BRIDGET’S LIST

https://www.apartmentguide.com/blog/how-to-cleanse-your-house-with-sage/

2. Prepare your space with proper airflow

When cleansing with sage, it’s crucial to have good ventilation. Open a few windows and doors to allow airflow, helping the smoke to carry away the energy you’re clearing from the space.

This airflow not only keeps your home ventilated but also symbolizes releasing negative energy. Writer Bridget Douglas recommends leaving your window open “for at least an hour after to air it out.” She also recommends using “house plants and/or an air purifier to clear the air after burning sage.”

My grandfather, Bill, died in September after three years of battling vascular dementia. We knew the moment was coming for a while, but it still stung. He has always been one of my favorite people in the whole world. I wish I could’ve spent more time with him in these last few years, but I’m lucky for the many times I did have with him. He was born in 1946 and lived in Northern Virginia his whole life. He met my grandmother Ola when they were in high school, then had my Dad, Steve, and got married, both in 1966. They had two more children, a daughter, Dawn in 1967, and a son, Mark in 1973.

Bill had both a challenging and rewarding life. His birth name is John William Douglas, but he’s always gone by Bill. Bill is a common nickname for William. His mother Lorena, died when he was only eight years old from Ovarian cancer. He and his sister Ann were left to live with their father, Doug, and their grandmother. Doug was guilt-stricken over the loss of Lorena and from what Bill said, would sometimes take it out on him and not be as present as he could be. His grandmother didn’t seem to be the sweetest either. He told stories all the time about his childhood and adolescence. Every story seemed to take place on Mount Vernon Avenue in Alexandria. One story he told many times was about him and a group of friends acting as if they were in a gang and all made one small tattoo prick with blue ink on their hands. He had a small blue tattoo prick between his thumb and index finger. I forget which hand. 

In addition to the many stories of growing up in Alexandria, he talked of going to Colonial Beach in Virginia for vacation when his mother was still alive. He also went to Minnesota a few times, where his mother grew up, and talked of his French relatives speaking French to him while they were out fishing on the lake. He had quite the memory and was always pulling out a new story about his younger days, and I always enjoyed hearing them so much.

Due to the passing of his mother at a young age, he learned early on that he had to look out for himself and started working and never took a break until he retired. One of his first jobs was at a laundromat in high school; the laundromat seemed to be the hangout for him and some of his friends; it’s even where he met my grandmother. Two of these friends ended up being lifelong friends until his passing, Ernie and Robert ‘Bobby’ Frear. Not many people have that kind of longevity with friendships, but Bill is the kind of guy you can’t help but get along with forever because he’s so non-confrontational. I grew up seeing Ernie a lot, who, like Bill, has lived in Northern Virginia his whole life. Ernie would always come over during the holidays with his wife and kids. 

For most of his working life, he worked at several Safeway grocery stores all over Northern Virginia. He said he had been held at gunpoint about five different times by people attempting to rob the store or one of the registers. He worked several positions, including receiving grocery loads and stocking shelves overnight through the early morning. Upon many visits when I was younger and hanging out with my grandma, he’d be sleeping during the day because he’d have to go to work in the middle of the night. I asked him if he enjoyed his years working at Safeway, and he said he hated every second of it but did what he had to do to put food on the table, pay the mortgage, and save up for retirement. In his generation of the Baby Boomers, it was common to work at the same company for decades, which isn’t as much the case anymore. 

After retiring in his early 60s, he was only at home for about a year when he got restless and got a part-time job as a security guard for the CIA. We would always ask him what it was like to work there, and he would joke and say, “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.” The joke goes back to the common knowledge that FBI and CIA officers are legally not being able to divulge information related to work. He said the job was super easy, and he enjoyed it; he just loved staying busy. Whether walking the dog, going out to get groceries, or mowing the lawn – he thrived on making himself useful. 

Every time I stayed with him and my Grandma, he would be up around 5 AM, reading the paper, drinking coffee, and ready to tackle the day. I would always be the next to wake up, and I’d come down to the kitchen and see him reading the newspaper. He would always read the obituaries, and I’d ask why he always liked to read them, and he’d reply, “Checking to see if I’ve died yet.” He was such a jokester but in a subtle, humble way. I loved sitting in the mornings with him, whether at him and my grandma’s home in Springfield, Virginia or at their beach trailer in Fenwick Island, Delaware. He was so chill; we’d sit quietly on the porch or in the kitchen, drinking coffee, and occasionally talking about something in the paper or about the weather.

He was a pretty simple man, and I admired that about him. He never saw a need to argue with anyone, even if they were yelling at him. He was even-keeled. His favorite drink was Miller Lite and drank at least one every night. His favorite place was Fenwick, sitting on the beach with a case of cold ones. Every summer his skin would turn golden brown from being out in the sun daily for hours. Other things he enjoyed: the Washington Redskins (now the Commanders, of which he held season tickets for many years), tuna sandwiches, Tostitos with a hint of lime, and of the local restaurants in town: Springfield Pizzeria. 

Springfield Pizzeria was the only place he ever wanted to eat when asked where we should go out to dinner. He was a homebody at heart but would always be down to go there. It was a very old-school family-friendly Italian joint. Bill’s restaurant mannerisms were something to behold. Every time the check would come, he’d hold the pen and look at the check, and he’d flick the check with his hand and blow on it several times before signing it. We laughed each time he did it. It was a funny way of non-verbally saying, ‘It’s breaking my heart to spend this much money,’ so he’d prolong signing it. Upon leaving, he’d grab a toothpick from the hostess stand and pick the food out of his teeth, and he’d place the toothpick in his mouth with the kind of swagger of a 1950s greaser.

Bill prided himself on being clean and neat. One of his many sayings that he would quote a lot was, “If your feet are funky, and your ride funky, you funky,” meaning if someone’s shoes and car are dirty, then it’s a tell-tale sign that they are a slob. If someone wasn’t wearing the proper attire for the weather that day or hadn’t showered recently, he’d call them a ‘Scode,’ which the Urban Dictionary defines as ‘the lowest form of white trash.’ He made sure to look fresh and always dressed in a particular way. His everyday look was blue jeans, New Balance tennis shoes, a crisp T-shirt, and a nice baseball cap. His home, yard, and car were always pristine.

The greatest loves in his life were always his dogs. The first dog of his that I knew at a young age was Randy, a red golden retriever. My sisters, Amy, Claire, and I would help him shovel Randy’s dog poop from the backyard into trash bags. I don’t remember too much about Randy because I was so young. But I do remember when he passed away, Bill was distraught. He and Ola’s second dog I grew up knowing, Nikki, was a Jack Russell whom my Dad found and surprised them with as a gift. Nikki was around for a year or two before Randy passed, so at least when he passed, they still had Nikki to ease the grief. A few years later, they adopted another Jack Russell, Rudy, named after Rudy Guilliani because he was born on 09/11, and Guilliani was the mayor of New York City when the 09/11 attacks happened. 

I remember taking many mid-day walks with Bill, walking Nikki and Rudy. The walks were always so peaceful. Bill wasn’t the biggest talker in the world, but he always had a story to tell when the time seemed right. He’d talk about history or his adolescence, and I’d always be so intrigued to hear what he had to say. I really looked up to him and how hard of a worker he was, what good care he took of his dogs, and how all-around kind he was. Nikki was more of Ola’s dog, and Bill loved him some Rudy. Nikki passed at around 15 years old. Then Rudy passed which was tough for Bill. So, of course, they got another canine friend, a labrador retriever named Rocky. Rocky is about eight years old now. 

I grew up allergic to dogs, so whenever I’d come to visit, my eyes would swell up and it was harder for me to breathe because of the dog hair; I didn’t understand his or anyone’s love for pets since it always made me feel so sick to be around them. Bill and Ola also had a black cat named Buster. Buster just blended into the background; he didn’t interact with humans much, he was more of an outdoor cat. Bill wasn’t as close with Buster as he was with the dogs, but he always made sure to feed him well and take good care of him. I never thought I’d have a pet due to my allergies growing up, but my fiancé, Scott, convinced me that we should get a Basset Hound puppy. I gave in, and luckily I’m not allergic (I think I mostly grew out of my animal allergies). Now, after over a year of having our dog, Poogie, I can’t imagine living without him. One of the last times I saw Bill, he met Poogie and I told him I didn’t think I would ever get a dog, but I’m so glad to have Poogie. Bill then said, “Once you have one, you can’t live without them.” That summed up the immense love he had for his dogs. 

In addition to loving his pets, he loved his family. Growing up when my sisters and I wanted to go visit them in Springfield for the weekend, my parents would drive us halfway from where we lived outside of Richmond, VA, to a McDonald’s in Spotsylvania. Bill would meet us at the McDonald’s, we’d all have a bite to eat, and he’d drive us up to his and my Grandma’s house. When I got older, he would pick me up from the train station and the airport several times. When at his house, he would always ask what we wanted for dinner and breakfast, and run out to the grocery store to get it. His famous dinners included homemade angel hair spaghetti with ground beef and tomato sauce which was delicious, and good old frozen Digornio pizzas. Every time he’d take the pizza out of the oven, he’d attempt to bite into a slice right away and would say, “Hot, hot, damnnn hot!,” because he knew it would make my sisters and I laugh.

My favorite times with him were during the holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas, and during the summer at his and Ola’s beach house. His presence was always comforting. He was so full of love and kindness – but not in an annoying smothering way, but in a quiet, gentle way. At the beach, he would take my sisters and I to mini-golf and ice cream, and we’d come back at night and talk on the porch. We could see the Fenwick Island lighthouse lit up in the dark and he’d pretend to be a vampire “I am the lighthouse vampire, muah-ha-ha!” and it cracked us up every time. 

His humor was unmatched. At his funeral after-party, we all reminisced on the funny sayings he had: “She doesn’t have enough a** to feed a sick baby a bowl of soup,” pretending to be a samurai, speaking in Japanese; the list goes on. My Dad and his brother and sister can all attribute some, if not all, of their comedic ways to him. The bond that he had, especially with my aunt Dawn, was very special. Dawn, like Bill and Ola, with the exception of being a traveling nurse for a year, has lived in Northern Virginia her whole life. They always got along, and he had such love for her sons, my cousins, Finn and Luke. He would watch them all the time and go to all of their baseball and basketball games. Dawn, having gone through a divorce when Finn and Luke were young, not having their Dad around all the time, Bill was like a father figure to them. 

But the most important relationship in his life was with my grandmother, Ola which began when they were both 18. She got pregnant with my Dad and gave birth to him when she was 19, which prompted Bill and Ola to get married a couple months later. I can only imagine having kids and getting married at such a young age, but it was more common back then. With another two kids in between, they managed to stick their marriage out until he passed, having been together for almost 50 years. They joked around with each other more than anything and I think that humor, their kids, love of the beach, good movies, family and friends made for a solid foundation and connection. 

As his granddaughter, we did so many things together: riding his friend’s boat on the Potomac river, going to Mount Vernon (George Washington’s home), getting spoiled with Dunkin Donuts or Baskin Robbins, venturing to the playground and him pretending to be the ‘Big, bad wolf,’ playing basketball in the backyard (the game H-O-R-S-E, to be exact), teaching us how to boogie board at the beach, riding bikes to the pier – but most of all, just hanging out. Being in his presence was joyful. 

He was a music lover too: Neil Young, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, The Band, Patsy Cline, and James Brown to name a few. I remember riding in the car with him, my grandma and sister to the beach through the countryside of Delaware and Bill crooning to ‘Wild Horses’ by the Rolling Stones. There are many memories like that, I’ll always cherish. In addition to crooning, he was a pretty darn good dancer. I, myself, like to boogie down to a good tune, and a lot of times he and I would be the ones dancing to a song during the holidays with my uncle Mark singing and playing guitar and the rest of the family laughing along. 

The thing I loved the most about Bill was that he was never unkind – he never said an unkind word to me in my life. He never judged me, only when I’d wear shorts and flip flops when it was too cold outside. When he was diagnosed with dementia, the couple of times that I visited after that, he wasn’t quite the same person. He knew who I was, but I couldn’t have a conversation with him quite like I used to, just a little bit of talking here and there. His last three years of life were tough physically and it was hard to see him like that. As someone that always liked to be active doing yard work or taking the dogs out, he wasn’t able to do those things anymore and it was difficult for him to live that way. As tough as it is when someone dies, it’s almost better for them to be out of their misery and not suffer anymore when they’re going through years long decline.

He was 77 years old when he passed. I was able to FaceTime with him the night before and tell him I loved him and that he was the best grandfather in the world. I think of him often but not in the way of ‘why isn’t he still here’ but in the way that I’m so incredibly grateful to have had him in my life, and that he was my grandfather – the funniest, kindest, most hardworking, and all around great person. I love you, Pop-Pop Bill.

I have a winter birthday, January 19th to be exact, and living in Colorado, it’s not always the most ideal time to travel due to snowstorms. I always like to do something exciting on my birthday though, despite the snowy weather, generally going out of town for the weekend. For my 28th birthday, my fiancé, Scott and I went skiing in Breckenridge, and on my 30th, went to Joyful Journey hot springs and Great Sand Dunes National Park. 

I had been wanting to go to Albuquerque, New Mexico since 2015 when we were on a six-month tour with Scott’s band when passing through New Mexico where they had a show in Santa Fe. I tried to convince him to stop in Albuquerque, but we didn’t have much free time. I was mostly interested in going there because I’ve watched the whole Breaking Bad series which takes place there. 

Anyways, fast-forward to more recently, I decided we would go there for my 32nd birthday this past January. And this winter has been no joke, we had the most snow, and most extreme cold since we moved here in 2017. Luckily, on the Saturday morning we were driving down to Albuquerque, it wasn’t snowing in Denver and we knew New Mexico wasn’t snowy… but we didn’t check the weather of the towns in Southern Colorado… we were in for a semi-rude awakening. 

We stopped for breakfast in Pueblo which is just south of Colorado Springs. We went to Solar Roast Coffee and got coffee and breakfast burritos. If you ever need to stop for coffee in Pueblo, I would go to Solar Roast, there aren’t many options in Pueblo, but this one is solid. It has a cute, artsy vibe and they also sell their roasted coffee beans which you can buy in the coffee shop – you can also buy the beans online or at most Natural Grocers grocery stores in Colorado.

About 30 minutes south of Pueblo near Walsenburg, it started lightly snowing and gradually got worse. The weren’t a ton of cars on the road which was good, but the visibility and road conditions weren’t the best. By the time we were passing through Trinidad, it felt like a full-on blizzard. The sketchiest part was Raton Pass which is the mountain pass over the Colorado border to New Mexico. 

I was actually warned by a co-worker at the time about being safe when crossing the Raton Pass because the weather conditions can be rough combined with the windy roads that crawl up the mountain make for a dangerous combination. My co-worker’s premonition turned out to be true. The whole drive on the Raton Pass was pretty scary, I felt fearful at times – but luckily, Scott is a really good driver, I don’t think I could’ve done that drive.

Once we crossed the border in New Mexico, the snow let up, and the sun came out. We breathed a sigh of relief and vowed to check the weather a little bit closer for all future road trips. As you can see in the photo above, the roads are clear, and the skies are blue.

We stopped at a gas station about 30 minutes past the border in a charming little town which had pretty adobe houses everywhere. When driving through any town in New Mexico, you’ll notice that turquoise blue is prominent just as adobe houses are. There wasn’t a lot in the town, so much so that an older man that lived in the town was hanging out in the gas station at one of the dining tables watching TV and chatting with the cashier. I should note, it was a nice gas station, very clean, and even had a freezer full of locally-made breakfast burritos.

The drive was breathtaking, with vast grasslands and mountain backdrops – similar to Colorado Front Range, but New Mexico overall has less housing and developments crowding the views. Then we drove through Santa Fe where we had already been in 2015, laden with a multitude of gorgeous adobe houses in the hills surrounding the city.

Just an hour southwest of Santa Fe sits Albuquerque to the west of the Sandia Mountains. The mountains are unique looking, they’re craggy and don’t exactly look easy to hike up. The elevation is 5,312 feet above sea level, only 32 feet above Denver’s which is 5280 feet. It’s very much a high desert landscape.

The photo on the right is my sweet Poogie taking a nap. When we first started driving with him, he would get very anxious and scared, but after several hours-long road trips, he’s used to it and now enjoys road trips. I sit in the backseat with him to keep him company while Scott drives.

We were scheduled to arrive in Albuquerque around 3 PM, and the first thing on my agenda (since it was my birthday trip) – see Walter White’s house.

I was expecting Walter White’s house to be in a nice neighborhood, which it wasn’t a horrible neighborhood, but the houses were close together and right behind a shopping center, so it wasn’t exactly what I imagined. If you haven’t seen the show Breaking Bad, it’s about a chemistry teacher (Walter White) in Albuquerque that gets cancer, and teams up with one of his students (Jesse Pinkman) to cook meth in order to pay his medical bills, and naturally, chaos ensues. 

A family actually lives in the house, and apparently hates when people come to visit and take photos, so as you can see, it’s fenced and coned off to prevent people from running up on the lawn and trespassing. It was cool to see, but not as exciting as I thought it would be. After that, our goal was to find some legit Mexican food.

We navigated to one place which no longer existed, then to a taco truck that was closed, so we had to keep searching. I looked at nearby restaurants on Yelp, and Los Olivos popped up and had 4.5 stars. I always try to go places that are 4.5 stars and above. If it has 4 stars or less, chances are its mediocre.

We needed whatever restaurant we were going to to have a patio so that we could have Poogie with us while we dine, so that always narrows down our choices. Yelp has a ‘Dogs Allowed’ filter which is always helpful. Anyway, we pull up to the restaurant, and it’s in an unassuming area, kind of an automotive repair shop/industrial area. The parking lot was spacious, and it didn’t seem too busy. I knew they had a patio, but I wasn’t sure if they allowed dogs. I went in to ask if we could sit outside and if dogs were allowed – the male waiter was kind and said yes. We had to walk Poogie through the inside of the restaurant to the door that took us out to the patio.

The patio was cozy, it felt like we were in somebody’s home. The walls were painted bright colors and of course some hints of the signature New Mexico turquoise. It was a little chilly considering it was still January, so the waiter set up the large heat lamp next to us which was great. We had the patio all to ourselves; quite relaxing after spending several hours in the car. I got a cup of coffee, too, adding to the coziness.

So we know the environment at Los Olivos is great, the coffee is good, and the chips and salsa you can tell are homemade – but what about the tacos?! I knew in my soul that they were going to be amazing. Scott ordered Birria tacos which I had never heard of until then, but they’re basically half taco, half quesadilla – tacos lined with cheese with a side of Birria stew laden with spices that you dip the tacos in. The dish originates from the Mexican state of Jalisco. I tried a bite and it was delicious, super flavorful.

I got four carne asada tacos and a side of rice and beans for Scott and I to split. I think they were the best tacos I’ve ever had, and I’m not even exaggerating. They were the Mexican street taco style with just a corn tortilla, meat, diced white onion, cilantro, and lime wedges. And Scott and I have been to several border towns in Mexico on a tour with his band, stopping in Tijuana, Mexicali, San Luis Colorado, Nogales, and Agua Prieta – so we’ve had our fair share of real Mexican tacos. The tacos are simple in the ingredients but so above par in flavor – and it seems the flavor is all about how you marinate the meat. The salsas were next level, too. The whole experience of dining here was perfect.

Other than seeing Walter White’s house, getting some exceptional Mexican food was at the top of my list for this trip to Albuquerque, and I can safely say: mission accomplished. Up next, get our nature on.

We found a trail near our Airbnb on the edge of a nice neighborhood, the City of Albuquerque’s Foothills Open Space. There are some gorgeous houses in that area, many of them have elements of the signature New Mexico adobe house, but bigger and grander. It was a short enough and easy hike to take Poogie on. We weren’t wanting to do a long hike, just enough to pass the time until we could get into our Airbnb, and enough to get a taste of the landscape.

The weather in Albuquerque is a bit warmer than in Denver, but it was January, so when the wind blew, it was a bit chilly. The landscape was gorgeous – I loved all the cacti and the yellow flowers popping out of the cactus plants. Poogie is so low to the ground being a Bassett hound, we had to dodge him around the cacti so that he wouldn’t get poked by the thorns. (After the hike, we checked his ears, and he did end up having tiny cactus needles on his ears that we had to pull out.)

Here’s a picture of Scott and I on the hike, just as proof that I was there 🙂 I don’t have many photos of myself, but I have thousands of photos of Poogie and Scott.

The trail in one direction has views of the Sandia foothills, and on the other, an expansive view of Albuquerque’s skyline and beyond. It was 4:30 PM, around sundown, so the lighting highlighted the whole landscape beautifully.

There was just a bit of snow on the trail, but not enough to warrant winter hiking gear. I highly recommend this trail if you’re visiting Albuquerque for the views of the city and the high desert landscape. Short and easy hike, and accessible/easy to get to from the city.

We chilled in the car for a bit after the hike until we could check into our Airbnb at 5 PM – we were only a few minutes down the road from it.

As we were getting close to the house, I knew it would be nice because the neighborhood was stunning with adobe New Mexico-flare houses that backed up to the foothills. We pulled up to the cute one level which had hints of New Mexico turquoise trimming. The host, Jennifer, greeted us at the driveway and showed us to the side gate to access our room. She is in the army reserves and moves around often, doing Airbnb hosting for a few years in the various cities she’s moved around to. She had only lived in Albuquerque for about a year and said she’s relocating to Florida within the next year though she was enjoying her time in New Mexico.

Jennifer showed us to the side gate to the back side of the house and up onto the deck. The deck was super long, with half of the deck being where our room was, and the other half to the left the main quarters where our host resided. We walked up to the sliding glass door and entered our access code into the keypad. As we walk in, we hear the sounds of birds in a peaceful forest coming from a bedside noise machine. The room was pristine; the bed had a crisp white bedspread and a welcome basket on it with two small wine bottles and glasses, a bag of dog treats, and even an Albuquerque postcard which we now have on our fridge at home. The room was bright, and the decor had a Southwest flare. And lots of amenities: a Keurig coffee machine with creamer and flavored syrups, hot chocolate, tea, and a basket full of snacks.

The host was dog-sitting the sweetest Great Dane and let him come over to our room to play with Poogie. She even let Poogie come over to her side of the house to hang with her and the dog, so all night they were wandering in and out of all sides of the house and running through the backyard.

The house sits more elevated in the foothills, making for a great view of the city skyline and beyond. We sat on the back deck and watched the mesmerizing and expansive sunset. Just one day in Albuquerque, you appreciate the surrounding beauty – it’s a big city with so much around it being untouched land.

On top of the gorgeous views from the deck, there was a legit fire pit on the deck and a hot tub. I mean, you really couldn’t ask for more from an Airbnb.

We were full from our late lunch at Los Olivos, so we just ate muffins from the complimentary snack basket, with plans for a big breakfast in the morning. We got the fire pit going and sat around it for about two hours which was very relaxing after a long day.

Scott took advantage of using the hot tub; I was too tired to join. He was totally in his best life mode with a glass of wine and wrapped up in one of the bathrobes that the host provided. I just relaxed on the comfy bed and watched Antiques Roadshow.

There was a dog bed on the floor for all guest’s dogs to use, we tried to get Poogie to sleep on it, but we were unsuccessful since he always sleeps in the bed with us. We went to sleep relatively early to enjoy the city the following day and do another hike before driving back.

We woke up around 8 AM; check-out at an Airbnb is usually around 11 AM, but we wanted to get out earlier to get breakfast. We let Poogie go over to the other side of the house to play with to dog again. He was having such a good time he didn’t want to leave. It was such a nice stay, so we gave it five stars. I highly recommend selecting places to stay that are as close to 5 stars as possible. The higher the rating, generally, the better the experience.

Something worth noting about Albuquerque, most restaurants are closed on Sundays, so I had to research to find a good open spot. I came across the Grove Cafe & Market on Yelp, which is open every day except Mondays from 8 AM – 2 PM. It has 4.5 stars and an extensive menu with breakfast and lunch options.

The Grove is located downtown and has a big parking lot, so parking is easy. The patio wasn’t open since it was still semi-cold in January, so we couldn’t dine outside with Poogie. I just went in and ordered take-out; the line was super long, I can imagine since it’s one of the only places open on Sundays. It has a pretty interior, very spacious and bright. I liked the book decoration on the center table ‘Foodheim’ by Eric Wareheim (he starred in the goofy Adult Swim series, Tim and Eric Awesome Show from the early 2000s). I ordered two coffees, avocado toast for me (my guilty millennial pleasure), and a breakfast sandwich for Scott. The staff there seemed to mainly consist of hip college students that were attentive but also too cool to be too attentive.

It took about 30 minutes until it was ready, and then we ate in the car on the way to our hike. The food was pretty good; it got us satiated and ready to hit the trail.

Scott found a trail, Rinconada Canyon Trail, that has some ancient Petroglyphs on the black volcanic rock along the trail. There are several trails around Albuquerque to spot Petroglyphs; this is just one of them. The trail was only a 15-minute drive from downtown.

The trail had a very desert-y vibe. I can imagine this trail in the summer can get hot, so we were there at a good time. The trailhead sign warned of rattlesnakes, which is concerning for Poogie being so low to the ground, but I think it was still too cold for them to come out of hibernating.

Here’s an expansive view of the volcanic-black rock to the right of the trail. The Petroglyphs don’t appear until a ways down the trail when the rocks become more and more prevalent, and you can see them up close.

Of course, Scott was the first to spot a Petroglyph; he’s got quite the eye. If you’re unable to spot them, there are some helpful educational signs along the way that signal where some of the Petroglyphs are and where. Above to the left is a Petroglyph of what looks to be a deer or an animal similar to a deer. To the right, what looks to be a warrior and some other symbols around it.

The black rocks are the remains of a Volcanic eruption around 200,000 years ago. The Petroglyphs were carved into these rocks by Ancestral Pueblo People. The dates that these Petroglyphs were carved range mainly between 1300 AD to the late 1600s. It’s unclear what the exact meaning is behind the images.

The trail is pretty short, 2.2 miles roundtrip. We did most of the hike, then got in the car and headed home after getting gas and H20 for the road.

The drive back to Denver is a little over six hours, so not too bad. I think six hours is the max to drive somewhere and stay for one night. And the weather was 100 percent sunny on the whole drive back. 

By the time we hit Pueblo, CO, we were starving – having only eaten a banana between breakfast and then. I got on Yelp and found a 4.5-star hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint, Vazquez Taco Shop. It’s on the outskirts of downtown in a quiet area with a couple of other businesses around. I got a Breakfast Burrito, and Scott got a Quesadilla. My burrito was stuffed with French fries rather than diced potatoes; it was pretty dang good. And Scott’s Quesadilla was gigantic, as you can see in the photo above. 

We made it home by 5 PM, just enough time to relax before going to work the next day. What’s funny is about a week or two after we went, I started seeing various billboards around Denver promoting Visitalbuquerque.org – I guess I had the idea before it was in style.

(Worth noting, one of the things the city is known for is hot air balloon rides and the big balloon festival they have every October.)

I highly recommend visiting ABQ, if not just for the legit Mexican food all over the city.

Natural Grocers

Multiple locations in Colorado and several other states

I am starting with my go-to grocery store. There are several locations all over Denver and just about every area of Colorado. Everything at Natural Grocers is organic, which makes shopping healthily very easy. Every location is relatively small, and so it’s always a stress-free shopping experience. It has an extensive supplement section, bulk flour and seeds, healthy cookbooks, and a small packaged meal section. Most products are eco-friendly and sustainable as well. Some of my favorite things they carry are Honey Mama’s chocolate, Organic Girl lettuce, all of the organic produce — literally everything, I love it. It’s also a bagless store! You can either bring your own, buy a reusable bag, or grab a card box from the bin by the registers.

Leever’s Locavore

2630 W. 38th Ave., Denver

This place is super, super cool. Only one location settled in Denver’s Highlands neighborhood; it has a 50s vibe with a modern twist. It’s got everything you’d ever need: local produce, a butcher, a sushi counter, pre-made salads and dips, take-out dine pizza, and beer. But also all of your grocery and household needs. It carries local Denver coffees, which makes it super unique, in my opinion. In addition, you can find local kombucha, beer, and other local food brands. It’s got quality herbs, supplements, and natural beauty care as well. And like I said, with the 50s vibe of the exterior, they even play old-school music in there as well. It’s a quality, exciting local grocery store.

Marczyk Fine Foods

770 E. 17th Ave. and 5100 E. Colfax Ave., Denver

Marczyk Fine Foods is the staple neighborhood market in Denver, with locations on 17th and East Colfax. It specializes in quality meats and seafood through its butcher counter. It also has a sandwich counter and a ton of in-house dips, roasted garlic, and specialties like chicken salad, southwest bean salad, pre-made sandwiches, and lots more. Also, they have a vast beer and wine section. One of the best aspects is their emphasis on local food makers like Bjorn’s Honey, Dar Chocolate, Copper Door Coffee, Sweet Action Ice Cream, and tons of local produce. It’s a great place to stop in and buy ingredients for a fancy dinner — and don’t forget the wine (or kombucha if you don’t drink) and dessert.

Sprouts Farmers Market

Multiple locations in Colorado and several other states

Sprouts is a top grocery store in Colorado; it’s a relatively big store and a healthier alternative to King Soopers. It has an extensive bakery selection, pre-made meals, butcher, and sushi counter. It has a giant bulk candy and nut section, which is pretty cool. The produce section is about half organic, half not, so you’ll have to check the labels and signs. Its packaged food section is all pretty healthy. Whether you’re vegan, gluten-free, paleo, it has options for everyone. It has bulk coffee, eco-friendly household products, lots of CBD-infused products, and a supplement and clean beauty section. Sprouts is my second go-to after Natural Grocers.