New Mexico Trip

Ferdinand and I seem to have a tradition of going out of town for the first weekend of summer break.  The first year we were married we went camping and the following two years we went to Glenwood Springs.  This year we wanted to try something different.  Well, we definitely got what we wanted. 

We decided to go to New Mexico for a few days.  We have been wanting to go to Santa Fe for a while now and we decided this year we would go!  Here was our original trip itinerary: 

Thursday:  leave straight from my school to drive to Questa, NM to camp for two nights.

Saturday:  Drive to Santa Fe and stay for one night.

Sunday:  Drive to Albuquerque to stay with my Gram Cracker and Gramps for the night.

Monday:  Drive home.

Ferdinand was really looking forward to camping in New Mexico and he found a great campground with the trail head of a promising hike included.  We planning on hiking on Friday from our campsite and we were really excited.  The campground was basically empty and we were very secluded.  Sorry I don't have pictures of this camping area, we didn't get a chance to document our experience there.

We got in to the campsite around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday so we didn't do much but check things out and set up camp.  The next morning our trip changed its course quite a bit. 

It was a bit chilly in the morning, actually I was freezing all night which was strange since it wasn't that cold (in the 40s) and I had two sleeping bags over me.  That should have been my first clue.  Ferdinand wanted to drive up the road to find a fishing spot for later that day.  We found the spot and found Red River, NM which has a ski area and it was the cutest authentic ski town I've ever seen. 

When we got back to camp, I stayed in the car to read for a little bit until it warmed up outside.  While I was reading I started to get dizzy so I put my book down and yelled out the car window to Ferdinand that something wasn't right.  I thought maybe I was going to throw up.  Well, very quickly I got tunnel vision and then I guess I fainted.  Luckily I was sitting down already and that I had told Ferdinand that I wasn't ok.  He came up to the car and by the time he got there I was out cold.  All I remember is having weird vision and then he was shaking me and calling my name.  When I came to I could hear all the blood rushing back to my head through my ears.  It was scary. 

After I while I was able to get out of the car and I went and laid in the tent to drink some water and warm up.  I thought I should call my doctor and find out if this is normal for a pregnant woman.  They said that no, this is not normal and that I needed to be checked out by a doctor as soon as possible.  They were very concerned.  Well, that was enough to freak us both out.  Ferdinand packed up our tent and campsite as fast as he could and 45 minutes later we were on our way to the hospital in Taos. 

I went and checked myself in to the ER while Ferdinand tried to find a nice shady parking spot because it was almost 90 degrees and we had Sadie in the car.  Once I was in my own room, Ferdinand came to join me, but he couldn't stay long because they don't have many trees in Taos and he couldn't leave Sadie in the car for very long.  Thank goodness for cell phones and texting!  We were constantly texting back and forth so it wasn't like he was far away.  He was with me.

So, during my two hours in the hospital they gave me an IV, drew a ton of blood, checked my blood sugar, listened to the baby's heartbeat, did an ultra sound of the baby and tried to give me an EKG (which I refused because by that time I figured I was just badly dehydrated).  The baby and I were both fine and the doctors concluded that I was just dehydrated and they ordered me to take it easy for a day or two. 

UGH.  Because of this little event, Ferdinand won't let me go camping for the rest of the summer....we'll see about that!

We left Taos and checked into our crappy hotel in Santa Fe a night early and we just rested the rest of the day.  I felt so badly that I ruined our camping trip that Ferdinand was so looking forward to.  He was so understanding and was just concerned for my health and the baby's health.

Saturday we woke up and went to the Plaza in downtown Santa Fe for a little gallery walking and shopping.  We took Sadie with us and most of the stores and galleries allowed us to bring her inside.  Santa Fe is very dog friendly!  We loved looking at all of the art, sculptures, pottery, and jewelry.

This is the church in the Plaza -  St. Francis de Assisi

Street view of the church.

Old Town Santa Fe

When we got back to the hotel we decided to hit up the pool.  This is what it was like for the first hour.  I had to get in the pool because I can't lay out on my stomach! 

 Then, all of a sudden a DJ started setting up and 20 teenagers descending upon us.  They were having a pool party!  Ferdinand had his earphones on listening to music but I had to listen to 15-year-olds flirt with each other.  So. Annoying.  I went back to the room to hang with Sadie!

Later that night we went to a yummy authentic New Mexican dinner at Maria's.  It was delicious.  Sunday morning we woke up and drove down to Albuquerque.  We hung out at my grandparents house all day which was so nice and relaxing.  I love them.  They are the cutest grandparents in the world!  We had a great time chatting with them.  My cousin Claire, her fiance Chris and his two daughters came over for dinner.  His daughters are 6 and 4 and they are hilarious! 

All in all it was a fine vacation.  Not really one that we want to repeat, but we will be going back to our campsite in Questa - that is once I'm cleared for camping again! ;)