The Severed Cortex

For a mere $350.00 total, both Nancy and I can fly non-stop round trip to Albuquerque. Yes, I know that Albuquerque is not exactly the first travel destination people think of. We weren't exactly excited about the Albuquerque part either. We were thinking Santa Fe, Taos, and Mesa Verde National Park instead, but one cannot discount the fact that if you are traveling to Albuquerque you do learn to spell Albuquerque. So, I choose to add to my frequent flyer miles. The trick to Albuquerque is that you have to fly first thing in the morning on the way out there and late in the evening on the way back if you want a direct flight ... which we did. Besides, it really means you get more time on the vacation rather than wasting the day traveling.

We make our 8:00 am flight from Lambert, but in typical Southwest Airlines fashion (I've flown them four times in the last seven weeks), there is a snafu. First, even though I'm a member of their Rapid Rewards program and was told that by joining I would be able to check in online, this time they wouldn't let me. Damn no fly list bullshit. We do move past that with the little 'hey I'm obviously not a terrorist' song and dance, just like we always do, and we're actually sitting on the plane only a mere fifteen minutes behind schedule. Then, the inevitable.

"Your attention please. This is your captain from the flight deck. (as if we were expecting he might be the captain of the starboard wing). We've got a small mechanical issue that will require about thirty minutes to fix. We don't need it for this flight but we will need it for the next leg."

Well personally I don't care about the folks on the next flight; let them suffer the delay. Unfortunately, the friendly folks at Southwest choose to disregard my thoughts completely and then thirty minutes turns into an hour. A little more than an hour later we're finally taking off.

Albuquerque's Sunport is a very nice little airport dressed in the southwestern flair you would expect. Easy baggage claim, quick shuttle bus ride to the rental car facility, and thirty minutes after we land we're driving off in a brand new 2008 Nissan Maxima. I also opted to get the GPS which I predict will be money well spent. Now Nancy doesn't have to fool with the map and I don't have to get grumpy when she doesn't answer my map questions as quickly as I'd like. It's a win-win for everyone and only $8.50/day.

We take a ride over to Albuquerque's Old Town, but it's not much. We decide to check out Nob Hill and the University of New Mexico instead. First, we need something to eat and we settle on El Patio, a UNM student hangout. I have a fantastic pork adovada burrito smothered in red chile sauce and cheese and wash it down with an icy Negra Modelo. We ate outside and except for the bee that kept flying around Nancy's ice tea and the lime from my beer, the meal was fantastic. (whoever invented fruit in beer should be keel-hauled, burked, and drawn & quartered)
After lunch we stroll around the campus of UMN. It's a nice little campus that takes up about 8 square blocks or so. The football stadium and the basketball arena, the infamous 'Pit' for those that don't watch the NCAA basketball tournament, are located well off campus so the main part of the university consists of just the academic buildings that college is supposed to be about ... or so they tell me. Before leaving, we spend time browsing the bookstore where I buy the obligatory shirt and some Micron tech pens. What can I say, I like a good tech pen.

We decide to head to Santa Fe since Albuquerque offers little for us, but instead of the interstate we opt for the more scenic Turquoise Trail. We make a side trip off the trail to Sandia Crest, about 14 miles up the mountain, to get the view of Albuquerque from 10,700 feet. Immediately you realize two things:

1. It's a reasonable 55 degrees (20 degrees cooler than Albuquerque)
2. The air is thinner than flatlanders like us are used to

We had a little trouble adjusting. Walking up the fifty feet or so from the parking lot to the viewing area I get light headed and think I'm going to pass out. I don't. I had a similar experience at Alta in Salt Lake City, but after ten minutes or so I adjusted. We take some pics and head back down the hill. The Maxima shifts better downhill than uphill, a strike against the new model if you ask me.
Back on the Turquoise Trail headed to Santa Fe, we pass through the former ghost town of Madrid. Madrid is now an artsy/crafty little town of off-beat galleries and shops and while interesting, it's not really up to par with the galleries we expect to find in Santa Fe and Taos. Madrid's main claim to fame right now is a backdrop for the movie Wild Hogs. Nancy does find a nice jacket that she purchases.

The GPS directs us to the Eldorado Hotel just off the plaza in Santa Fe. The service is impeccable and the room, while small, is well appointed. Flat Screen TV, iHome alarm clock/iPod player, high thread count sheets on a pillow top mattress, southwestern furniture and decor, robes, and the other usual stuff you find when you spend this kind of coin on a hotel. I don't like to chintz out on vacation and this definitely is not chintz-ing out. We take a little time to compose ourselves before heading downstairs for a drink. Nancy has a top shelf Margarita while as normal I go for Bookers straight. We become less parched and decide to stroll the plaza area looking for food. There are tons of high end shops that we'll want to browse through tomorrow and after looking at windows and menus, we decide on the Blue Corn Cafe & Brewery. I have a bowl of roasted corn soup and blue corn chicken tacos with a very tasty and hoppy IPA. Nancy has a less than mediocre margarita and a vegetarian fry bread enchilada. Very tasty. We stroll through a bookstore, one of the few shops open at this time of night, then head back to the hotel to crash. The early rise, the travel, and full stomachs force us to sleep at an unreasonable 9:30 pm (10:30 back home). I was so tired I couldn't even begin to read.