Pretty cool trip! Gina's family is originally from New Mexico. She has not been there since she was 6 years old but always talked about going back to visit. She has seen a couple of uncles since then but none of her cousins and several other aunts and uncles. The 26 years we've been together she has mentioned going back but never really made a point of it. Last year when her father passed away , a few relatives came down for the funeral so she had a chance to meet them. That is when she really decided she wanted to go back to visit.
We made a road trip out of it that lasted nearly 1 1/2 weeks. Drove a little over 2300 miles. First to Laughlin, the next day to The Grand Canyon because she has always wanted to see it. Along the way we ran into a little park that hosted a recreation of Bedrock of the Flinstones. About 15 structures, pretty cool copies of Fred's house, police station and such.
Then off to Albuquerque to see her family. Met up with her aunt for a good long visit but then it was off to Santa Fe to meet others. Had a chance to dine, BBQ, shop, and hang out with lots of her family members. It was great, her family treated her like that had grown up together over the last 44 years of her absence. Great bunch of people.
On our trip to Santa Fe, we had a chance to visit Canyon Road. There we visited an art gallery and clothing shop that used to be Gina's great grandmother and grandmother's home. Here they used to make tamales and sell them out of a small restaurant they owned and operated. What were small adobe structures back then are now million dollar structures in the middle of the art section of the town. It was an awesome experience to see Gina visit the shops and imagine what it had been like back then. The pics of the pink adobe building is the place I speak of and the inside pics as well.
On our last day there, we met Gina's cousin who happens to be a big wig in the hotel business. He set us up in a sweet hotel for our last night. Heck, if we had known, we could have stayed there sooner and saved a bundle ha ha!
It was a great time but we had to head back. Very sad to see the tears in Gina's eyes as she once again left her family But it did put a place in her heart that would drive her back for more visits in the future.
Gina's New Mexico family pics slide show
Grand Canyon video footage
Video footage in New Mexico
Slide show of Nativo Lodge, the hotel where we stayed the last night in Albuquerque
Hotel footage of Nativo Lodge tour with Gina's cousin
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