Roadtrip to Alaska: Day 6

**Before I continue, I would like to congratulate my Lady Falcons for winning the New Year's Blast Tournament back in Columbia, SC!! Way to go, ladies!! Ya'll are the awesomest!! :-)

Day 6 (12/28): Santa Fe, NM --> Tucson, AZ

Because we did not get to see Santa Fe much the night before, we got up early the next morning to walk around some more - despite the 13-degree weather - I had been looking forward to Santa Fe for quite a while, and it surely did not disappoint!

I love the adobe architecture!

This must be the coolest parking garage ever

Random picture of me on the street

The Laretto

Laretto Chapel

New Mexico State Capitol

More adobe!!

San Miguel Mission Church - the oldest church structure in the U.S. (ca.1610)

On our way to Tucson...and I absolutely love the sky and the clouds!! (See if you can spot the bird flying in the air)

My other favorite city of New Mexico! :-)

Did I mention I like the sky?!?

What? Sky?

We must be approaching Arizona...

Yep! ...and the speed limit is still 75! ;-)

Roadtrip to Alaska: Day 5

Day 5 (12/27): Amarillo, TX --> Santa Fe, NM

After attending church in the morning, we began our drive to Santa Fe. However, before long, I spotted "Cavender's Boot City". So Mama and I decided to go in and "look around." And yes, there was a lot to look at...

Well, somehow "looking around" turned into "trying them on"...

...and then I walked out with my own pair in the bag... These stores are dangerous, I'm convinced!!

It was a beautiful day, but the rest of Texas looked like a whole lot of nothing...


I was excited about going to New Mexico for the first time, though...

...even though it also looked like a whole lot of nothing for a long while

But one major reason for loving New Mexico is the speed limit! Doesn't it look like they really want you to drive fast?? ...that's how I took it anyway... ;-)

We got to Santa Fe a little later than anticipated, thanks to the boot shopping delay, but we walked around Santa Fe Plaza for a while even though it was too dark to take many pictures.

Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis Assisi

We ended our evening at a neat restaurant in the Plaza

Santa Fe, one of my new favorite cities, to be continued..

Roadtrip to Alaska: Day1 - Day 4

Day 1 (12/23): Columbia, SC --> Birmingham, AL

No pictures were taken for the first day, because there was not much between South Carolina and Alabama. I refrain from using the word "boring"...so let's just say that it was "familiar".

Day 2 (12/24): Birmingham, AL --> Memphis, TN --> Little Rock, AR

I had been watching the weather and knew that there would be some rain on the way, but I had no idea water would be pouring from the sky in such huge volumes...all day...

The weather, however, did not deter me from detouring slightly through Graceland...

Day 3 (12/25): Christmas in Little Rock, AR with the Audases/Gallaghers

The Audases got a Wii for Christmas - so guess what we did the rest of the day? Why run 5 miles up the hill when you can exercise in the comfort of your own living room?!?

It was on the verge of violence on several occasions! But boxing was a good stress relief, I must say, especially when you fight the right opponent!

We look very well-behaved in this picture!!

Well, not for long...

Day 4 (12/26): Little Rock, AR --> Oklahoma City, OK --> Amarillo, TX

1 1/2 days after Oklahoma City had its biggest snow storm ever, I decided to go for it...bravely or stupidly...

We stopped briefly at the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial as we drove through

This one hit harder than I thought it ever would...

We drove on toward Texas. One great thing about driving west is we get to see spectacular sunsets! I kept making Mama nervous by continuously snapping photos away while driving, especially on the snowy/icy parts...but I just couldn't resist!

Shamrock, TX - the Irish self in me needed a picture with the sign with my straw hat on...go figure!