50 Nifty United States: New Mexico!

Today's post is brought to you by my mom! 

Where in NM have you been? (don't forget Roswell and Carlsbad!)  Albuquerque, Grants, Gallup, Roswell, and Carlsbad

What do you like about NM? I was most impressed with Albuquerque.  There is far more to do in Albuquerque than any of the other towns we visited. 

Dislike?  I was most disappointed in Grants.  There just did not seem to be a welcoming atmosphere to tourists in Grants.  Perhaps we just chose the wrong time to travel through.

Do you have any recommendations for dining/lodging? Dining:  Definitely the High Finance Tavern on top of the Sandia Peaks.  You have to take the tramway to get there.  The restaurant is a little high-end, but well worth it.

Favorite places in NM to hike? Never been hiking in NM, unless you count the walking tour of the Carlsbad Caverns, which I highly recommend! 

Entertainment?  The Tram is my favorite.  You can see across Albuquerque and the sunset from the tramway is spectacular.

What should tourists/vacationers see?  If you have no fear of heights, then take the tramway to the top of the Peaks and enjoy a meal at the High Finance Tavern.  If you prefer a light workout, then go for a stroll along the paths of the Carlsbad Caverns and take in the natural beauty of the ice cave. 

What should tourists/vacationers avoid?   Try to eat/visit the restroom, etc in the larger towns in New Mexico.  Smaller towns in New Mexico are a bit unfriendly to tourists. 

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I’m officially out of 50 Nifty guest posts! I would really love to finish the series so please check to see if any of my remaining states are states you’ve lived in or visited! Otherwise we’ll be taking a brief (I hope) hiatus from this series for a while!

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Bell Rock

In December 2009, shortly before we were officially engaged, Ryan and I went on a little hike to check out a potential outdoor wedding spot.

 

Bell Rock is in Sedona, Arizona which is known for it's lovely red rocks.

 

We wound up deciding not to get married there, mostly because it was too hot and the walk was a bit much for some of our guests. (Although the first time I voiced that concern Ryan said "Nah, this isn't so bad. I could just carry our grandmas on my back")

Even still, it was a lovely hike we thoroughly enjoyed. We lived fairly close to Sedona and always enjoyed a short day trip there for hiking/creek play and some artsy downtown time.

 

 

 

 

This reminds me, my next Your Town feature is going to include photos of your recent or favorite hikes... so next time you're hiking, be sure to snap a photo I can share when the time comes!

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Check Out This Place!

The two books I read this week (Babyhood was just a cute memoir about pregnancy and having a new baby, Make Money Online was a very quick Kindle read which inspired me to finally open up an online shop! I've been wanting to for quite a while, but it's actually for a project other than hats. I'll get the ball rolling on that soon enough and share it with you then!); cute baby toes with the lunch I ate over and over again; what's left of my baby hat craze in my new Etsy shop

Good morning! I hope you all have had a lovely week.Ours has been lovely, busy, and generally fulfilling.

I want to say, first and foremost, that I'm almost out of 50 Nifty United States posts! If you are at all willing to share a few photos and answer a few questions or write up a quick blurb about a state you've lived in/visited, please check my list of remaining states to see if you can help me out! Several people recently dropped out so please check again if your state of choice was already taken the last time you looked... and also, please don't be afraid to post again for me if you've already posted! I have really enjoyed this series and would love to finish it but I'm starting to think that may not happen!

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Caitlin shared more Hawaii photos recently and I am just so excited to hike to a gorgeous waterfall with this sweet little man in tow! Family travel daydreams make my heart melt.

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Daina's Scenes from the Weekend always make me want to spend a weekend (eating) in New York.

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I really like Kimberly's simple little glimpse at the Great Falls area. 

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I can't even begin to imagine the wonder we could see on this Kangaroo Island safari... it all looks awesome, but I've been on a whale watching kick lately so that tops my list.

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If you have a little guy who likes Thomas the Train, this is definitely for you. Deanna recently shared her boys' Day Out with Thomas which just might be coming to a town near you soon. Hers took place in Alabama.

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 Just in case you were inspired to plan a getaway, a Hotels.com affiliate link:

Hotel Rebate - Save between $20 and $100 on all Hotel Bookings Now with Hotels.com!

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Life Lately

My boy is three weeks old today. There is still lots of (mostly sleep-related) adjusting going on over here but we're figuring it out and loving it. I figured it's about time to talk about life lately.

Mostly, I've been hanging out in bed with my kiddo. He's a pretty light sleeper and if I move him too quickly after he eats, he wakes up and gets very fussy. I keep a book within arm's reach for now and I've been plowing through them at an even faster rate than usual!

Babyproofing Your Marriage: A little scary and disheartening at times, but generally good
Burned: I am really ready for this series to END already!! But, I really liked this one and I'm definitely hooked and wanting to know how it all ends!
Silver Linings Playbook: This is all over the Internet right now so I decided to give it a go myself. I am a bit emotional lately and it broke my heart at times, but it was generally really good. I'll definitely be adding the movie to our Netflix queue.

I'm already planning our first mini getaway with baby! It's very nearby, but it's still an adventure! Sigh, we're a real life traveling family!

SO. MUCH. LAUNDRY. 

My girl Steffani shared a grainless pizza brand with us recently and we're in love.

My perfect pizza: Italian sausage, onions, black olives. Mushrooms are also welcome.
Ryan's perfect pizza: pepperoni.
Salad and apple slices optional.

Since Ryan does the grocery shopping now, we have pizza at least once a week these days. We can't get over it. We're paying $12 for a gluten free pizza, which is what we normally pay any ways, except this one is big enough to satisfy us both AND we get to put whatever toppings we want on our respective pieces.

My first Mother's Day was Sunday!

Beautiful family picnic, frozen yogurt in bed, a beautiful card I'll cherish forever

I've pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I'll never catch up in the blog world... so tell me, friends, what have I missed in your lives lately?

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50 Nifty United States: Minnesota

Today's guest post is brought to you by my father-in-law who always cracks me up. Though he has lived in Arizona for the last 20-something years, he grew up in Minnesota and returns almost every summer to visit his family.

Where in Minnesota have you lived and for how long?
I lived in Windom, MN the first 19 years of my life. After that I lived in Duluth, St. Paul and Minneapolis for a few years.

What do you like about MN?
I like the trees and lakes, especially in the spring and fall. I like the green of MN. I like the boundary water canoe area (when it's not raining).

What do you dislike?
I dislike the bugs, lime disease, West Nile disease, poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, stinging nettles, HUGE mosquitos, humidity, cold 8 months of the year, minus 50-60 degree winters, red necks, hay fever, rag weed, unattractive chicks (lots of em)

Where are your favorite places to eat in MN?
Favorite place to eat (40 yrs ago) - Michael's Spaghetti House in Worthington, MN (I'd temporarily eat meat for a plate of that spaghetti & meatballs - nothing like it in the world! long gone, now, I'm sure)  Also in da woods.

Where are your favorite places to camp? Hike?
Duluth, the North Shore, Gooseberry Falls, the Boundary Water Canoe Area.

What do you think every tourist/vacationer should make time to see in MN?
Go see:  Paul Bunyan and the worlds largest ball of string!
Also: Shakopee, Home of 'Dan Patch'

Also: Windom!  Named after esteemed actor, William Windom!

What would you recommend they avoid?
Winter. late fall. early spring. late summer.

 

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