Back in 2016 to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of Nana Banana and Sport we all went to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. It took us seven years to get the whole gang to do another big family trip, but we managed to all gather again in 2023.
This time around the destination was Santa Fe. Nana Banana and Sport generously rented a house that fit all the Bowes, Balestraccis, and Hannens. We just had to get ourselves there for a week of fun in the New Mexican sun. On day one we visited the downtown plaza in Santa Fe to check out the Indian market and explore the area. All the grandkids were present and accounted for, as this picture can attest.
As the group started dividing up, Sarah suggested that the older crew hit up one of the spots on the Margarita Trail. It's not that often that this group participates in day drinking, but it was the beginning of a great vacation and everyone was up for the fun.
We had a lot of great things planned for our trip, and one of the first adventures took us to Albuquerque at dawn for a hot air balloon ride. Amazingly enough we got a balloon that fit all eleven of the folks who wanted to see the sights from up high. You can see us all smiling in the basket here. However, it must be noted that there was no door to get into the basket - you had to go up and over. It was an impressive feat for the older members of our group.
The ride lasted for about an hour and was incredibly peaceful and uneventful. We were one of 8-9 balloons that went up that morning which made the experience interesting as the balloons jockeyed for position and relayed information about the prevailing winds and possible landing spots. One of the coolest parts was watching all that went into preparing the balloons and then the actual landing and packing up of the balloons. It was a very neat experience.
The house we rented was a very cool adobe style house and had everything we needed, including a dinner table that fit all of us at once. In addition it had a great patio/covered porch. One night it served as a perfect spot to watch an incredible lightning storm in the distance over the hills. It would have been tough to find a better place for the week, especially since it was only minutes away from downtown.
Another adventure we ended up taking was Bandolier National Monument, which was a relatively short drive away. We hiked up to the cliff dwellings and even got to climb inside of them. A few hardy souls went to the end of the trail to climb the ladders into the Alcove House. Those who turned back to head to the visitor center got caught in a massive rainstorm while the folks in Alcove House got stuck in the cliff dwelling for a period of time. Needless to say only a couple of people stayed dry.
The most unique experience of the trip, however, was a visit to the Meow Wolf Immersive Art Experience and Interactive Exhibit in Santa Fe. This is truly something that you have to see to believe because it defies explanations. For example, this picture shows John as he heads into the dryer of a house in order to go down a short slide that goes into another room. We also have a video of Nana Banana emerging from a refrigerator.
The girls did end up having a fun time running from one area to another and seeing what strange or intriguing thing was around the next turn. We stayed there for a couple of hours but if we really got into the interactive part could have been there for much longer. We saw that they also have adult only hours in the evening with drink service that might take the experience to a whole new level.
Throughout the week few had days where some folks went in one direction and others took a different path. On this particular day Uncle Brian took the girls climbing at a local spot and paddle boarding at a nearby lake. Callie in particular loved the opportunity to flex her climbing skills and both she and Reese were impressed with Zoey and Uncle Brian.
While the girls went climbing, John, Sarah, Katie, Michael, and Nana Banana drove up to Taos to visit the Taos Pueblo. This pueblo is over eleven hundred years old and there are still families who occupy some of the residences year round. We were able to take a tour and it was incredible.
Another Santa Fe hotspot that we visited was the Georgia O'Keefe Museum. Normally you wouldn't think an art museum would appeal to the super young in particular, but everyone seemed to love Georgia. The Museum has a great audio tour you can get through your phone and we all learned a great deal about her incredible life and the artwork she produced. Two thumbs up for this museum from the whole crew!
When we weren't looking at art produced by others we were being entertained by the young members of our group. Honestly we don't remember what they were doing here, but this picture captures our favorite place at our Airbnb. The patio was big, covered, and had a great view of the surrounding hills. We started and ended every day with time on the patio. We think Sport and Nana Banana were especially grateful for this space.
Our last night in Santa Fe we went down to the Railyard area, had dinner, and enjoyed a concert by Ozomatli. Sarah and John remember seeing Ozomatli back when they lived in southern California, and it was great to hear them live again. This is now the second time the extended Bowes family has done a trip like this and we may finally be getting the hang of it. Wonder where we will go next?
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