Despite being so large, Albuquerque is surprisingly user friendly. The kids and I have spent a few days running errands there and everything was easy to find and easy to get to. The people have either been friendly or else I just haven't paid attention to any rude ones, lol!
Santa Rosa is beautiful-particularly around the swimming hole and the downtown area. We took the kids there to swim and fish last week. For the princely sum of two bucks per person, one can play on the waterslide and ride the paddle boats and those big floaty bicycle things all day. Swimming and fishing were free. Loved the old buildings in town as well. Had dinner at the Santa Fe Grill (I know, I know- in Santa Rosa)- very good and quite warm.
Here's a few pics from there:
Madrid was a pretty neat little town. Probably neater before Wild Hogs, but i'm sure they needed the revenue. Awesome buffalo burgers at the Mine Shaft Tavern. The wee coconut chocolate chip cookies at the Merchantile were fantastic, but I couldn't persuade the proprietor to share the recipe.
The high prices I saw weren't on the (quoting Greg here) artsy fartsy stuff- it was either the mass purchased stuff or some repurposed items (yes, I realize making dog beds by coiling old water hoses is clever, as is turning a pair of jeans into a skirt- but I refuse to pay over a hundred bucks for either one!).
Santa Fe..... well.... including our trip last year, i've been there three times and have left with a worsening taste in my mouth all three times. It's too busy, too congested, too confusing- I liken it to combining opening day at Dollywood and mid summer in Gatlinburg. Atlanta, I can handle. Albuquerque at rush hour, I can handle. Santa Fe, I cannot- so Greg gets to deal with it when we go back for the Rodeo De Santa Fe this weekend.
So I come back home where the most *traffic* I see is the horses playing tag in the field:
This is the road to my house, see what I mean?
I did take my birthday present out for a spin through the cattle field last night, though.
Moriarty seems to be a really nice little town. Everyone we've met has be very friendly, asking how we like the area and welcoming us to town. Even though we've been to and through Edgewood several times, we haven't really gotten to talk to anyone other than the employees at WalMart and Smiths.
One thing i've noticed, no matter the town... someone always asks WHY we moved here from TN. When I answer, they ask, with an almost guarded tone "What do you think of NM?" I wonder if there are so many discontented people out there or if they're surprised that we, coming from a verdant area, actually LIKE it here?
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