Visitors

This is the second Friday in a row I haven't had to work, although last weekend was anything but relaxing. DH's family was in town for a visit, so lots of fun and running around.

So what was on the agenda for our guests?

Friday involved a trip to the top of Sandia Mountain via the Tram. Quite an experience for out of town guests! The 20-degree temperature drop is also a surprise--here are our niece and her boyfriend freezing on the mountain top:

Afterwards we went to Old Town for a late lunch and some shopping.  DSIL especially enjoyed the San Felipe de Neri church on the Plaza, so much so that she, DBIL, our niece and her boyfriend returned the following afternoon for Mass.

After all that, we went out for drinks at Apothecary, one of DH's favorite spots in town for an adult beverage. Lovely views but unfortunately, the service was horrible. We waited for an hour and finally gave up. I hope they get their act together now that the weather is warm, but it will be some time before I'll want to go back.

Fortunately, we headed to Seasons after that. It's one of our favorite restaurants in town, and they did a great job of taking care of us. The hostess even sent free appetizers to our table. Love them!!

On Saturday, we travelled out to Acoma Pueblo since our guests were from out of the area (New Jersey and northern California) and were unfamiliar with the area's Native American culture. We took a tour of Sky City, which is the oldest continuously inhabited dwelling place in the U.S.  This picture is from Sky City looking toward the visitor center, so you can see it's located pretty high above the valley floor.  Can you imagine having to get up there on foot?

It's located on top of a mesa and its largest building is a Catholic mission church, San Esteban. The church is still used for services a few times a year.

The Acomas also continue to practice their native religion. These white ladders indicate the location of the kivas, which are used for their religious practices.

Yes, people still live up there! Our guide said a few families still live up there all year, but others maintain a home that they stay in during the summer and for feast days.

Back to Albuquerque and another dinner. This time we went to Jinja, which is close to our home and features a "pan-Asian" menu. I would recommend it--the food is good, so are the drinks, and the decor is fun. There are 3 locations, 2 in Albuquerque and 1 in Santa Fe.

Our guests flew back on Sunday, time to get ready for the upcoming work week and "real life". It was nice to be with our visitors and see things that we, as residents, often miss.