But it's a DRY heat
I'm running a little behind lately. Being out of town (out of STATE) for over a week will do that to you.
Back on July 4, Hubby and I flew out to Durango, Colorado, by way of Denver, to visit my best friend, Leta Burns, who had helped me with the details of No Way Home.
While there are no immediate plans for a follow-up to Zoe Chambers' New Mexico adventure, I'm definitely not writing off the possibility. Maybe even a short story to revisit those characters. That makes this a research trip. Right?
RIGHT?
Yes.
The flight was lovely. While I was hemmed in for the Pittsburgh to Denver leg, I had a window seat for the flight over the mountains to Durango. Still snow-capped in July!
We arrived safely at the Durango Airport, where Leta picked us up for the 45 minute drive south to what's become my second home: Aztec New Mexico. Prettiest drive ever.
Meet our housemate for the trip. Elsa is Leta's fur baby. She's shy--run first, ask questions later--but she quickly accepted us as her humans.
Let me tell you about the heat. It was hot. Mid-to-upper 90s on the good days. A hundred or so on the REALLY hot ones. I maintain the "dry heat" of the southwest is much more tolerable than the wilting, dripping, humid head of Pennsylvania, but let's not kid ourselves. Upper 90s is HOT, "dry heat" be damned.
We did venture out a few times in spite of the potential for being baked. One trip was to the town of Durango. We had lunch at our usual spot--the Strater Hotel's Diamond Belle Saloon. Then Hubby and I took a stroll while Leta (the smartest of the three of us) sat in the air-conditioned lobby and people watched.
How hot WAS it in Durango, you ask? It was so hot, Leta's windshield cracked when we turned on the AC to come home. That's HOT.
Here are a couple of shots of Main Street in Aztec, including my favorite spot to get chile rellenos: Rubio's!
Our next adventure took us to Durango again. North of Durango, actually, to the Bar D Chuckwagon! If you ever have the chance, you MUST go to one of their shows. The location is gorgeous, the food is delicious, and the musicians are talented and hysterically funny!
One of our last excursions took us back to the "scene of the crime." The area where much of No Way Home was set.
We stayed here on our FIRST trip out west back in 2013.
Abe's Motel and Bait Shop. Yeah, it's pretty much exactly what it sounds like. But we had a great time!
And just to prove there IS water in New Mexico, we visited Navajo Dam, which is also mentioned in No Way Home.
And that about wrapped up our 2017 trip west. We wore poor Elsa out!
Back on July 4, Hubby and I flew out to Durango, Colorado, by way of Denver, to visit my best friend, Leta Burns, who had helped me with the details of No Way Home.
While there are no immediate plans for a follow-up to Zoe Chambers' New Mexico adventure, I'm definitely not writing off the possibility. Maybe even a short story to revisit those characters. That makes this a research trip. Right?
RIGHT?
Yes.
The flight was lovely. While I was hemmed in for the Pittsburgh to Denver leg, I had a window seat for the flight over the mountains to Durango. Still snow-capped in July!
We arrived safely at the Durango Airport, where Leta picked us up for the 45 minute drive south to what's become my second home: Aztec New Mexico. Prettiest drive ever.
Meet our housemate for the trip. Elsa is Leta's fur baby. She's shy--run first, ask questions later--but she quickly accepted us as her humans.
Let me tell you about the heat. It was hot. Mid-to-upper 90s on the good days. A hundred or so on the REALLY hot ones. I maintain the "dry heat" of the southwest is much more tolerable than the wilting, dripping, humid head of Pennsylvania, but let's not kid ourselves. Upper 90s is HOT, "dry heat" be damned.
We did venture out a few times in spite of the potential for being baked. One trip was to the town of Durango. We had lunch at our usual spot--the Strater Hotel's Diamond Belle Saloon. Then Hubby and I took a stroll while Leta (the smartest of the three of us) sat in the air-conditioned lobby and people watched.
How hot WAS it in Durango, you ask? It was so hot, Leta's windshield cracked when we turned on the AC to come home. That's HOT.
Here are a couple of shots of Main Street in Aztec, including my favorite spot to get chile rellenos: Rubio's!
Our next adventure took us to Durango again. North of Durango, actually, to the Bar D Chuckwagon! If you ever have the chance, you MUST go to one of their shows. The location is gorgeous, the food is delicious, and the musicians are talented and hysterically funny!
One of our last excursions took us back to the "scene of the crime." The area where much of No Way Home was set.
We stayed here on our FIRST trip out west back in 2013.
And just to prove there IS water in New Mexico, we visited Navajo Dam, which is also mentioned in No Way Home.
And that about wrapped up our 2017 trip west. We wore poor Elsa out!
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Comments
I have had such a great summer traveling all over the world thanks to my Facebook friends. I love New Mexico so it was with special delight that I got to visit the Aztec area. Thank you for adding to my virtual travels. Your pictures are wonderful!