Arriving at Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park (LYJO)

We arrived at LYJO on Friday morning and were shown to the LBJ Ranch VIP campground, where we had our choice of three sites. What a nice setting, with mature trees and not much around except deer and cows. There is even a separate building with a washer and dryer and a refrigerator for our use. Those are very nice perks! Now, if we only had a shower, we’d really be set!

LYJO - Our Home for the Next Two Months

Our Volunteer RV Site at the LBJ Ranch

Since the RV was still winterized, we had way more to do to set up than usual. We had a few challenges, but eventually everything worked out. We decided to finish the rest of the chores tomorrow. I’m glad we have three days off before we must report to work on January 3.

Tim and I were very proud of ourselves with all that we accomplished on New Year’s Eve. We finished all the chores around the RV, Tim repaired a few things and installed the tool bag, I went back to Walmart for groceries and supplies, and I cleaned the shed with the washer and dryer. It was a productive day.

I never stay up until midnight on New Year’s Eve, but I made an exception this year. At the stroke of midnight, Tim and I made a valiant effort to eat 12 grapes each, a Cuban good luck tradition. The grapes were huge, so we didn’t quite make it, but I think we should still reap a bit of good luck anyway. I had purchased a pair of yellow underwear at Walmart, and I wore those for prosperity. We have the rest of our good luck foods for tomorrow’s dinner.

Welcome to Texas

It was windy morning when we left Albuquerque on Tuesday, headed east and then southeast towards Texas. We also encountered a bit of blowing snow as we crossed the east slope of the Sandia Mountains, but the drive was mostly uneventful.

We crossed the state line into Texas and were surprised by the amount of cotton that had been planted there. We lost an hour as we crossed into the Central Time Zone, but we still made it to Lubbock by 5:00 pm.

Welcome to Texas

Wednesday was another windy day as we made our way southeast through Texas. We continued to see lots of fields of cotton that had recently been baled. Another surprising sight – lots of wind turbines. Cotton and wind turbines – both were totally unexpected. Another thing I noticed was the number of historical markers. We didn’t stop at any, but there must have been at least several dozen.

We finally arrived in Fredericksburg and were completely surprised by the number of tourists in town. We’ll probably wait to walk the streets until sometime next year when most of these folks have gone home. The weather was another surprise – record high temperatures – 80˚.

It was a long drive from Colorado, but we made it just fine.

Dashed Plans in Albuquerque

I’ve hit a few things on my bucket list so far on this trip – Christmas in Santa Fe and a night at La Fonda. My intention was to knock one more off the list before leaving Albuquerque.

I have always wanted to ride in a hot air balloon. I’ve tried at least three or four times in various states, and all rides have been cancelled. Before leaving Colorado, I had booked a ride with Rainbow Ryders for Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, while Tim and I were riding around town on Saturday, we received a call cancelling the trip because of weather. Not to worry – we rescheduled the ride for Monday afternoon.

Lou picked us up for breakfast on Monday, and we got to visit with him again. Ruth had flown to Las Vegas the previous afternoon to spend time with her siblings and their families. During breakfast, I received a phone call cancelling our rescheduled balloon ride. Drat! Add these cancellations to the rest! I don’t know if I’ll ever get up in the air!

Our hope to visit the Albuquerque Art and History Museum was also dashed when we found out it is closed on Mondays. Oh well. We did venture out and checked out Sawmill Market, a wonderful collection of small, local eateries.

Luckily, I was successful in one of the things I tried to do while we were in town. I had been able to visit Petroglyph National Monument while Tim stayed home to watch football on Sunday. I got my passport stamp and hiked one of the trails, searching on the rocks for petroglyphs. The wind was brutal, but I still had a great time.

Petroglyph National Monument - Rinconada Canyon

Although we didn’t get to do everything we wanted to do, our time in Albuquerque was a good one. We got to spend time with Ruth and Lou, we got to eat lots of New Mexican food, and I was able to visit a national park unit. We also had time to rest and take it easy after a rather hectic time trying to get the condo and RV ready to go.

We had picked up the RV earlier in the day and had moved it to the hotel parking lot, so we would be ready to head out in the morning.

Christmas in Albuquerque

The drive to Albuquerque from Santa Fe was a short one, and we arrived at Ruth and Lou’s house. We had a quick visit before leaving to check into our hotel. Their dogs seemed to be glad to see us as well, and it’s always fun to see how much they are loved. We left the RV at their house and headed to the hotel.

When we checked into the Hotel Albuquerque, we were upgraded to a junior suite. That was a nice treat, especially since we were there for five nights.

Ruth and Lou love to go out for breakfast, so we joined them on several mornings. The four of us got together for dinner on Christmas Eve. We went to Trombino’s for a wonderful Italian meal. I had the shrimp scampi, and Tim had the lasagna, with enough leftovers for dinner the next night! 

Christmas day was quiet, and Tim and I went next door for a fabulous brunch at Level 5 at Chaco Hotel. My “New Mexico Lavender and Honey Ricotta Filled Crepes with Mixed Berries and Lemon Curd” was fabulous, and Tim also enjoyed his steel cut oats.

After brunch, Tim drove me through some of his favorite areas in Albuquerque. We checked out the Balloon Fiesta Park, and I got to see the house where Tim lived during his time in Albuquerque. 

Ruth and Lou picked us up for brunch on Sunday, and we had another great visit. They are such wonderful and giving people and take care of so many friends and relatives.

In the evening, we walked over to Old Town Albuquerque and admired the Christmas lights around the plaza.

Old Town Albuquerque

Old Town Plaza

San Felipe de Neri Church on the Plaza

Colorful Christmas Lights

On the Road to Santa Fe

Tim and I managed to get the house ready to go, we packed the RV, and we were ready to head south.

We planned to break up our drive to Albuquerque with an overnight in Trinidad, Colorado. The drive was mostly uneventful, although it was quite windy. When we arrived at La Quinta, the front desk staff gave us the keys to two rooms. I had only booked one room. We all joked that I had decided to put Tim in his own room, but I relented and let him share mine. We had a lot of fun with that.

I had always wanted to visit Santa Fe at Christmas, and I had always wanted to stay at La Fonda, one of the original Harvey Houses established by the Fred Harvey Company in 1922. On this visit, I was able to check both wishes off my list.

The weather was beautiful when we arrived in Santa Fe. We first went to the New Mexico State Capitol since I am trying to visit as many capitols as possible. New Mexico’s was beautiful and totally different from any other. It is the only round state capitol in the United States and was designed to resemble the Zia sun symbol when viewed from above.

New Mexico State Capitol

New Mexico State Capitol

We asked if we could park the RV in the visitor lot overnight to avoid paying the $50 fee at the lot near the hotel. The staff members were so helpful and graciously said that would be just fine.

We checked into La Fonda, and I enjoyed exploring the historic hotel. We ventured out to walk around the plaza area and admired the Christmas decorations. A New Mexico tradition is to line the adobe walls of the century-old buildings with thousands of farolitos. What a beautiful sight!

La Fonda

Who Is that Masked Man? - Tim and the La Fonda Gingerbread House

Palace of the Governors

Saint Francis Cathedral

We had dinner at the Plaza Café overlooking the plaza and enjoyed the colorful lights as it got dark. Santa Fe at Christmas was as lovely and magical as I had expected.

Santa Fe Plaza

Santa Fe Plaza

On our way out of town, we stopped to see the Santa Fe Railyard and then visited with the conservator who will be guiding the project at LYDO. Jeanne just happens to live in Santa Fe and invited us to see her while we were in town. We had a great visit, and I know we will enjoy working with her.

Santa Fe Railyard

New Mexico Rail Runners at the Santa Fe Railyard

Evolving Plans for Christmas (And the New Year)

Way back in October, Tim and I debated what we might like to do for Christmas. Tim suggested that we spend several days in Albuquerque, and that sounded like a great idea to me. We booked five nights at the Hotel Albuquerque and looked forward to spending time with friends Ruth and Lou.

Several days after making that decision, I learned that Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park (LYJO) was advertising for an intern to work with the museum collection. The park is getting ready to rehabilitate the Texas White House, and all items must be removed from the house, evaluated, cleaned, and stored.

I fired off an email to the museum curator, asking if she might be interested in two volunteers who could help with the project. Nancy responded the next day and was thrilled with our offer. We talked with her, confirmed that an RV site was available, and made arrangements to come to LYJO after our time in Albuquerque.

Our plan was to drive the RV and the Subaru to Albuquerque and then on to Texas. I had hoped to do a day trip to Santa Fe while we were in Albuquerque, but at the last minute, we decided to leave a day early and spend one night in Santa Fe on the way.

Tim and I had started December with major dental work. Tim had five crowns, and I had one. He kept singing, “All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth,” and he got them! I also got the ok for a crown on my new implant, but there wasn’t time for that one before leaving for Christmas.

We decided not to decorate for Christmas since we were leaving on December 21, figuring we could enjoy decorations New Mexico style.

A Gorgeous December Sunset from Our Balcony

Just Gorgeous!