Lesson 116- Anniversary Trip

For our First-Year-Aversary, Husband and I decided to have a little getaway to Santa Fe, NM.  It is easily one of my favorite US cities and Husband had never been there.

We flew into Albuquerque early Saturday morning.  Husband's favorite cousin lives in Albuquerque with his new wife.  We were unable to attend their wedding, since it was the same day we were flying home from England and this was our first chance to meet her.  Very exciting.

Since that Saturday happened to be Free Museum Day, we went on a double date to the New Mexico Museum of Natural History.  It was very fun to see huge dinosaur bones and New Mexico as it was as an ocean rather than a desert.

C & K took us to an Indian restaurant for dinner.  So yummy!!!

Sunday morning we headed further north to Santa Fe.  Our hotel wasn't quite ready for us to check in yet, but we parked our car and had lunch at the Burrito Company where we also exchanged our anniversary gifts.  I got tickets to go see the Lion King in Las Vegas later this month!!!!

And for those of you that read this post I was right in snooping out the present.  And here's a post on what I surprised Husband with. 

After lunch we walked around the plaza, visiting the Navajo Indians that sell their handmade treasures outside of the Palace of the Governors.  We bought a Christmas decoration from one woman.

Then I took Husband on my mini walking tour of the important places in Santa Fe.  First we visited St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral.

 Next on the tour was the Loretto Chapel which is famous for the Miracle Staircase.

Next was a mission church that dates back to the Spanish Conquistadors and is the oldest church in the United States.  Just across the street from the church is the oldest house in US.

We enjoyed a French pastry at the Patesserie in La Fonda Hotel.  We also went back our last morning in New Mexico for a strawberry crepe.  Both were so yummy!!!

Our anniversary dinner we went to Maria's.  They have over 150 different margarita's.  Mine was so strong!  I think the bartender assumed that I would be drinking the strawberry margarita and made the regular margarita extra strong for the Husband.  But it was actually Husband that wanted the strawberry.  Good thing he's secure in his masculinity ;-)  The food was simply fantastic!  I didn't want to stop eating, but my stomach had a different opinion.

Monday morning we had planned on visiting the Museum of New Mexico History, but they are closed on Monday's.  So we just walked around till my friend A came up from Albuquerque for lunch.

Mexican food was again on the menu, this time at Tomasita's.  Again the food was fantastic!  And it was fun to see my friend.  She's currently working on her PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy.  Pretty sure she thinks we're whackjobs now, but we had a great time.

After lunch, A and I visited some shops on the plaza till it was time for her to head back South.  For the afternoon, Husband wanted to visit some of the casinos in the area and 'donate' money.  I had done fairly well at one slot machine, ending up winning about $70.  It was at that point I decided we should leave since we then had more money than we had come with.  But instead of driving back to Santa Fe, we went further north to another casino.  Our luck wasn't near as good this time and soon left with no more play money.  Oh well.

For dinner we met up with another of my friends who is currently working in Santa Fe, M.  And Mexican food it was, this time at The Shed.  And again the food was terrific.  If you can't tell, I sure do miss Mexican food from NM.  It's just so delicious.  I'm fairly certain green chile makes the world a better place.  And margaritas don't hurt either.  M was also nice enough to bring up our wedding cake that had been chillin (literally) in my parent's freezer for a year.

Husband was super skeptical about eating a year old cake, but it was actually really yummy.  My friend A sure did a great job making those for us.

Tuesday morning after our crepe breakfast we checked out of the hotel and went to get pedicures together.  I love that my husband will get pedicures with me!  Once our feet were all pretty we headed back to Albuquerque, stopping at Dion's for pepperoni and green chile pizza, before returning the car and boarding our airplane back to Phoenix.

But luckily for me arriving in Phoenix wasn't quite the end of our getaway.  Husband had made reservations for the Melting Pot for dinner.  Their creme brulee fondue was simply heavenly!!!




(None of the places I've mentioned even know I exist, they just happen to be some of my favorite places and think you should visit if you ever have the chance)