Stop #2 Santa Fe, New Mexico
After leaving the beautiful and isolated Alpine/Marfa area we continue north towards Santa Fe! We headed out and went through Fort Davis Texas which was absolutely amazing. The mountains and scenery were gorgeous and really started a long day of driving out on a positive note. Unfortunately to get to Santa Fe from Alpine, you have to drive through Pecos Texas. I am sure there are people that will tell you that the Pecos area is pretty or a nice place to live, but I would have to disagree. It was definitely not to our liking, which was okay since we were just driving through. After what seemed like an eternity of road construction, oil fields, semi truck traffic, and nothing but barren ground and tumble weeds we finally found ourselves back amongst the rolling hills and actual living vegetation. 
Roswell New Mexico was a must see destination since we had just come from Marfa and are still not sure what to think of the Marfa Lights. 
Claire loved all of the alien statues and I am sure we would still be pulling over and taking photo’s with them if it were up to her. After bribing her with ice cream at our next stop we were able to head out of Roswell and push on towards Santa Fe. A little snack for energy, a treat for the kids, and coffee for Kileigh and I left us feeling refreshed and ready for the long haul north. We pulled into Santa Fe well after dark and had a quick dinner in the hotel before Claire and I had a late night swim in the pool and a soak in the hot tub. Tired from a long day in the car, we all went to bed anxiously awaiting to see Santa Fe and the surrounding area in the daylight. The next day, we woke up to an amazing sunrise peaking over the beautiful mountains with the city of Santa Fe nestled below. After a quick breakfast we piled into the Expedition and made the short drive to check out the local farmers market. 
Claire and Henry enjoyed chatting it up with everyone from the man roasting chile peppers to the local farmers selling their organic produce. Claire and Henry were quick to accept all of the generous offerings of local honey, grapes, and carrots. It truly was an amazing farmers market and if we had enough room in the car we could have been stocked up for the rest of the year with all of the yummy fruit and vegetables that were available for purchase. Since we had never been to Santa Fe before we needed some local advice to get a better feel for the area. Kileigh made arrangements with Debbie and Freddie Schwartz to meet up for lunch and to pick their brains. Debbie and Freddie are in-laws of sorts, as their daughter is married to Kileigh’s brother. Debbie suggested Shake Foundation and it did not disappoint. The adults had burgers and some of the best french fries I have ever had while the kids enjoyed their milkshakes and playing with their toys outside while we ate. Although our outdoor lunch got cut short due to rain, we still were able to obtain some local advice and fill up on a delicious meal. 
Before we hit the road, the Schwartz’s gave us some fresh peaches, grapes, books and other activities for the kids to enjoy in the car. We drove through the down town area which was crowded due to a local festival, but was full of shopping, dining, and hobby stores. Since Santa Fe was one of the top cities we wanted to check out, we drove through a few neighborhoods to check out the housing situation. Santa Fe was a very clean city with friendly people, lots of dining choices, a wide variety of shopping, and nice affordable homes. Such a cool city! Now to buckle up, top of the gas tank, and continue north up through the Rocky Mountains and into Colorado where we will make our next scheduled stop in Colorado Springs. Thank you to Debbie and Freddie for your advice, direction, insight into local employment, and of course the treats for the car ride. We appreciated it greatly.
