When I say “old,” I mean old.  They just celebrated FOUR HUNDRED YEARS, and I’m just mesmerized.  Yes…400 years.  Amazing!

A sign at The Royal Palace, aka The Palace of the Governors. No, we didn't stay here. We stayed at their Inn.

Luckily, Claire likes Santa Fe as much as we do, and she wanted to know if it would be possible to move our house down there and attach it to the hotel. Soon-to-be Kindergarteners have an interesting perspective on how things should work.

I mean, if we moved the house there, we wouldn’t need to be next to the hotel, right? She reminded us that we don’t have a pool. Duh.

This year, we tried out a new lodging place. In years past, we’ve stayed at Garrett’s Desert Inn. It’s two blocks from the famed Plaza and not a million dollars. Well, the last time we stayed there, it was really showing the wear and tear, and this time, we opted for something that was a just as close to the Plaza, and in a little better shape. It wasn’t right ON the Plaza, so it wasn’t a million dollars a night.

This year’s choice was The Inn of the Governors. We loved it!   (No, this isn’t a paid review…it’s not even a formal one!)  If you ever stay in Santa Fe, one thing to figure into the price of your room is parking. Parking in Santa Fe near the Plaza is at a premium. The spaces are tiny and expensive. The Inn of the Governors worked the price of parking into their daily rate, threw in a complete hot breakfast buffet AND a $25 daily credit at the restaurant on site.

We thought for sure that meant the food would be 1) expensive or 2) mediocre. It was neither of those two things!! It was fantastic food and VERY reasonably priced! Sweet!

Parking, pool, breakfast, daily credit, AND it’s two blocks from the Plaza? Perfect!

Now, the parking spots at the Inn of the Governors were TINY. We folded the mirrors in on my car, even thought it’s not a huge car! I acted as a spotter when we parked and departed, and it worked. This being said, parking anywhere downtown is going to be a challenge.

The pool was great. It was heated and lovely. The hotel provides cookies, tea, and sherry (for free) at 4pm every day, so it was nice to take advantage of that while relaxing at the pool!

The room we had was furnished with two beds and included a Kiva Fireplace.

No, we didn’t need to fire that up, but the firewood is provided for those nights when you’d want to.

We really wanted a balcony, but opted not to spring for the cost of that. Maybe next time? Maybe not.

We loved being so close to the Plaza, and an evening stroll was just what we needed to unwind from our adventures of the day.

Whirlygig at dusk

Whirlygigs near the Plaza

Stay tuned for more about those adventures!

In the meantime, here is the newest addition to our carving collection:

Colorado Dragonfly: She's TINY, as you can see by the quarter in the photo.

This is a Hitchhiker I carved and we released at a Hitchhiker Hostel (yes, such a thing exists!) in New Mexico!

Here is Colorado Dragonfly’s official AtasQuest listing.

Yesterday’s post has a quick list of the trip installments up to this point, and we last left off in Flagstaff where my husband was recuperating from a bought of food poisoning.

When I was planning the trip, I created a Travel Folder. In it were maps and ideas for each leg of the trip. I used plastic page protectors, and they were wonderful for organizing the information we needed for the trip and for maps and other things we gathered along the way. Everything was in one place, and I kept the Travel Folder easily accessible from the front seat of the car.

Originally, we wanted to explore Flagstaff and the surrounding area on foot. We love hiking and couldn’t wait to get out there. I have a high school friend who lives in Flagstaff now, and he was able to point me in the direction of some good hiking trails. It was nice to get the advice of a local.

But, knowing that this was near the end of our trip, and always wanting to have a Plan B, I also printed out some good scenic tours to do via car. I mean, what if Claire had had enough by the time we got to Flagstaff? What if the weather turned on us? It didn’t even occur to me that one of the adults would get sick, but that’s what had happened, and we just made a slight adjustment and did most of our exploring via car, with little hikes here and there.

We decided to use some of our time and head down to Sedona to check it out.

Momma & Claire with the pink javelinas

Claire actually said, "Take a picture of this chair for your blog!" So, we did!

That early evening, while exploring more of Flagstaff, we found a playground and had a much needed break.

Swinging our cares away!

Our slightly altered agenda worked out perfectly!

The next morning, we headed to Santa Fe. We stayed where we’ve stayed in the past. It’s not the fanciest hotel, but it’s literally two blocks from The Plaza and it’s not a million dollars a night.

We got checked into the hotel and decided to unwind before heading out for our explorations. Of course, little did I know that excitement was closer than I thought! I laugh to myself just thinking about it. And, the outcome could have been much more traumatic than it was.

I was out in the main area of our hotel room getting some things situated, and Daddy and Claire were in the bathroom. All of a sudden, I hear a splash and then hysterical laughter.

Yes, she’d fallen in!

She’s been potty trained for over a year, but every toilet we’ve used on the trip was different. She’s rather insistent on doing things herself. Normally, this is fine. Apparently, she’d scootched right up and slipped right in. Luckily, Daddy had handled her rescue in a way that made the whole thing funny and we couldn’t stop laughing. Luckily, she fell in at the beginning of the bathroom visit and not the end! Ewwwww!

Any day you don’t fall in the toilet is a good day, but even this couldn’t damper the fun we had in Santa Fe.

We strolled around The Plaza, taking in the sights. It was nice to have a leisurely evening after a day of driving. We had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Santa Fe, and we were excited to see that it was still alive and kickin’.

Our stay in Santa Fe was bittersweet. We knew it was the last stop before heading home. We were exhausted from being on the go for the last 12-days, but we were sad to say goodbye to our vacation.

The next day, we were up and on the road, headed northbound. Every mile we drove put us farther and farther from our vacation but closer to our own beds. The memories we made on that trip are not soon to be forgotten.

“Remember that one time…” will be the only phrase that is needed to bring it all alive again.

We all loved the pool. It was an outdoor pool, the perfect size and not crowded at all. It was also heated, which you would think wouldn’t be a big deal in Santa Fe, but that was a very nice feature. Some evenings, the breeze was just cool enough to give you a chill if the pool wouldn’t have been heated. I had a personal agenda to take Claire swimming as much as possible, and we did just that. The only day that Claire and I didn’t swim was the morning we left, but we’d swam the night before and had all slept in rather than go to the pool, so I was satisfied. Second Mission accomplished.

Claire loves swimming, and after she got used to the pool floaty toys that Linda brought with us, she had a great time. In fact, she relaxed so much one day that she took a nap! In the floaty toy! In the pool! I was right by her the whole time, and kept her gently rocking so that she could nap un-interrupted. Her toes were little prunes when we were done, but she’d had a 45-minute nap. That’s short by nap standards, but any nap while on vacation is a good nap. Third Mission accomplished.

Speaking of things sleep-related, luckily, she slept every night at the hotel! Just like on our trip to the Midwestern Trifecta, once she snuggled with us for a few minutes, she fell fast asleep and I transferred her to the pack-n-play, where she slept all night long. Fourth Mission accomplished.

And also like the trip to the Midwest, I’d consciously decided to have a good time. I knew that wouldn’t be difficult task in Santa Fe, and with such good friends, but any trip can be stressful if you let it. Other than a few bumps of turbulence, it was a smooth sailing trip. I’m really glad those unexpected things didn’t ruin the trip, and I think with a different attitude they may have. All the kids really were very well-behaved and played well together. It’s like they became built-in pseudo-siblings, but without all the fighting. All the adults had a great time, as well. We can look back at this trip to Santa Fe with fond memories and a longing to go back. Fifth Mission accomplished.

I had also promised myself to relax on this trip, and leave reality behind us for a few days. As we were walking through the lobby of the hotel, I spotted a computer, complete with an internet connection. “Look!” I said to my hubby. “I could check my email!”

“Resist,” he said calmly. And, I did. Another mission accomplished.

We walked the two blocks to The Plaza, and explored our options. Santa Fe is known for being the home of excellent southwestern cuisine, so we knew we’d find something good. We arrived at the top-rated burrito place we’d considered, only to discover that it was only open for breakfast. With the aid of modern technology (i.e. an Internet search via Chris’ cell phone), we remembered the Coyote Café & Cantina.

My hubby and I remembered hearing such good things about this place during our other visits to Santa Fe, but we’d never had a chance to see for ourselves. We found the restaurant and perused the menu in the lighted case on the outside of the building. The most expensive meal was around $13…perfect! We were still dressed in our Bandelier exploration clothes, and we had a toddler and stroller with us, not exactly your fancy dining attire.

Inside the door, we ascended the winding staircase. The pretty hostess asked if we wanted seating in the café or the cantina. Thinking the cantina was the bar and the café was the restaurant, we answered in unison, “Café.”

She told us to follow her, and she led us back behind the wall that was dividing the hostess desk from the rest of the dining room. All of a sudden, we found ourselves in a dimly lit, very expensive looking restaurant. Everyone there looked like they belonged there as they chatted quietly in the candlelight, and I wouldn’t have been surprised to see a man on bended knee proposing to the love of his life.

“Uh, this doesn’t look quite right,” I thought to myself, suddenly feeling very underdressed. I silently willed Claire to behave in this restaurant.

The hostess showed us to our table. The four of us got settled and I picked up the bound menu that was sitting on the plate. “Ummm…$42 rabbit tenderloin medallions??” I gasped. “This doesn’t look like the menu from the front!” The guys agreed, and we realized we’d made a very embarrassing mistake. I mean, all of us enjoy an expensive meal at a fancy restaurant now and then, but this wasn’t one of those times. Chris jumped up from the table and said, “I’ll go check out the Cantina. Maybe it isn’t just a bar after all.”

When he got back to the table, he confirmed our suspicions. The Cantina was a rooftop bar and restaurant. It appeared to be a more casual environment than the Café. Whew. Just at that moment, the waitress arrived. “So, can I get you folks anything to drink?” she asked. We all looked at her and before we could even open our mouths, she said, “Let me guess. You’re looking for the Cantina.”

Yep, that would be correct. What was the first clue? She was very helpful and said she’d go check on seating availability. When she came back, she said the wait would be 25 to 30 minutes and we were welcome to wait at this table until then. We thanked her, and she left to go put our names in with the hostess.

As soon as she left the table, I became ultra-paranoid that Claire would not be able to last half-an-hour without eating. I didn’t want to get out the Cheerios if we weren’t going to be staying at this table. And, I didn’t want to spend more on an appetizer here than what we would be spending on an entrée there. I told the guys my fears, and we decided to just find another restaurant. We got up from the table and found our waitress. I thanked her for her time, pointed to Claire, and said, “I really don’t think we have 30 minutes. We’re sorry.” She said, “Well, let me see what I can do.” She checked on the rooftop and came back to where we were on the landing, a balcony area just outside the hostess table and at the base of the steps. “Can you do 15-minutes? I think they can be ready for you in 15-minutes.” I told her we’d try, and if we had to leave, we’d let them know.

As we were waiting, I was holding Claire close. We were looking over the city from the balcony and just enjoying the cool night air. Just then, a woman with long black hair and delicate turquoise jewelry came up behind me. She touched me on the shoulder and said, “I just have to tell you…your daughter is beautiful. She’s just…wow. She’s so beautiful. I saw you two standing here and just thought I’d say something.” I was speechless, but I managed to thank her as she turned to leave. After what had happened in the restaurant that morning, I needed to hear just that.

A few moments later, they called our name, and we went to our table at the Coyote Rooftop Cantina. It was perfect. Claire was calm and relaxed throughout the entire meal, and the food was unbelievably delicious. In fact, I’m still dreaming about the chipotle shrimp and avocado quesadilla I had. Remembering the woman’s comments make me smile, and I’m glad we’d swallowed our pride, left the Café and stayed to check out the Cantina. That night, we were Cantina kind of people, and it was the perfect place for a beautiful Santa Fe evening.

After a lovely breakfast, we headed out. Bandelier isn’t too far from Santa Fe, so it didn’t take us long to arrive at our destination. Once there, we got Claire strapped into her stroller and we were ready to roll!

The weather was perfect. The skies were a crisp blue, and the few clouds that dotted the sky were so white. It wasn’t too hot, and with no humidity, it was quite pleasant. We explored some of the dwellings on the main level, and when we got to our first non-stroller-friendly spot, I offered to watch the girls while the others visited the cliff dwellings. Because I’d seen this section before, and since the girls were so happy in their strollers, we thought that was the best option.

While the boys did more exploring, Linda came back to check on us. We got the girls out of their strollers, and they had a blast playing in the sand. Claire loved it, but decided after a while that she liked having her hands clean, too.

The boys joined us, and we made our way farther into the park. When we came to the next non-stroller-friendly part, Chris stayed with the girls, and Cameron and Linda joined Daddy, Claire and I on our trek to see Long House. Cameron and Chris had walky-talkies, so they were able to communicate with each other about what was happening on each end. As we made our way back, we met another group of people. The man said, “Oh, are you guys the people on the other end of the walky-talky?” We told he we were, and he thought that was a great idea. He asked if the girls were twins, and we told him they weren’t. (They are only two-weeks apart, and with their hats on they look very similar, it’s no wonder that was assumed…) When we got back to Chris, he told us that the girls had been just fine. Claire had greeted everyone as they came down the path and started to ascend the steps. “Hi! Hi! Hi!” she’d say. Such a polite little greeter.

Because Chris wanted to see Long House, my hubby went back up with him, and Cameron led the rest of us back toward the visitor center. We found a nice, big shade tree and waited for the guys to join us. Because she’d been such a good girl in the stroller, we let Claire run walk all the way back to the visitor center. Once again, we’d had a fabulous time exploring Bandelier.

Somehow, we’d totally lost track of time, and it was well after the typical lunch-time. Luckily, we’d eaten a late and large breakfast. We drove into Los Alamos and found a Subway restaurant. Purely by chance, we also found a free science museum. The Bradbury Science Museum had free admission, so we decided to check it out after lunch.

From what I saw of it, it looked really cool. Claire was quite a handful in the museum. She didn’t act out or make a lot of noise, but she was only happy “exploring” at top speed. I tried to hand her off three times to Daddy, but he was too engrossed in the displays to really understand what I needed. Claire was tugging on my arm to GO-GO-GO!, and I didn’t want to cause a scene, so I just decided to handle her myself. By the time we got to the TechLab Discovery Room, the prefect place if you’re four to six years older than Claire, there was just too much for her to “discover.” Rather than reach the point of meltdown, I scooped her up and took her outside. After a while, the rest of the crew joined us.

As we’re all piling into the car and getting everyone settled, my hubby says to me, “Wow. That was really cool! What did you think?”

“Yeah, I’m sure the museum was really cool. I’d like to see it sometime.”

After I was able to relax for a bit in the car and have a Diet Coke, my mood improved. The views of the landscape on the way from Los Alamos back to Santa Fe were just magical. Overall, we had a successful day of exploration.

“Is the baby-doll okay if I hold her like this?” I asked, as I tucked the baby-doll safely under my arm and patted her hard plastic head.

“Oh, of course. That would be fine.” Situation assessed. Threat neutralized.

The puppy, of course, posed no threat.

Don’t tell Puppy. It would only hurt his feelings.

“Yes.”

“And that’s when we got Georgia*?”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t we almost hit Georgia with the ladder when we were trying to install the ceiling fan?”

“Yes. And, you nearly had a heart-attack.”

“We were installing the ceiling fan for my 30th birthday. We did that the day before my 30th Birthday Party. Remember?”

“Right.”

“I’m 33 years old. I turned 30 in March of 2004, and we didn’t go to Santa Fe until June of that year.”

“Uhhh…”

“So, we had to have gotten the print when we went to Santa Fe six years ago, but I don’t remember going to the museum on that trip. Do you?”

“We did? We had to have…I guess…”

“Keeping track of things like this will be so much easier now that we have a little walking and talking reference of the passage of time. She’s like a little living calendar.”

* “Georgia” is what we affectionately call the Georgia O’Keeffe print we purchased and had framed. “Pelvis IV” is the technical name.

We’re all pretty well-versed in keeping children occupied, and I thought we were doing well.  This wasn’t a fancy restaurant, and it wasn’t a quiet ambiance.  It was bustling and relatively loud.  Both Claire and Mallory had waited too long, and there were a couple of outbursts, but nothing major and certainly nothing like what had happened the night before. 

Our food arrived, and everything had been going fine.  Claire made it quite clear toward the end of the meal that she was done with her food, and done with being strapped in her booster seat, and she was done with this restaurant.  She’d been relatively good for so long, and everyone else was finishing up.  Mallory had made it clear that she was finished as well, so Linda said she was taking her outside, and she’d wait for us.  Then, all the girls could walk back to the hotel and the boys could finish up and handle the check.

So, I put Claire in the stroller and disassembled the booster seat.  She had never had a fit in a restaurant before, even as a tiny baby.  She’d been this model child.  People had told me this wasn’t normal.  I was hoping our restaurant luck would last forever, but I knew that wasn’t possible.  I wanted to get out of there before she really threw a fit.  There was a lot of talking all around us, and I was so focused on getting things organized and getting out the door that I didn’t hear what happened next.

My hubby told us all later that the old woman at the table next to us, looked directly at him, gave him a disgusted eye-roll and said, “Thanks for ruining our breakfast.”

Excuse me?  I was devastated.  As hard as I tried, I could not shake that woman’s comment out of my head the entire day, and I hadn’t even heard it first-hand!  I’d gotten scrambled eggs, green chili sauce and Anasazi beans all over my Zen Master notes, so they were of no help to me.  Why would she say such a terrible thing?  It wasn’t like any of the kids were that bad.  We were at a breakfast place!  It was loud!  Claire had a few outbursts, but they certainly weren’t powerful enough ruin anybody’s anything, and if they were, it wasn’t Claire who had the issues.

That woman’s comments just made the tantrum from the night before come alive again.  Has my child reached the stage where I can’t control her?  Have I become one of those parents?  All day, I succeeded in fighting back the tears, but I could feel them stinging my eyeballs.  Crying would just give that horrid woman the exact reaction she wanted.  I’m bigger than this!  I’m not a bad mother!  My daughter is not a monster! 

I kept stewing all day.  What would I have said, had I actually heard her?  I’m really not a rude person in real life, but would my Momma Bear instincts have come out?  Would I have torn her to shreds with my Momma Bear Claws for threatening my daughter?  I’ll never know, but part of me hopes so.   

As the days passed, I’d wiped off my Zen Master notes, and was able to focus again on the important things.  Claire is a happy, healthy and normal toddler.  I’ve accepted the fact that she will have outbursts in public.    It’s not like we had her in an inappropriate situation or that we didn’t even try to make the situation better for those around us.  She’s almost two.  This is to be expected.  When looking at the trip as a whole, Claire was “good” about 90% of the time, and that’s excellent!  I’m trying my hardest to not expect perfection, and it’s too bad when others can’t do the same. 

My hubby is great at ignoring the ignorant, which is exactly what he did.  I, on the other hand, have been itching to say something to that sad and pathetic woman ever since.  What would have been a snappy retort?  Feel free to choose from the following list:

1.  You’re welcome!

2.  Asphinctersayswhat?

3.  She’s not even two and has no social graces.  What’s your excuse?

4.  Let me guess.  You haven’t pooped in four days either?

5.  It’s really a shame when raging menopause hormones rear their ugly heads, isn’t it?

6.  Who has the Scavenger Hunt List?  I found the crabby, old, wrinkly woman!

7.  I didn’t realize there was an Assisted Living Facility so close.  We’re so sorry to have bothered you on your daily outing.

8.  You think this is bad?  You should have been sitting next to the old hag at this table.