ArchibaldQ: Day 7 (Friday 7/29)

We finally got around to taking some pictures of our Bronco Room at the Adobe Abode B&B on the morning that we left it for good.

Facing the opposite way from the last picture.

We had our own nice little patio space. Unfortunately we never took advantage - too busy having fun.

Friday we started out the day by going up to the weekly flea market. Hundreds of local artisans, small businesses, and artists set up in relatively large tent-booths spread out over a space probably a football field in size or bigger. Though it was mostly dominated by jewelry and related items, there were tons of neat, local (though there was a surprising amount of international flavor) things as well. I ended up buying a few fossils that are now adorning a shelf above the TV, and Elizabeth bought a ton of beads and other assorted items I seem to forget at the moment. Cameras weren't allowed since it was on tribal land, so once again, my description will have to do.

We then went to the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture on Museum Hill. It had a wealth of knowledge and interesting artifacts, but I don't think either one of us was in the proper frame of mind to fully appreciate all it had to offer. We probably only spent about an hour in the place, but since it was included in the package of museum admissions we'd already paid for, it didn't seem such a crime.

After the Museum we left Santa Fe proper and drove down the Turquoise Trail to our last B&B to drop off our stuff and then get some food. Actually, we first stopped off at a Borders to kill some time and get me a book since I'd just finished my last one. Further down the Turquoise Trail, a.k.a. 14, is a small ex-mining town Madrid, now known for its eclectic collection of local artists and artisans. We ate at a cool place called the Mine Shaft Tavern, which was dripping with that old rustic mining town atmosphere. We wandered around for a while between local galleries and small shops, eventually getting some icecream at the place in the picture above. Great small-town atmosphere that made me think I had somehow been transported back to the fifties.

Main St. in Madrid. Actually, it was the only street with pavement - State Rd. 14, a.k.a. the Turquoise Trail.

Our last B&B, Crystal Mesa Farm, was run by this married couple that couldn't have been any more different. She was a wonderously peaceful hippy type who I expected to be named Autumn Moon Starbeam Breeze (but was actually named something much more normal that I can't remember at the moment) and he was an ex-marine with more energy and volume than a speed-freak WWE wrestler chasing naughty puppies. It was a really nice place, though: very relaxing and peaceful, with fantastic views. The above is a part of the common are where breakfast was served.

There was a definate buddhist vibe going on in the place. There were at least two temples with statues and brightly colored cloth strung up around the property, and the Buddha in the above picture wasn't the only one in the house.

The tepee in the picture was a part of their property, and a cheaper option for the more outdoorsy types who don't want to stay in an indoor room.

Our East Room is through that door in front of what is quite possibly the world's friendliest dog.

We didn't actually take any pictures ourselves, but this one from their website is a pretty good representation. The cool slate floor and natural adobe walls kept the room amazingly cool during the heat of the day, and it was amazingly spacious for the sparcity of its decor.