 1929 and was renamed in 1941 after the new owner, Lucille.

So stinking cute!
So stinking cute!

Oklahoma is VERY flat. I mean we almost thought we could see Canada at times…..Haha. We finally made it (safely) to our campground, Council Road RV Park. It was right off of I-40 and easy to get into so that worked for us. There was no unhooking tonight due to the rain, the flu, and we were leaving early the next morning.

It was good for one night.
It was good for one night.

It is Saturday morning, the rain is gone and I have had my coffee….It is time to head out. Look out Texas, here we come.

Howdy!
Howdy!

So, just to let some of y’all know, when you pull a camper and transfer trucks come by you (because I will only go about 65 mph) they will suck you in and spit you out. It is a feeling you get used to and you just hold on but when you are driving across flat states, there are winds that blow…gusty winds. As a matter of fact they have signs warning you of this. Which, is why they have these…windmills.

Mike loved seeing these windmills and we have about 50 pictures of them.
Mike loved seeing these windmills and we have about 50 pictures of them.

They start out very small and the longer you drive the bigger they get. I bet we looked at the same windmill for 100 miles! So you got your warning here! When driving through Texas, hold on!!! I had to peel my hands off the steering wheel a few times due to the wind gust! Anyways, our next stop was Amarillo. We had two places we wanted to see, Cadillac Ranch and The Big Texan. Mike was feeling a little better….Yay…so we got to our campground early to unhook and sightsee. We stayed at Oasis Rv Resort, which was right off I-40, easy to get in and out of. You see I don’t want to run over anybody in our big truck!

Nice big sign!
Nice big sign!
I guess we will call this RV ranch.
I guess we will call this RV ranch.

Guess what, this was a flat campground and really clean! We could have stayed a few days to explore, but I had to get to New Mexico.

Look at the flatness! You can see it for miles!
Look at the flatness! You can see it for miles!

We unhooked and headed to Cadillac Ranch. I don’t know what I was expecting but it it basically in the middle of a field and it’s free. You just pull your car, truck, or rv right off the road and bam….you are there. People were coming into the “park” with cans of spray paint.

Look, that one has my name on it!
Look, that one has my name on it!

We didn’t need to paint that day so we just decided to take our photo and get out of the blowing dirt.

Really, really, really windy!
Really, really, really windy!

After all this excitement we needed food. I had read about a restaurant that has a 72 oz steak. If you can eat the steak, a baked potato, a roll and shrimp appetizer in an hour, you get your meal for free. The record holder is a 120lb lady who ate 2 of these meals in 14 mins. WHAT!! If you are so inclined you can watch it on youtube. If you have watched the movie The Great Outdoors, Chet Ripley (John Candy) puts away the Ole 96’er and gets a free T-shirt.  So naturally I had to go check this place out. It was a fun! (I am easily entertained)

Wow!
Wow! 
The dining hall with the contest table and timers....so nobody cheats.
The dining hall with the contest table and timers….so nobody cheats.

Mike said that he would have tried to eat the 72 oz steak but it was to soon from being sick. (Remember, the camper is small)

Way to much meat!
Way to much meat!
My sweet boy! His eyes are closed because he is embarrassed to stand in front of the big bull. I thought it was because of the sun.
My sweet boy! His eyes are closed because he is embarrassed to stand in front of the big bull. I thought it was because of the sun.

So, I bet you are wondering what we ate? Well, Mike got a steak, I got steak sliders, and (drumroll) Micheal got chicken fingers. The plates all came with these..

Aren't the Texas flags cute?
Aren’t the Texas flags cute? I could eat another bowl of that Mac N’ Cheese right now!

We rolled ourselves out of that joint and went to sleep. We have one more travel day before we stop and hang out. Travel days are exciting and exhausting! But, the very next morning I was ready to go! Get up everybody, Momma’s got to get to Alburquerque, New Mexico!

You can't imagine my level of excitement!
You can’t imagine my level of excitement!

We had been looking at flat land for two days so I was anxious to see what awaited us. I was not disappointed.

Coming into Albuquerque.
Coming into Albuquerque.

I mean how amazing! Look at the difference between the two pictures. Then when we go through town, all the overpasses are decorated.

So Native American!
So Native American!

Alright, I am going to calm down now……We were staying on the west side of town at a campground called American Rv Park. It was a lovely park with some nice people and gorgeous weather! We had a really nice site!

Hey look, a tree!
Hey look, a tree!

When checking in the nice lady told us that they had a coyote problem but that had been fixed. Ok, good I guess. She also stated that there were bunnies that ran around the park too. Bunnies I can handle! Max, not so much!

Max was out of his mind! Bunnies, that he couldn't chase around. That's hard for a dog to understand.
Max was out of his mind! Bunnies, that he couldn’t chase around. That’s hard for a dog to understand.

It was nice to be parked for more than a night. We all slept really well and couldn’t wait to explore!

Look how excited he is!
Look how excited he is!

Up next….Albuquerque!

 

Trial Run

It’s usually a good idea to give something a try before you decide to do it. So we decided a trial run would be in order before we leave our home and co-exist in 34 ft of space. Where do we go? Well Pigeon Forge, TN is always a good idea because we can get apple fritters and get some shopping in at the outlets, of course it is winter and we are tired of being cold, so we decided on Destin, FL. Trying to be spontaneous we wait until we are headed south before making reservations. Probably not a good idea but we found a spot at Geronimo Rv Resort.IMG_3958 We have stayed here before and found it to be a very nice campground.  We needed WiFi due to work so we were given site #1 which is close to the office and it worked great.IMG_3959 The beach is 2 blocks down the road and the outlets are less then .5 mile away. (there is nothing like going to treat yourself after week 3 of homeschooling) 😉IMG_3957

We have a few restaurants that we like to visit when we come but we took the advice of an avid beach lover and went to Pompano Joe’s. We got the Mahi-Mahi Sandwich, Gulf Fried Shrimp, and Fried Chicken Fingers (of course). The food was amazing as is the view! We actually went back the next night and got two Mahi-Mahi Sandwiches to go. Yummy!!IMG_3933_2 We also visited Harry T’s one evening. We sat by the water and watched an amazing sunset. We ordered the Jerk Chicken Quesadilla, Shrimp Po Boy, and Fried Chicken Fingers (again…my child is a connoisseur of chicken fingers) You just can’t go wrong there!IMG_3903_2

On our last night we went to Fudpucker‘s.IMG_3938_2 The food was ok but we really just went to see the alligators. That’s where we got to see our first albino alligator named Pearl. They also have smaller alligators that you can feed and hold but we weren’t feeling very adventurousIMG_3950 that night.IMG_3940_2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, you can’t leave Destin without stopping at The Donut Hole. They have doughnuts (obviously), pies, cakes, coffee, and serve breakfast. I decided on a piece of Peanut Butter Pie with a cup of coffee and I was not disappointed!IMG_3955_2 So, I guess you are wondering if we survived living in a small space with working,homeschooling, and just everyday living?  We did!

It was a great week with my two boys! I know we will have some challenges along the way but I believe with God we can conquer anything!