Mom's work took her to Albuquerque right before our annual family reunion, so our family of four cashed in our Southwest points to meet her there. We arrived late last night, tried New Mexican food at a place across campus, and slept very soundly. The day of travel, among several charming moments, included Drakeson throwing up on the plane.
Today was much better. While Mom went to her conference, our family went to the Albuquerque BioPark and visited the Albuquerque Aquarium, the Children's Fantasy Garden, Railroad Hill, the Bugarium, and the Rio Grande Zoo. Tickets included the 20 minute train rides between the aquarium and the zoo, as well as the train ride within the zoo. Everything was nearly abandoned, and we had plenty of time to enjoy the sharks, polar bears, snow leopards, and jaguars just to name a few. Once Mom got out of her conference, we took a trip to the Sandia Peak Tramway, the longest aerial tram in the country. The sunset lasted through our ride to the top at 10,378 feet, and petered out during our stay up there. Riding back down the mountain over the city in the dark felt like being in a space ship. Dinner was at a New Mexican grill next to the tram, and the evening ended with a great round of drinks.
13 Jan 16
We thought about taking a road trip to Santa Fe today, and I'm glad we didn't. Albuquerque's children's museum Explora is easily a day's worth of activity alone. While Mom attended the conference, the rest of us started the morning at a most cleverly designed playground in Tiguex Park (pronounced teegway). The entire thing is built as a circular obstacle course around a central concrete platform, making it much easier for big people to keep an eye on little people. Explora is like Austin's Thinkery, but better and less crowded. We didn't see the entire place, but some of our favorite spots were the bubble room, an elevator that contained couches and a piano, highwire biking, and a beautiful domed picnic area on the roof. A soak in the hottub got us all ready for nap time.
Dinner was at yet another New Mexican restaurant, and we drove through Old Town Albuquerque for a little window shopping. We made it back to the hotel in time for happy hour, and had an early movie night before crashing.
Yesterday was just a day of travel to Northern Virginia with the trains, planes, and automobiles. The highlight was a low-key evening of board games with my dad and our tradition of eating aplets & cotlets. Today started with a hike at the Billy Goat Trail C in MD. Thal and his new dog Bella met Liên, Bill, Dad, Milli, and me on the trail, but Bella was too aggressive for us to hang out together. George and Drakeson stayed home to pick Mom up from the airport, and had their own adventures seeing animals at Frying Pan Park.
The evening was wonderful. My 12-year-old crush grew up and now has a lovely family of his own. He organized a small school reunion at his house and our favorite teacher, Bob, made it. My family and Liên came and chatted until it was bedtime for the kids. The conversation was a lot of fun, and the beer was phenomenal.
16 Jan 16
17 Jan 16
George made a double batch of seafood gumbo in the morning, and then our family drove out to Vienna to visit my very dear friends Jenny and Jason along with their three beautiful girls. It was our first time seeing their new house and the gorgeous property. A light snow was falling, the kids got along very well, the cocoa was delicious, and it was a perfect day. The drive home was a moment I'd like to capture in the memoirs: George was driving us through the winding roads of Reston, the kids were asleep in the backseat of our warm car, and a Mendelssohn violin sonata was on the radio. You can't buy that kind of happiness.
Drakeson's family birthday party was scheduled for the evening, and it was crowded. There were 18 people present, including my childhood friend Angel and her family. George's gumbo was the star of the show, but we also had Costco stuffed salmon, cranberry raspberry glazed spicy meatballs, and ribs made by Pep-Pep. Dessert was pistachio almond cake and pistachio ice cream, which made sense, because Drakeson likes "the green one."
18 Jan 16
We went to the mall in the morning to get Cụ a new picture for her apartment. The photographer was awful, so it's a good thing the subjects didn't need much help to look darling. We made a quick stop at Thal's place to see his new apartment and say goodbye, and the rest of the morning was spent packing and watching our first Lana Turner film, "Imitation of Life." Leaving my parents' house was already a bit sad, and watching a depressing drama at the same time didn't help. I'd recommend not beginning your travels this way, should that choice arise in the future. The travelling was what it always is - moving about in seas of strangers like a herd of cattle, hearing the annoying flight attendants and the rules they enforce, counting down the time until the next countdown, and ultimately the loss of another day. Our warm Austin home was a welcoming sight for our tired family.
