Pushing Limits

We awoke to a sunny sky and psyched to complete our New Mexico missions. Our first stop was the Sandia Peak Tramway. It goes up almost three miles; thankfully neither of us is afraid of heights! As we approached it we could see that a huge cloud had settled into the peak and they warned of limited visibility from the very top but we headed up. The trip up and back was exceptional. Great views of the city and surrounding area plus the tram operator filled us in on a lot of info about the area.



As you can see, the closer we got to the top, the lines literally appeared to go nowhere! We entered a cloud and it was a little like the Twilight Zone; completely enveloped as if the outside world no longer existed. It cleared slightly at the top and there is a ski area there, a restaurant that would be spectacular for a clear night sunset and view of the city lights, and a visitor center with displays. The patio areas are set up for great views and I will come back here sometime (hopefully it will be clear and warmer than the 30s when I do :)






The trip down offered some impressive landscapes.



When we returned to Earth, we drove out to Petroglyphs National Monument on the west side of town across the Rio Grande before heading back to the downtown for our final mission. Jan and Alan Brake know our appreciation of food and sent us to Tuscano's Brazilian Grill. We have heard of these type places and always wanted to try one so now we had a good excuse to stuff ourselves! They bring skewers of grilled meats, vegetables and even pineapple to your table and carve it off for you. As long as you have the green sign showing they just keep coming. Dangerous. I waddled out of there so full it was a rough ride for the first few hours toward Texas but it was delicious and we appreciated the experience. Thanks to the Brakes for their great ideas in New Mexico.



By the way, people leaving this restaurant must have the same full feeling I did because this sign was across the street, I swear!!!! Classic.



We are now on our LONG journey to our Texas destination. Today we have driven our farthest leg of this race so far. Lindsay Capobianco is directing us to Dallas and Plano. We have made it most of the way there before dropping for the night. Our tent plan was in question because as soon as we left Albuquerque the fog, drizzle and grey skies set in and didn't leave us all afternoon and evening so we are opting again for a cute little KOA camping cabin. I'm not sure the weather obscured much of a view on the drive, but isn't Texas supposed to be warm and experiencing some sort of drought? Glad our presence can bring them some needed relief!

Stats:

550 Miles
Tram $40
Lunch $40
Gas $45.70
Postcard $.27
Camping cabin $47.10

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