Wednesday morning, we did a little shopping, and then went to visit some friends who live in Albuquerque, Clyde and Pat Harris.
They took us to Garduno’s for Mexican cuisine and then took us on the Sandia Peak Tramway, for a 2.7 mile ride 10,378 feet above Albuquerque. The 11,000 square mile view is breathtaking.
On the other side of the peak is a view of the ski slopes and lifts. We had a good time catching up on we each have been doing.
This morning, we packed up camp and headed west again and took a side trip they recommended, Acoma Pueblo, also known as “Sky City” because it is situated 370 feet above the desert on a large mesa. Dating back to 1150 AD, Acoma Pueblo is known as the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America. There are over 300 structures in the Pueblo and although only a few families still live there year around, they return periodically for ceremonial occasions and some to sell their distinctive, handmade pottery and other crafts. 
The young man, who gave us the tour, grew up on the mesa as a child and related the fascinating history of his ancestors. The San Estaben del Rey Mission dates back to the early 1600’s when the Catholic Church forced the Acoma to build over an 11 year period and tried to make them leave their tribal beliefs for Catholicism.
No comments:
Post a Comment