The Explore All 50 States Project
Let's Go!
The Rattlesnake Museum is a kooky museum that is a must see just for the sheer weirdness of it. Inside, there were lots of different snakes and various other reptile that the kids and I found fascinating. There were snakes of every color in lots of glass cases along with skinks,horny toads and a plethora other reptilian critters. The kids and I were fascinated looking at some real rattlers and were mesmerized … [Read more...]
If you’re hungry, check out the Route 66 Diner. This place was fun and super tasty, especially after a hot couple of hours with 5 kids driving us nuts. Running around all morning in the New Mexico desert heat and dealing with a couple of temper tantrums left me with a massive migraine headache. Normally I am a super healthy eater and I make sure my kids make good choices but sometimes you need to cut loose. … [Read more...]
The Turquoise Museum sits in a little mini mall located in a storefront but don't be fooled this is a fantastic stop to learn all about this gemstone that has played such a huge part in Southwestern design and culture. We walked through a simulated turquoise mine shaft and then into the rest of the museum where our first stop was a room with displays of some really big and unusual turquoise stones. The museum … [Read more...]
El Santuario De Chimayo church is legendary, as it is claimed to be built on land with dirt that contains healing powers. The story has it that a man found a cross in his field and brought it to the town’s church, where he naturally thought it should go. However, the next day, the cross had mysteriously returned to his field. He brought it to the church again, only to find it back on his land once more. After 3 … [Read more...]
Chimayo is quite famous for it’s weaving and there are quite a few shops that specialize in Navajo carpets and blankets located here. The first shop we wandered into had about 4 small looms but no one was working on them so we proceeded onto the next one. We were really lucky to happen upon Chimayo Weavers, and shop owned by Irvin Trujillo who could not have been nicer when we explained that we were on a road … [Read more...]
Out in the middle of the desert that seems flat for as far as your eye can see, stands this huge rock peak that appears to spring out of nowhere named Shipwreck Rock. It is mysterious and hauntingly beautiful and the iconic symbol of the New Mexican desert. We pulled over onto the side of the rode and snapped some pictures. And then my nine-year-old daughter informed us she had to pee. There was nothing … [Read more...]
Wow, I am not sure there are even words to describe Tinkertown, except VISUAL OVERLOAD. While this place has nothing to do with Tinker Toys, the website describes it as a folk art environment…I think that’s a pretty accurate description. It took Ross Ward over 40 years to collect, carve and construct all that you see—miniature scenes, whimsical displays, and eccentric collections of Americana that pack every … [Read more...]
If you are traveling with kids and they need to blow off some steam in an air-conditioned environment then you won't find a better place than the Children's Museum of Santa Fe. On a hot summer day this place was a godsend. The kids got to run around in a self contained environment with tons of stuff to keep them busy and the moms got to catch a break, have some adult conversation, answer emails and just … [Read more...]
Around the corner from the oldest house is The Loretto Chapel, another quick thing to check out. As legend has it, the Loretto church needed a new staircase when it just so happened a traveling carpenter came to town. He built the staircase, which goes against all the rules of engineering and stands miraculously without any support from a center post. No one knows how it was done or the identity of the mysterious … [Read more...]
Apparently there is some discrepancy as to whether or not this really is the oldest house in the USA, but that’s what the sign said. Here’s what we found out: The house was originally constructed as a part of the Pueblo de Analco—a Pueblo Indian community that existed in what is now Santa Fe, New Mexico. While the exact date of construction is unknown, it was probably constructed some time in the Thirteenth … [Read more...]
