October Roadtrips & Halloween

We continued our tour of New Mexico during October, one Saturday heading out to Acoma Pueblo, and another Saturday heading north from Albuquerque. Acoma Pueblo is also called "Sky City" because the pueblo is located on top of a 367-foot sandstone bluff. Since 1150 A.D., Acoma Pueblo has earned the reputation as the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America. They also have beautiful pottery (see the pot Michael gave me for our anniversary in a previous post). As you can see in the map below, the pueblo is southwest of Albuquerque.

Michael and Nathan walking around the visitor center, a gorgeous building, with a fantastic cafe (and the nicest bathrooms I have ever seen).

Up at the top of the bluff in the pueblo, looking across the valley.

Looking the other direction, you can see the San Esteban del Rey Mission, a Catholic mission, built in 1629. If you look at the larger version of the photo, you can see the lineup of porta potties (there are no utilities in the pueblo).

The ladders used to access the upper levels of the buildings.

Another shot of the ladders.

This past weekend, we woke up Saturday morning, and decided to see the aspen/cottonwood leaves changing colors in the mountain. Too bad they had already turned. But we had fun north of Albuquerque, stopping in Jemez Springs (B), showing Nathan where Daddy grew up in Los Alamos (C), touring the Taos Pueblo (D) and then dining in high style at Rancho de Chimayo (E).

Our stop in Jemez Spring was the Jemez State Monument, site of a pueblo built over 700 years ago, and a mission complex built by the Franciscans between 1621 and 1625.

Michael and Nathan checking out the inside of the church.

Nathan enjoying the trails around the ruins.

In Los Alamos, we had a nice breakfast burrito by Ashley Pond, then drove by the house Michael grew up in.

Next was Taos Pueblo, also considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in America. This is the former church on the pueblo and cemetery.

View of the San Geromino chapel, built to replace the one by the cemetery.

View of the North House and the mountains. The North House is 5-6 stories tall and over 1000 years old.

We stopped on the way home at Rancho de Chimayo, a beautiful ranch house built in the 1700s, now a tasty restaurant.

Nathan enjoyed the food, especially the flan!

The next day was Halloween, and Nathan Shark was ready to chomp chomp some candy!