Our Rich and Many-layered World

This quote on enchantment showed up in my email...an apt description of 

how I have been feeling as we continue on our cross-country adventure.

Enchantment…has nothing to do with fantasy, or escapism, or magical thinking: it is founded on a vivid sense of belongingness to a rich and many-layered world; a profound and whole-hearted participation in the adventure of life.

SHARON BLACKIE

After exploring the wonders of Pecos National Historical Park, we drove further north (literally) to Santa Fe, the capital of New Mexico. At an elevation of almost 7000 feet, Santa Fe is the highest capital city (and oldest state capital) in the United States. Known as "The City Different," Santa Fe holds many secrets to be discovered. Luckily we had Silvia and Carlos, friends of our Miami family, to reveal all the riches the city has to offer.

Two Geminis - Silvia's birthday was on the day we met for breakfast and mine was the day after!

Wonderful breakfast at The Plaza Cafe, Santa Fe's oldest restaurant.

From 400+ years of cultural fusion to award-winning cuisine, tons of family-friendly adventures, more than 250 art galleries, 2o different museums, restorative spas and historic churches, we are already planning a return visit. Thank you, Silvia and Carlos, for welcoming us to your city!

After breakfast we were off again, traveling south to Albuquerque.

We stopped in Gallup, New Mexico for lunch and met Jeremiah and Jake from the Navajo Nation. At first we chatted about dogs after they admired Ruby. When I asked about the nearby Veterans' Memorial Pillars, Jake told us his grandfather served in WWII and Jeremiah said his father was also a veteran whose name was listed there. We thanked them for their families' service and they wished us well on our journey.

Gallup Veteran's Memorial Pillars

From New Mexico we crossed into Arizona and our final destination of the day - 

the Petrified Forest National Park.

At the North Entrance to the park.

Painted Desert

Painted Desert

Puerco Pueblo Petroglyphs

Puerco Pueblo Bird Petroglyph

Blue Mesa

Blue Mesa

Blue Mesa

Giant Logs

Giant Logs

Petrified wood can be colorful because it contains trace amounts of other
elements (iron, for example) which produce a variety of colors.

Jasper Forest

Pictured in front of "Old Faithful" the largest of the Giant Logs which measures
35 feet long, weighs approximately 44 tons and is almost 10 feet around at the base.