Albuquerque, New Mexico: My day started with a chore: a few days ago we found the remains of broken drinking glass in the bottom of our dishwasher (Fisher-Paykel Single Dish Drawer). It was one of the French (Luminarc) glasses we keep in the bus as they are so sturdy. However, when this (10 year old?) drinking glass broke, it shattered into zillions of chipped-ice-type shards. I can’t describe it except to say it looked like broken auto glass? Well over a cup of crystal-clear chunks.
When we discovered the broken glass, we took the dishwasher racks, spinner bar, and bottom tray out and removed all the crunched glass. Or, so we thought. The past few days, the dishwasher worked fine, but last night it was screaming instead of the usual silent whooshing we usually barely hear. While DT rode his bike this morning, I spent a full HOUR dissecting the components of the dish drawer, and found about ten shards (guessing 5-8 carat sized diamonds) that had eluded the previous search! All well now (until more invisible chunks find their way into the mechanism?).
Then our day continued with a drive through Albuquerque along Historic Route 66. Not gonna lie, we had no kicks on Route 66 today. There have been many changes to downtown Albuquerque since our last visit, none of them good. I am going to blame the pandemic for block after block of closed/boarded-up buildings? So disappointing.
Our stop at the Frontier Restaurant, across from the University of New Mexico, did not disappoint. The place is still packed, still not the tidiest joint in town, but it has provided cheap delicious eats to students, locals, and tourists since 1971.
The place is massive - covering a full half-block. Notice the customers lined-up to the right? You line-up, order at one of the ten or so windows, pay, and receive a receipt with an order number. Go find a seat, and when your number flashes up on the display screen, you go fetch your meal. Less than five minutes after we ordered, our number popped-up on the screen. Somehow, there are always tables available.
DT had the breakfast burrito (as did many people sitting around us). It was $6, and bigger than his head. I ordered the same thing as our last visit: the New Mexico plate. One hard shell beef taco, one chicken enchilada (Christmas-style), rice, beans, and THREE tortillas.
I did finish the taco, as once I picked it up, knew it would fall apart if I tried to set it down. The green half of the enchilada was especially wonderful. $11.
Strange thing about the Frontier today? It’s game day at UNM. The Lobos face UTEP on campus. No one in game-day gear. No one. (Something tells me we are not in Eugene.) Kinda odd, no?
After our drive and breakfast, we changed our footwear and stopped to Petroglyph National Monument, just a few miles from our campground. Our “old guys” national parks pass allows us free entry, but no was staffing the kiosks and the box for trail maps was empty. We only spent an hour or two climbing around the trails, but saw so many petroglyphs!
Ancestors of the modern Pueblo people used stone tools to etch designs into the black coating on the basalt rocks (like above) in the outcroppings west of the Rio Grande River between 400-700 years ago. It is believed the natives did not live in this area, but traveled here for some reason? There are several trails, with dead-end points where the hundreds of etchings can be viewed. We took many photos, and I will post some here. One sign said it is “culturally insensitive” to decipher the meaning of the petroglyphs, but just sayin’:
Very sad that many of the rocks have been desecrated by vandals… unless an early native was named Bernie. Seriously? Who raises these idiots?
After traipsing around the rocks, we rushed back to our camper to watch the #25 Ducks v #12 BYU at Autzen Stadium on television. Just saying… the rankings will be different next week. The Ducks won 41-20. Was the duck-ish petroglyph we saw today an omen? (Did not see a Cougar petroglyph.) I kinda watched the battle with DT, and provided half-time snacks:
I fail at many things in the kitchen, but I consistently prepare a most excellent guacamole. Will post a recipe, if I ever measure anything. Our “dinner” tonight was another game-day tailgate staple: Buffalo Chicken Wings… except we could not find wings, so opted for chicken tenders. It is what it is.
We changed Dave’s dressing again today. Day 6. The swelling is nearly gone. No sign of infection. Still uglier than ugly. Still looks he was bitten by a shark (in Colorado). Still the size of my palm.
Catching up on laundry and household tasks tonight, as we hit the highway (I-40) east in the morning. Where we will go, who knows? Until my next update, I remain, your GO DUCKS correspondent.