We started our day by taking the aerial tramway up to Sandia Peak, where we took in the breathtaking views and lobbed snowballs at each other. Afterwards, we went into Santa Fe where we strolled through the Plaza. We bought jewelry and moccasins for Maddie, a book and a cowboy hat for me (to wear while I read all the westerns I bought in Flagstaff), and some jewelry for Valerie. We returned to Albuquerque just in time for a wonderful dinner with my friends authors Aimee & David Thurlo, followed by dessert at their house in Corrales, where they plied us with fantastic sugar cookies (from a hundred year old recipe) and introduced Maddie to their horse, their dogs, and their pet rats. David says the rats actually gnaw affectionately on his fingers while he writes (he called it grooming…I still call it gnawing). To me, rats chewing on my fingers while I write is a nightmare come true, but he likes it. Hey, every author has their own unique way of motivating themselves. I’m sure there are some authors who use leeches. Tomorrow, we plan on bumming around Albuquerque and visiting Page One books. On Wednesday, we head back westward to Sedona, AZ and lunch with author Richard S. Prather, one of my childhood idols.
The tram is fun, I took Jordan on it when he came with me on a business trip to ABQ (I used to go there 1 week every month). Have you been inundated with the “do you like green chile” question? 🙂 I am glad that you guys are having fun over there… ABQ never grew on me, but I did like the view from the top of the tram.
ABQ hasn’t grown on me, either…but it’s a pleasant enough city. The opportunity to browse the aisles at Page One Bookstore is a great reason to visit…in much the same way Powells gives Portland Oregon an excuse to remain on the map.
Lunch with Richard S. Prather? Now I’m REALLY impressed.
Hey, there is more reasons than just Powells for Portland to exists… then again, maybe not. But I live there so I am supposed to defend it I suppose 🙂