Number of Miles Driven: 294 (Day 8); 137(Day 9)

Drive Time: 11:30 a.m. - 6:15 p.m. (stop in Roswell 1:30 - 3:30) (Day 8)

States Driven through: NM (1)


July 2 - Day 8


We headed out of Carlsbad around 11:30 a.m., grabbed a quick lunch to eat on the road at McDonalds (more expensive than Chick-fil-A!), and started our trek to Roswell. We were greeted with a UFO-shaped sign when we arrived at Roswell around 1:30, and it turns out that Roswell was hosting its annual UFO festival July 2-4, so the tourists were out in droves - many of whom were carrying child-size blow-up aliens. In addition to seeing aliens everywhere as we drove down the main drag (on the lampposts, as statues in front of storefronts, and even in place of Ronald McDonald at McDonald’s), the visitor center had a free photo booth set up, and there were tents with arts and crafts set up in the main plaza with lots of photo ops. 

Nothing says America like Advanced Auto and alien lamp posts

We started at the Visitor Center because we only had time to do one activity and we wanted their feedback on what would be best for the kids. We had narrowed it down to the UFO Museum and Research Center or the UFO Spacewalk - and the Spacewalk won out because it was more “kid-friendly” and entertaining. The Museum was more “informative” (i.e., boring for the kids). The UFO Spacewalk - a black-light fun-house-type activity -  was underwhelming (not worth the money) as an adult, but the kids enjoyed it and went through it multiple times - it took less than 5 minutes to go through it. Andrew snuck behind a curtain and scared Carolyn when she went through it for the fourth or fifth time. The highlight was that we each got a glow in the dark rubber wristband as our admission - so Andrew stocked up on his wristband collection. He is currently wearing ALL of our bands on his arm. 


























The highlight of the trip for the kids was the free arts and crafts tents in the plaza - they made light sabers from pool noodles and alien masks from paper plates. Overall, the Roswell experience was quite kitschy but we’re glad we did it and we had fun for the couple of hours that we were there. In addition to the spacewalk bands, Andrew and Matthew bought glow-in-the-dark balls with alien faces, Dani got alien headbands, and Michael got a mug. 


We got back on the road and headed to Las Vegas, NM to my Uncle John’s house (my grandmother’s brother). As we traveled north, the landscape gradually changed as the mountains got larger, and more shades of red were embedded in the rock formations and mountains. We arrived at Uncle John’s house at 6:15 and were greeted with big smiles from Geneva, Emily, and Uncle John. Geneva and Emily are Uncle John’s daughters, and they were in town for the 4th of July so it was a mini-reunion of sorts. Geneva’s family was also there - her husband, Galen, and her 13-year-old son, Donovan. They live in Albuquerque and Emily flew in from West Palm Beach, Florida. We spent some time reconnecting and sharing stories about our trip. We also reminisced about the “spoons” game we played when we were all MUCH younger at a previous family reunion on Dauphin Island (circa 1996 or 1997). We thought we might need to recreate that cut-through experience. 


We wrapped up the evening around 11 pm because we were exhausted - it had been a long day that began with Carlsbad Caverns. Uncle John gave up his bedroom with a king-size bed for us to use. We had put the kids to bed earlier and they were all sleeping on that bed; however, we kicked Andrew and Carolyn out to the couch and air mattress in the living room. Dani slept with us in the bed and Matthew slept on an air mattress in the bedroom with us. Apparently, Matthew had nightmares that night about aliens abducting him. Thanks, Roswell. 



July 3 - Day 9


The next day we got an early start for a day trip to Pecos National Historic Park and Santa Fe. Pecos was a beautiful park that preserved the ruins of the Pecos Pueblo and the people of Pecos - ranging from Puebloans, Plains Native Americans, Spanish conquistadors and missionaries, Santa Fe Trail settlers and railroad workers. The Pecos valley is uniquely situated on a high ridge between two mountain ranges and three different water sources making it a prime hub for living and trading for centuries. That geography no doubt contributed to the breezy cool weather we got to experience while there - a nice reprieve from the heat we felt while in Roswell the day before. 



The park showcased the foundational remains of the pueblos  (3-4 story high buildings made of adobe bricks) as well as the kivas - underground spiritual and political meeting places. The pueblo ruins date back to the 1300s. The kids thought it was “cool” to go down the ladder into the kiva. Large ruins from the Spanish churches built by Spanish missionaries and conquerers date back to the 1500s. It was fascinating to know that so much history had occurred where we were standing. 

Foundational ruins of the Pueblos

Going down into a kiva

I do it myself...


























Spanish Church ruins





The kids completed the Junior Ranger program while at the park and enjoyed the scavenger hunt they got to complete. After interviewing Ranger Sylvie and taking the pledge, they received their badges from Pecos National Park. 


We were at Pecos for a couple of hours and then headed to Santa Fe. While driving, we called-in reservations for The Shed - a highly recommended restaurant near the plaza with traditional New Mexican fare. It was an hour wait so it’s a good thing we got on the waitlist. 



When we arrived at Santa Fe we checked out Loretto Chapel - known for its “miraculous staircase.” The story of the miracle is that the nuns of the church could not find anyone who could build the staircase to the choir loft because of the small size of the church. They prayed for nine days (a novena prayer) to St. Joseph (Patron Saint of Carpenters) and at the end of the novena, a mysterious carpenter arrived with only a hammer and carpenter’s squares and agreed to build the staircase. He finished the job and left without giving his identity (or accepting payment)  The staircase was a considered a marvel because it was made of non-native wood to the Southwestern region and put together with simple tools and wooden pegs. It has two 360 degree turns without any center pole for support - all support is in the bottom step. It’s believed that St. Joseph himself or someone sent by St. Joseph was the mysterious carpenter who completed the job. The railings were added later to make it easier to descend the steps. 













































Lunch at The Shed
After oohing and aahing at the staircase, we made our way to the restaurant where we had a delicious New Mexican meal (at least me and Michael did!). The Shed’s atmosphere was typical Southwestern decor with stucco walls and bright colors. Chili peppers were hanging from the ceilings (Andrew was traumatized seeing them - ha!). I got a Frito Pie (chile with fritos on top). Santa Fe is known for Frito Pie and a local five and dime store actually serves the chile/toppings IN the Fritos bag. Michael got a meal he couldn’t pronounce but it was a blue corn enchilada with red chile on top, lean slow-cooked pork marinated in red chile/oregano/garlic, and spicy pinto beans and posole. It was all delicious and hit the spot for our craving of New Mexican food! The kids were not adventuresome and got hamburgers and grilled cheeses. 


Carolyn liked these flowers and wanted her picture taken with them

Matthew had to follow suit, of course!

Andrew still traumatized by his cayenne pepper experience. It's ashame NM is the chile capital of the world...they were EVERYWHERE!

We headed to the Plaza after lunch and shopped at the vendors along the plaza walkways. Most of them were selling jewelry - Carolyn bought friendship bracelets for herself and several friends. Matthew also wanted a friendship bracelet and he picked one with orange, black and red beds. I bought a pair of turquoise earrings that are similar in color to Carolina blue (wearing them now!). Dani got a little bobble-head flamingo brightly decorated with Southwestern colors. We also watched some traditional Native American dances in the plaza that were danced by children. They used hoops in their dancing and also made designs with them (e.g., a bird with wings). They were very talented and received lots of applause when they finished. The kids enjoyed watching their dances and were in awe that such young kids were doing the dances. Matthew was most enthusiastic with his applause. 



We wrapped up our day in Santa Fe with a trip to the Kakawa Chocolate Shoppe. They had unique chocolate truffles (e.g., Prickly Pear, Green Chile Margarita, Key Lime Pie). It was all very good and a great way to end our Santa Fe visit. Geneva, Donovan, and Galen all highly recommend the Meow Wolf exhibition but the only tickets available were for after 7 pm, so we weren’t able to do it. We’ll have to it add it to our list for a return trip because it was definitely described as a “life-changing experience.” 




Matthew was excited about that chocolate chip cookie from Kakawa


We arrived back at Uncle John’s house around 6:30 and made spaghetti for everyone. It wasn’t fancy but the kids enjoyed a familiar staple - even if it wasn’t on a Thursday. We didn’t do much the rest of the evening but the kids showered (it had been a few (!) days…) and went to bed. We talked with Emily and Uncle John for a while (Geneva and her family stayed at a campground that night) but we weren’t able to hang for that long. As our trip continues with more and more busy days and late nights, we are usually exhausted after the kids go to bed. 


July 4 - Day 10



We had a casual start to the day because we had no major plans except to hang out with the family for the day. However, we knew we had to get the kids out of the house or they would go stir-crazy. I took them to Storrie Lake State Park and it was a beautiful place where the lake was surrounded by mountains. When we arrived I asked where to park for swimming (vs camping, fishing, etc) and the attendant said I could park “anywhere” - very helpful… - but that I should be careful because people had gotten stuck due to the excessive rain they had had recently. Of course I didn’t want to take that chance so I parked in a parking lot that was about a 10-minute walk from the lake. When we got to the lake, I realized what she meant by we could park anywhere - there were cars (yes, cars…not just trucks or RVs) parked right at the shoreline of the lake. We felt a little out of place just walking up to the lake since everyone else was tailgating out of their car. But there was plenty of space and the kids jumped right in. The water was cold and the bottom was muddy but they had fun nonetheless. 


Matthew's mud monster
Dani, Matthew, and Carolyn rubbed mud all over themselves as if they were taking a mudbath. Andrew refused to put on his swimsuit but entertained himself by building a dam with the large rocks on the shoreline (it transformed into a large “boat” structure by the time he was done). It should also be noted that by the end of the day he was fully submerged in the water with his regular clothes on…. But, of course, he didn’t want to swim. Carolyn found a unique stick that she claimed as her own and intends to keep as a souvenir. 




Andrew's boat


















After a couple of hours we headed back to Uncle John’s for lunch - leftover spaghetti! Michael had stayed behind to work on a report for his private practice and he continued working on that when we returned. We had a huge pile of laundry so I worked on that while also reorganizing our bags for the next portion of our trip. It seemed to take an exceptionally long time to fold clothes for six people and get them in the “right bag” based on which outfits we needed for which days - also considering which outfits we had already worn several times our pictures don’t only contain the same 2 outfits! 


An afternoon thunderstorm rolled through which gave the kids some downtime. While they chilled on their tablets, I learned a new game - Snerts. It’s a solitaire-type game where everyone plays individual hands but uses community cards to get rid of their deck. I learned quickly that I needed two sets of eyes and ridiculously quick reflexes to keep up with Geneva, Emily, and Galen - snerts’ experts. Needless to say, I didn’t win (even with extra help from Michael who was on the lookout for ways for me to play my cards), but it was really fun to learn a new game! 


Yes, I did it...matching Flag Tees (but they were PERFECT for our road
trip because inside the flag it lists all the states! 

We celebrated the 4th with a cookout, homemade strawberry ice cream, and fireworks. Thanks to Geneva we had a delicious spread of food - burgers, hot dogs, ribs, potato salad, cucumber & watermelon salad, a Thai-based salad, chips, cole slaw, etc. Each kid took a turn churning the ice cream, and they were shocked to learn the ice cream maker was older than me. Andrew’s primary job was sitting on the ice cream bucket while the others churned (hmm…how did he get out of the manual labor… ). After making the ice cream, we settled in the driveway to get ready for the fireworks. 


Churning ice cream






















Waiting for fireworks!

The fireworks were supposed to start at 8:15 so the kids got a little antsy when it was 9 pm and there were no city fireworks. Fortunately, the residents of Las Vegas really like fireworks, so we could see everyone’s personal fireworks while we waited. And the personal fireworks were not dinky. Sometimes we thought they were the city’s fireworks, but Uncle John assured us it was still amateur hour and we would “know” when the city’s fireworks started. Uncle John was right - once the city’s fireworks started about 9:05 - it was a clear difference. His house is situated on a hill that overlooks the park where the fireworks are shot, so we had front-row seats for all the action. My kind of way to watch fireworks - hassle-free. They were huge as they exploded right over our heads. Dani and Matthew had on headphones to help reduce the noise. Each of the kids were mesmerized and did firework dances as they exploded overhead. Matthew seemed to enjoy them the most as he ran around shouting “fireworks!” - thank goodness for those headphones because he had been holding his ears and anxiously awaiting the noise moments before the show. Luckily, a neighbor loaned us her headphones when she saw him so upset watching the personal fireworks. 


Mesmerized by the fireworks!


Trying to capture a sweet brother/sister moment 





It was right to bed for the kids afterwards, and Michael and I ended the night finishing packing and making PBJ sandwiches/lunches for our next day’s trek to Phoenix. 


Uncle John and family - thank you for welcoming us into your home for the weekend and letting us crash your family holiday weekend with our chaos. We had a great time and it was wonderful to see family we never get to see. Also, thanks for teaching us Snerts! 


Next stop: Phoenix!