New Mexico

This is a long post, but the only one I'm doing on this trip.

I had this really great idea about a super cool blog post where I showed you a map of where we went each day. It was a pretty cool road trip and we visited as many places as we could handle. But I couldn't figure it out.

Besides the map thing not working out so well, I realized I didn't take too many photos. Not sure how that happened. I'll blame it on being pregnant and grumpy.

Day 1: Salt Lake City, UT to Cortez, CO

It was kind of a stopping point, but also, Mesa Verde is close by and we thought we might have time for it. Turns out we didn't have the time or the energy to make it there. It's close enough that we'll do a trip out there another time. That whole area is gorgeous.

Day 2: Cortez, CO to Roswell, NM

This was a really long drive. So it was a good thing we didn't go to Mesa Verde in the morning. We did stop in Santa Fe on the way, but we didn't stay long and didn't see too much.

Day 3: Visit Carlsbad Caverns

This is the reason we stayed in Roswell. It's only about an hour from the caverns and we figured that as long as we were in New Mexico, we ought to go see them. After we got through the 2 hour trip of going through the main caves, Charlie told me, "that was the worst day of my life."

The kids thought this cactus was super cool.

That evening we ate at the McDonald's shaped like a space ship (in Roswell) and the boys were in heaven. If the kids thought we were horrible parents for taking them through the caves, they certainly changed their minds after McDonald's. They were thanking us right and left for taking them there. After that we went swimming at our hotel pool and they loved us even more.

Day 4: Roswell, NM to Albuquerque, NM

Dan thought it necessary to go to the International UFO Museum and Research Center while we were in Roswell. I am a wonderful wife, so I agreed to go. I'm sure you can guess how awesome it was. We bought the kids some little alien toys from the gift shop and they were asking when we could go back to Roswell.

Yes! It was real! No - it was from a movie set.

Dan is standing in front of a feature about an alien abduction. This painting was an artist's rendering of the abductee's description. (Abductees are above Dan's head to the left). Yes - Dan had a mustache for the first part of the trip (until the family photos). The longer it got, the more horrible.

Days 5 and 6: Albuquerque

We stayed for 2 days in Albuquerque for a family reunion. I maybe took 1 photo (okay a few more than 1). It was a great reunion with lots of cousins, food, swimming, and laughing.

That's right - we don't take photos of family members, but of weird signs.

Actually - here is the fam - all doing crossfit together. I think they did it every day we were there.

It's a good fit when the mask fits over your mouth.

Day 7: Albuquerque, NM to Moab, UT

We thought that on the way home we'd stay a night in Moab. We took the kids there last spring and they loved it. So we pulled into our hotel around 10 pm and they had sold our room to someone else! It turned out that every hotel in Moab was sold out and so we had to drive 4 more hours home. Not fun. And the kids were really bummed.