Kristi's Spot: Summer Goodness update

Its been a really nice couple of weeks. Grant is becoming quite the fish, thanks to his continued time in swimming lessons. Brett has attended blast camp and the Danny Granger Basketball camp, and got to have a sleepover with his buddy Tally. I have to tell you - Danny Granger is one tall guy! But the biggest highlight of the summer so far (besides florida) was the Welton Family road trip to a restaurant called Rancho de Chimayo in Northern New Mexico.

Now everyone knows that some of our most exciting travel experiences happen when we trave with my dad. This trip was no exception. As three trucks with all the Welton kith and kin pulled out of the parking lot in Bernalillo, the sun was shining, the kids had smarties, and our path to dinner was a fairly innocuous route through the Jemez mountains to a small city called Chimayo, New Mexico. Unfortunately, as we approached the town of Jemez Springs, we noticed that the creek next to the road was an angry red, roiling opaque river, even though the sun was shining in our neck of the woods. Then we started driving over some wet road, a few mud puddles, a small stream of red water, and then we knew we were in for an exciting ride. On the outskirts of town, we had to wait to go down the road because there were a few rocks the size of VW bugs sitting in one lane, effectively making the road a single lane. However, all of us had our "big trucks" and safely navigated towards our final destination.

As we approached Battleship Rock, the clouds got angrier and darker, and Frank and I looked at each other - maybe we would see some rain afterall. As we rounded a corner by Hummingbird music camp, there were emergency vehicles roadside, with folks looking puzzled. A quarter mile further, and there was a tow truck with his cable extended far over the side of the road, surrounded by emergency vehicles. I think there were more emergency personnel along the road that day than the entire population of Jemez Spring.

By this time, the skies had opened up, and it was just raining buckets. We continued the drive to Valle Grande with rain, sun, heavy rain, drizzles, heavy rain, and the glorious smell of wet pine and aspen. Then at Valle Grande, things turned ugly! Pop! pop, pop! Rat-a-tat-a-tat! Pea and marble sized hail bombarded the trucks as we crossed that expanse. But weather will not get between the Weltons and their food, and what's a little hydroplaning between family members?

The hail cleared on the outskirts of Valle Grande, and we drove like Banshees toward Los Alamos on a twisted, slopey, windy road. Whether the motivation was to find a bathroom because we'd just listened to it rain for an hour, or to make sure we didn't lose the reservation for dinner, I am sure we slipped and slided our way through the Bandolier background at a rate higher than legally acceptable. When we finally stopped in Los Alamos, ostensibly for one person to take a potty break, I think over the course of the next 15 minutes, almost every family member hit the bathroom, of course, one at a time. We called and reset our reservations from there, and then started the final leg of our birthday sojourn.

When we finally arrived, the restaurant was wise enough to set us in a room off to the side. The kids found the mud puddles in the patio amazingly fascinating, as they did a giant grasshopper sculpture. Dinner was marvelous - red chile enchilada, hot sopapillas, flan for desert, and even a little hike or two for those interested. Dad was at the center of attention - with all his admiring children and grand children celebrating the fun afternoon.

Alas, all good things must come to an end, although sooner for some than others. When we finally left around sunset, we all went separate ways - some more separate than others. Frank and I took the Nambe Fall's route back to Pojoaque, Scott and Ronda raced out the way we came, and Dad and mom went for an evening cruise through Espanola before returning home. I'm sure his black headband helped him blend in.

Alls well that ends well - and it was a marvelous day!