The ABCs of Starting Over- OR to KY Roadtrip + WDW 50th Ann. Trip 9/28-10/4; Day 6 and REPORT COMPLETE!

[franandaj]

Not only is it a National Historic Site, but it’s also still very operational with skads and skads of Indian crafts and antiques for sale. If browsing for turquoise, blankets, baskets, or antique firearms is your thing, this is your place!

That's quite a collection of antique firearms!

We looked at the dozens of blankets for quite some time and learned that not all rugs are equal. By that, I mean some are made with all natural dyes and hand-carded wool, while others are made with artificial dyes rending brighter, more garish colors.

Interesting. I did not know that.

All told, it was around $800 that we plunked down- by far the most expensive souvenir for the entire trip.

Yikes! Who would have known that blankets could be so expensive?

We were given the "James Cagney Room" for our stay and while dated in a Route 66 sort of way, it was FAR nicer than The Copper State Motel in Ashford or the back of the car.

Pictures?

And when in NM, the right thing to do is order tamales “Christmas-style”. That means, half red sauce, half green sauce. Both are very spicy and spectacularly delicious.

I have heard of that, but I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to handle the heat in the sauces.

 

[franandaj]

Thanks for sharing the pictures of the hotel!

Sounds like a nice breakfast, and fun company. Although, I would have become a bit uncomfortable when comment about sex everyday came out.

I can't can believe that you drove away with the rugs on the roof. I'm glad that you were able to get them back. I'm guessing that one of your new found friends, perhaps even your "husband to be" saw them fall off the roof, and that's why you ended up going back.

 

[disneyAndi14]

Ahh such a quick courtship for youIt does sound like a very colorful conversation with these men!
Cool old western vibes at the motel and town. I love the clay pot you purchased.
I’m so sorry about the loss of the Navajo rugs, what a bummer!

 

[Steppesister]

Oh dear goodness I cannot believe you’ve lost the rugs!!! I really hope this has a happy ending and some kind soul has handed them in to the police for you. After such a lovely morning laughing and chatting I’m sure you were both sick to your stomachs.

I know.... Neither could we. It was a quiet, awful rest of the day.

But you'll have to stay tuned for how this ends- good or bad.

 

[Steppesister]

Well, congratulations on your engagement! You must've made quite the impression!

Sorry about your rugs, that's a kick in the pants, isn't it

I coulda had a sugar daddy, Kelly!! LOLOL!

It was such a huge loss and we were both really pretty torn up. But... stay tuned.

 

[Steppesister]

I love the hotel you stayed up. It would be fascinating just to visit it. The old telephone in the room is a classic.

It really is one the stand outs from Old Route 66 with so much more!! I loved the old telephone as well, along with the cig vending machine. LOL!

Breakfast sounds like so much fun. I bet the men enjoyed it as much as you did.

I honestly think they did too.

I didn't know that Navajo pottery was made with horsehair, but it probably makes it stronger.

Not all of it is made like that, but the stuff that is, is so unique and pretty. As for stronger? Probably, but I love how it was done primarily to honor a favorite or newborn horse.

So sad about the Navajo rugs. I'm hoping for a miracle here.

We shall see.....

 

[Steppesister]

Hands down the best story ever. Sounds like a perfect morning!
This is SO sad! Liesa I am heartbroken that those beautiful rugs were lost.

We sure were too!!

 

[Steppesister]

That's quite a collection of antique firearms!

Right?!! I'd imagine they'd be worth some green just like the rugs.

Yikes! Who would have known that blankets could be so expensive?

I know! But it's a nearly lost art now. Only a small handful of the older women still make them.

Pictures?

Ask, and you shall receive.

I have heard of that, but I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to handle the heat in the sauces.

They are VERY spicy to be sure. Not for the uninitiated.

Thanks for sharing the pictures of the hotel!

You're welcome!

Sounds like a nice breakfast, and fun company. Although, I would have become a bit uncomfortable when comment about sex everyday came out.

I found it so hilarious! He was super grasping at straws and whatever he could pull out of his quiver of desperation.

I can't can believe that you drove away with the rugs on the roof. I'm glad that you were able to get them back. I'm guessing that one of your new found friends, perhaps even your "husband to be" saw them fall off the roof, and that's why you ended up going back.

You know me all too well! LOL!! But, no we didn't go back a couple months ago to get the rugs.

 

[Steppesister]

Ahh such a quick courtship for youIt does sound like a very colorful conversation with these men!

Well, ya win some, ya lose some. It really was a very delightful morning of banter, some silly, some more practical.

Cool old western vibes at the motel and town. I love the clay pot you purchased.

It's definitely a stop worth making if you're ever in the area. I love(d) it too.

I’m so sorry about the loss of the Navajo rugs, what a bummer!

Yes, it truly was!

 

[princessbelle2015]

I am so sorry about the rugs. Hope you were able to get them back.

 

[Steppesister]

I am so sorry about the rugs. Hope you were able to get them back.

Well, hello there!! Glad you are here and hope you come back often!

Stay tuned as I hope to have another update up tomorrow.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

That looks like a really fun place to stay!

As the article says, the Wild West vibe is real as is the glamour days of movie stars who came for both R&R and to use as lodging during filming on nearby locations. Zach and I thoroughly enjoyed walking around the building and seeing the old photographs of lavish costume parties with elegant catering and portraits of the stars on set. There was tons of memorabilia as well that were fun to see.

I love a place with great history. Seems like it's been kept up very well too.

When the waitress came to refill my coffee, she leaned over and quietly whispered in my ear that "(your) tab has been taken care of by the table next to you." I was both surprised and pleased, and said thank you to them after she had left.

Wow, that's awesome. Chivalry is not dead.

Over the next hour or so we just shared stories, talked about where life had taken us, and generally bull$hitted our way through the morning. We became fast friends and I think there was a mutual amusement of how an unexpected guest at the table gave a freshness to their morning ritual. Each revealed a colorful past: one was 3rd generation immigrant who ran a very successful ranch, one was the former Chief of Police of Gallup, one a former elected County Sheriff, and the last, the first gentlemen at the table (I didn’t find this out until later), was a former owner of…. The El Rancho Hotel.

What a neat little divine appointment. I'm glad you had that time to spend with these guys.

As our breakfast wore on, the first gentleman quite abruptly and with a deadpan tone looked straight me and blurts out, “Hey wanna marry me?” The other 3 burst out laughing and the one to my right retorts, “I wish I could say he’s joking.”. For the next 20 minutes he tried in vain to convince me to stay in Gallup and live out my days married to a stranger: “I have a lot of money.”, “I like sex every day.” “I can cook a mean steak and have a nice house.” “Wanna Porsche?” My neighbor quickly reminded me that the first rule of the table was to not believe a word any of them said.

That's awesome.

There was laughter, and cheer, and this morning reminded me of all that is still good in this world- the way things used to be that is hard to find these days.

I love it!

Sadly, Zach and I needed to get on the road and start making our way to Las Cruces, so we packed up our things into the car and hit the highway.

About 4 hours into our drive, Zach nearly yells out, “MOM!!! Where are the rugs?!?!”

“They’re in the back, we put them in there when we were packing stuff in the car.”

“I didn’t, did you?”

Oh no! NO!

The best we could guess was that somewhere in the first mile or so, they’d rolled off and someone scored $800 worth of Navajo rugs. There was nothing to do but continue our journey. The next morning, I filed a police report with no hope whatsoever of seeing those beautiful, loved rugs again.

Wow. What a sickening feeling. I hope that despite the odds this has a happy ending.

 

[missjackiemcg]

I was a couple of updates behind, but all caught up now. Loving this adventure, just you and Zach and the open road! The pictures, as always, are just gorgeous. What a wonderful breakfast with new-found friends and congratulations on your proposal!

So sad about the beautiful rugs I'm hoping this story has a surprise happy ending!

 

[ambula603]

I am holding my breath about these rugs... and just about sick for you! Otherwise, I am loving the report!

 

[MaleficentMe]

The rugs!! I'm on pins and needles - and really hoping for a happy ending!!

 

[Steppesister]

I’m happy to finally be able to announce that I’ve been accepted into a Masters/Family Nurse Practitioner program beginning in either May or June!! It’s been a lot of pondering and weighing the pros and cons, but I made it in!

 

[pooh'smate]

I’m happy to finally be able to announce that I’ve been accepted into a Masters/Family Nurse Practitioner program beginning in either May or June!! It’s been a lot of pondering and weighing the pros and cons, but I made it in!View attachment 658740

CONGRATULATIONS

 

[princessbelle2015]

Congratulations on being accepted!

 

[pkondz]

the historic El Rancho Hotel for a night of re-living the glory days of old Western films, the glitz and glitter of Hollywood with a New Mexican twist.

Sounds like a pretty cool place... and your photos prove that it is.

Zach and I thoroughly enjoyed walking around the building and seeing the old photographs of lavish costume parties with elegant catering and portraits of the stars on set.

I'd do the exact same.

Sadly, I recognize only a few...

Cool!

Now him I recognize!

That carpet just screams of the area.

Artsy fartsy shot.

I couldn’t help but to wonder what kind of naughty, secret soirees happened upstairs after the parties wound down.

I'm sure everyone just went to bed to sleep afterwards.

Here are the photos from the “James Cagney Room” we had.

I never think of Cagney as a cowboy. More of a gangster. The Public Enemy of course comes to mind.

Love that phone. Was it in working order?

Shower... leaves a little to be desired.

That clock is awesome too.

(A sample of what some of the turquoise looked like in the gift shop.)

You do seem to like your turquoise.

A side note about the pottery technique: The clay is "mined" on Navajo Lands from special clay pits. It is then mixed with horsehair for that unique spalted look you can see near her hand at the top.

Huh. Interesting. I read the description from the link. I like the backstory.

I got a table in the café and perused the menu.

I've never had Huevos Rancheros, even though I used to make it at work (my first "real" job, not my current, of course.)
Really need to fix that.

It was easy to overhear their conversation which consisted of stories of days gone by, politics, the coffee…

Bet it was real interesting.

When the waitress came to refill my coffee, she leaned over and quietly whispered in my ear that "(your) tab has been taken care of by the table next to you."

Very nice of them!

We could use a bit of beauty and youth at our table.” I laughed and made a joke about being neither,

Respectfully disagree with you, there.

“The first rule of the table is: Don’t believe ONE word of what you hear here!”

Over the next hour or so we just shared stories

Sounds like you had a real nice time with these gentlemen.

About 4 hours into our drive, Zach nearly yells out, “MOM!!! Where are the rugs?!?!”

“They’re in the back, we put them in there when we were packing stuff in the car.”

“I didn’t, did you?”

Oh, no!!!

I nearly vomited in grief.

 

[pkondz]

I think there'd be something for everyone. If Indian stuff doesn't appeal, they sell ice cream.

I'm in!

I didn't price them at Hubbels, but on Etsy and other sites that I just looked at, from $450 up to $50,000.

Holy smokes!

Admittedly I very rarely watch tv at all. But with recommendations like that I might just have to make time. Might have a whole lot less of that though for the next while. More on that I hope soon...

And now I see what you mean...

I’m happy to finally be able to announce that I’ve been accepted into a Masters/Family Nurse Practitioner program beginning in either May or June!! It’s been a lot of pondering and weighing the pros and cons, but I made it in!View attachment 658740

Hey! That's great! Good for you! Congrats and good luck!