On the Homefront: Traveling by Train from Lamy, NM, to Pittsburgh, PA, and Back - Is It Worth It? Part 3

At the end of my last post, I had settled in for the night in my roomette and slept surprisingly well.  In the morning, I woke up to the view shown above, a view that would pretty much dominate the landscape once we left Colorado and until the train reached its final destination at Chicago's Union Station - miles and miles of endless cornfields!  I got myself ready for the day and headed to the dining car for an early breakfast.

The breakfast menu had a decent number of choices, freshly prepared of course.  I opted for the simple scrambled eggs with cheese and fried potatoes, and enjoyed my tasty and well-cooked breakfast.  My only objection was that, as a tea drinker, I only had the option of Lipton tea, which I do not like.  Fortunately I always bring my own teabags when I travel, so I asked for hot water and milk and brewed my own cup of Twinings English Breakfast tea.  After breakfast I headed back to my room, which the car attendant had set up for the day by folding up the bed, removing the sheets, and setting up the seating areas again.  I was still feeling a bit queasy, but I was able to do a few stretches in my roomette by bracing my feet against the opposing seats to keep from falling over on the moving train!  Then I sat down to read and watch the cornfields go by, getting out at the few stops where we had time to disembark to walk around and get some fresh air.

We were due to arrive in Chicago in the early afternoon and luckily our train was on time.  After spending about 24 hours on the train, I was ready for a break on solid ground!  I received a message from Amtrak before arriving at the station which let me know that, because I was a passenger in a sleeping car, I had the privilege of waiting for my connecting train to Pittsburgh in the Metropolitan Lounge.  Having never been to this station before I was not quite sure where to find the lounge, but I asked a couple of security guards for directions and found it pretty easily.  I showed my ticket to the attendant at the counter in the entrance to the lounge, where I was given a ticket for use of the lounge and waved through to the seating area.

The lounge is not fancy, but it is clean and has plenty of comfortable seating as well as outlets for recharging any devices such as phones.  There are also snacks and beverages available (I think they are free but I did not get any so I am not sure), as well as several televisions set on a couple of not very exciting stations (game shows or old TV shows).  I only had a few hours to wait for my train, and I was fortunate enough to sit near a couple of women who were friendly and chatty, so I passed the time pleasantly until my train to Pittsburgh arrived right on time.  One of the women unfortunately had to wait hours for her long-delayed train to San Francisco, and another train passenger mentioned that the station had pretty much shut down the night before because of an unexpected loss of power, so I was very lucky to have arrived when I did!  When my train arrived a porter escorted all passengers from the lounge to the boarding platform so that we would not have to wander around trying to find it ourselves, which was very convenient.

The train trip to Pittsburgh was about 12 hours and pretty much mostly overnight.  We boarded in time to have dinner, so after I dropped my belongings in my roomette I went to the dining car.  I shared a table with another woman passenger and we both ordered the salmon from the menu.  There was no chef on this train, so unfortunately the meals were pretty much the same as prepackaged airplane food, edible but not especially good.  My poor fellow passenger was on her way to South Carolina, and the approaching Hurricane Idalia meant that her train from Washington DC to her final destination had been cancelled.  She would be stuck in DC until Amtrak could reschedule her train, and because the cancellation was weather-related she was responsible for finding a place to stay until then.  She planned to spend her time waiting in the train station lounge instead of trying to find a hotel, which sounded ghastly to me.  Apparently if a cancellation is due to some sort of man-made snafu, such as the power outage in Chicago, Amtrak is responsible for accommodating passengers, but if cancellations are weather-related then Amtrak is off the hook.  So my tip number five when traveling by train is to try to avoid destinations and/or times of year when inclement weather may lead to train cancellations!

My train was scheduled to arrive at Pittsburgh's Union Station at 5 o'clock in the morning, and my brother who still lives in the area was coming to pick me up.  For some reason, even though we were traveling at night, the train ended up being an hour late.  I texted this information to my brother so that he would not have to wait at the station for an hour.  The train station in Pittsburgh is undergoing renovations so it is not looking at its best right now, but thankfully my brother was there to meet me so I did not have to wait in the station.  It was actually a good thing that the train arrived so early in the morning, as the station is right in the middle of the downtown area and later in the day traffic would be horrendous.

I finally arrived at my destination for my family's little Labor Day reunion, still a bit queasy, in need of a shower because I was not willing to take my chances on falling in the train shower on a moving train, hungry because I disembarked so early in the morning that breakfast was not available, and desperate for a chance to take a good walk for some exercise after spending so much time sitting or lying down on the train.  But at least I made it!

In the next post and hopefully final post in this series, I will give a quick summary of my visit and then describe my return trip by train.  And you will finally find out if I considered this mode of travel worth it!  See you in the next post for my trip back home.

On the Homefront: Traveling by Train from Lamy, NM, to Pittsburgh, PA, and Back - Is It Worth It? Part 2

As I mentioned in my first post, boarding the train at the Lamy Train Depot was a hurried affair as we only had a couple of minutes before the train pulled out again.  Once we were all on the train and it began to move, our car attendant began showing us to our rooms.  I was on the second level, so I was directed to the very narrow and steep staircase that went up to this level.  I had two small but heavy suitcases plus a large tote bag-type purse.  Two of these I could carry on my shoulders, but the small spinner bag had to be hoisted up the stairs step by step, which took a while but, with the help of fellow travelers, I eventually made it to the top.  I found my room and placed all my bags inside, and the car attendant showed up to explain how everything worked.  A roomette has two beds, one that folds down from the ceiling and another that is created by folding out the two seats that face each other so that they meet in the middle.  The attendant comes around in the evening to set the bed(s) up for each passenger.  The space is quite adequate for one person, but for two people the larger rooms would be a more comfortable option.  There are controls for the lights, and a call button for the attendant should the need arise.  The fixed windows facing the outside have curtains, as do the doors and windows facing the inside aisle.  The door to the roomette can be locked from the inside, but not from the outside, so my tip number two for train travel is not to bring any valuables that you cannot carry with you if you leave your room (tip number one was in my first post).

One thing I should have anticipated but did not was the fact that motion sickness was going to be a problem.  For some reason I thought train travel would be similar to flying or going on a car trip, which means I cannot read but otherwise I feel fine.  Being on a train, however, is more like being on a boat - there is a lot of side-to-side movement, which really brings on the nausea for me.  Tip number three for train travel is remember to bring Dramamine if you are prone to motion sickness!  Unfortunately, I did not have any, but luckily I did have one thing that really saved my stomach, which was a bag of almond butter pretzel bites that I brought as a snack for the trip.  Apparently salty carbohydrates and nuts can reduce nausea, and these little snacks did the trick for me.

I never did get used to the rolling motion of the train, and had a hard time staying on my feet in the moving train, but luckily the aisles are narrow and I could brace myself on the walls when necessary.  I even found that I could read if I stayed in a semi-prone position, which was easy to do in a roomette (yet another reason I was grateful I did not travel in coach!).  I decided to skip lunch and stay in my roomette until dinnertime, hoping that my stomach would be settled enough to handle an evening meal.  I managed to take a short nap but woke up when it started to rain.  We had had pretty much no rain all summer in New Mexico so it was good to see the precipitation, but it began to rain so hard I could not even see out of the window.  And then the train got hit by lightning!  The power blinked off for a few seconds and an alarm went off briefly, but fortunately there was no damage and we continued on our way.

Needless to say I was wide awake now, but the conductor told us that this stretch of the trip was a good opportunity to see wildlife, and I did get to see a pronghorn antelope before my dinner reservation time was called.  The train stopped in the little town of Raton in the mountains of northern New Mexico, and we were permitted to get off of the train for a few minutes before dinner in Raton.  I jumped at the chance to walk without being thrown from side to side in the train!  I have always liked Raton, as it is such a cute little town and is situated in an area of stunning scenery, but for some reason the economy has always been depressed and that does not seem to have changed in the decades since I was there last. 

After I got back on the train I made my way to the dining car which was the one just in front of my sleeper car (my stomach seemed to have settled sufficiently to handle eating a meal).  As it was a weekday there were not many people on the train and most opted for the later dinner service, so only a few of the tables were occupied.  I sat by myself and ordered quite a good meal from the impressive three course dinner menu - mixed green salad, oven roasted salmon, and a chocolate toffee mousse.  Best of all, as I was waiting for my dinner, I saw a huge herd of elk at the base of the mountains off to one side of the tracks, including a huge bull elk with an impressive rack!

My meal was served and it was excellent!  I highly recommend the trip from New Mexico to Chicago just for the dining experience, as this trip has a chef on board and the food is as good as any you would get in a restaurant.  The salmon shown above was freshly prepared, and if you are a chocolate lover you will swoon over the chocolate mousse pie (the portion is huge - I wished I had someone to share it with as I could not finish the whole serving).

As we sat in the dining car the outside world suddenly went dark - we were passing through the Raton Tunnel, the highest point on the Old Santa Fe Trail.  I managed to get a picture of this sign on my return trip:

After dinner I returned to my roomette and waited for the attendant to prepare the bed for the night.  After he was done I brushed my teeth in the tiny little bathroom and got ready for bed.  The disadvantage of a roomette is that you must share a bathroom with fellow roomette passengers on your sleeper car, and there is only one bathroom on the second level.  There are three bathrooms and one shower on the first level and you can use those as well, but as my balance was so bad on the moving train I decided it was not safe for me to attempt to use the shower.  The bathrooms, unfortunately, are just like airplane bathrooms, utilitarian but not especially pleasant.  This would be another reason to opt for a room if you want to spend the extra money and especially if you are traveling with another person, because at least you would not have to share the tiny bathroom with strangers!  Oh, and tip number four for train travel is try not to wear long pants into the bathrooms - it is almost impossible to keep water from splashing from the tiny sink to the floor in a moving train, so wear pants that will not drag on the floor (if your pants are long, roll up the hems).

Luckily I found that the same rocking motion that made me nauseous was actually soothing when I was trying to sleep, like being rocked in a cradle, so I had no trouble sleeping on the train.  The bed was actually pretty comfortable, and the only problem I had was that the heating and air conditioning system in our car did not seem to be working properly - it alternated between being too warm and too cold.  Since the weather was still very warm (and stayed that way for the duration of my trip, except for a brief cool spell in Chicago on my return) it took a while before the temperature in my roomette was comfortable, but I still managed to get a good night's sleep.

Okay, let's end this travel saga here and pick up again in the morning in the next post!

On the Homefront: Traveling by Train from Lamy, NM, to Pittsburgh, PA, and Back - Is It Worth It?

My husband standing in front of the cute little Lamy Train Depot on a beautiful late summer day.

I moved to New Mexico in November 2019, and have not been away from the Santa Fe/Albuquerque area until just recently, mostly due to the pandemic.  This year I decided it was finally time to travel back east to visit my family, whom I had not seen for at least five years!  My siblings and I chose Labor Day for our little reunion.  However, I am still reluctant to travel by plane as I find airports less and less appealing as I get older, so I decided to give train travel a try.  I had never been on an overnight train trip before but have always been intrigued by the idea, so I figured it was finally time.  And what did I think of the experience?  Read on and find out!

The closest train station to Santa Fe is in Lamy, New Mexico, which is a tiny little town with a tiny little station.  My trip would take me from Lamy to Chicago's Union Station, where I would get a connector train from Chicago to Pittsburgh's Union Station, the closest train station to the town where I grew up.  Amtrak has a website where you can create your own travel schedule and pay online, so I gave it a try.  Our neighbors, who had just traveled by train to Chicago to visit family and had a positive experience, told me to make my reservations as soon as possible if I wanted to get a roomette like they did (small room with two fold-out beds and no bathroom, as opposed to coach, which is just a seat on the train, or a room, which has at least two beds plus a bathroom).  I tried to make my reservations six months in advance but the website would not let me make round-trip reservations from Lamy to Pittsburgh, only from Albuquerque to Pittsburgh, so I waited another month and tried again.  I kept running into this problem until two months before my trip, when suddenly I could make the reservations I wanted.

It took me about half a day to arrange a schedule because by this time roomettes were in short supply.  I originally planned to spend five days with my family and had to extend it to ten just to get a roomette for each of the four legs of my trip (Lamy to Chicago, Chicago the Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh to Chicago, Chicago to Lamy).  Fortunately my time was flexible enough to allow for this.  When I finally had a schedule that worked for me, I went to checkout to pay for my tickets.  I was asked if I wanted trip insurance and chose to buy it as I had never traveled by train and did not know how reliable it would be.  Unfortunately, when I went to finish and pay, my credit card would not work.  Concerned that my card was somehow compromised, I called the credit card company, only to be told that the transaction had never even come through at their end.

My next step was to call Amtrak, which took forever as with most customer service calls.  After almost an hour I finally got a representative.  She also could not get my transaction to go through, so she started over and was successful in getting the tickets I wanted, but she had to omit the trip insurance, telling me that I had to call their insurance company and set that up as a separate payment.  This was luckily relatively easy to do, but apparently it was because of trying to add the trip insurance when paying online that my transaction was unsuccessful.  So tip number one - if you try to buy a ticket with trip insurance online and it does not work, try omitting the trip insurance and buying the ticket only.  If you still want trip insurance you will have to call customer service for the number of the insurance company, so be prepared to wait on the phone until the Amtrak representative can get to you.

The great thing about train travel is that there is no long wait through security to get on the train, but if you are at a small station like I was be prepared to board very quickly as you will literally only have a couple of minutes before the train pulls out again.  Another great thing is that the luggage limit on trains is very generous - two bags weighing 50 pounds each plus two bags weighing 25 pounds each per person! - but be aware that you may have to lug all of these bags up a very steep and narrow flight of stairs if you have a second level room.  The car attendant will help you if they can, but that climb is still a challenge with a bulky bag.

The day finally arrived for my trip and my husband drove me to the Lamy Train Depot.  I loved the cute little station, but Amtrak recently decided to change the full-time station master to a part-time one.  Since I was leaving on a weekday, this meant that the station waiting room was closed, so everyone was forced to sit outside with no access to a restroom, except for some port-a-johns in a nearby little park (the weather was hot and sunny, but there is a shady covered seating area).  Also, there are two restaurants in the town, but both are closed on weekdays until the holidays (we did know that so we ate before we left).  I returned on a Saturday and the very nice waiting room was open, so I think more people travel by train on the weekends (at least one of the restaurants was open as well, and my husband had lunch there as he waited for my train to arrive).

The daily train to Chicago pulling into the Lamy Train Depot (our knowledgeable little friend and my fellow passenger in the lower right foreground).

The station master and his wife arrived briefly about half an hour before the train arrived and the wife asked if we needed to use the rest room (we did not but it was nice of her to ask).  She also told us to check the train status on the Amtrak website to make sure the train was on time (there is free Wi-Fi at the station), because there had been times when the train was up to three hours late!  Thankfully my train was on time.  As we waited a few more passengers arrived - I was beginning to think I was the only one getting on at this station!  A cute little boy and his father, both seasoned train travelers, were among our fellow passengers, and the boy kept us entertained with his knowledge about trains.  The train finally arrived, all of the passengers quickly boarded after telling loved ones a hurried goodbye, and I was finally off on my first train trip.  As this post is getting a bit long, I will end here and continue my tale in an upcoming post.  See you on board next time!

On the Homefront: Two of Our Favorite Places to Visit in Santa Fe

If you ever get to visit downtown Santa Fe, the two places that my husband and I recommend are the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and the nearby restaurant Fiesta Oaxaca.  We have been fans of the museum since it first opened in 1997.  We got to visit the first week it opened, and it was then that I discovered my favorite artwork by O'Keeffe, her painting entitled "Rust Red Hills" (1930).  Exhibits change on a regular basis, and the artist's works from other museums as well as objects from her Abiquiu house are often displayed in addition to the museum's own collection.  We went to see the recent exhibit "Georgia O'Keeffe: Making a Life" and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I just adore the colorful interior! (from the restaurant website)

The restaurant patio open to the outdoors on a lovely warm day.

Just a short walk away from the museum is one of our favorite restaurants, Fiesta Oaxaca, which features moles, one of my husband's favorite foods.  He loves to order their Mole de Oaxaca, a chicken dish smothered in a dark mole sauce which is rich and deeply flavorful.  My favorites include their Enchiladas de Mole de Oaxaca and Chilpachole de Mariscos, a tasty seafood soup that is so satisfying on a cold day.  Be sure to order their mole tasting appetizer, which includes the five different moles they serve.  (I look forward to trying their mole de verde the next time we dine there!)  The restaurant has a wonderfully colorful interior as well as a patio that is completely enclosed and heated during the cold months but open to the outdoors when it warms up.

Across the street from both the restaurant and the museum is the Santa Fe County John Gaw Meem Historic Building,  designed by Santa Fe's most acclaimed architect and recently restored to its original glory.  It is worthwhile stopping by to visit the beautiful courtyard (shown above) and to admire the wonderful southwestern architecture.

"Homage to the Burro" by Charles Southard (1988)

From the restaurant it is an easy walk to the downtown plaza via historic Burro Alley, which is my favorite street of course (I described it previously here).  As you head to the plaza, be sure to stop by my husband's favorite place, Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery, which has an amazing collection of beautiful southwest Native American pottery, including the works of Maria Martinez.

Right now is a lovely time to visit Santa Fe, as we had a relatively wet spring and wildflowers are blooming everywhere.  The landscape is very green and the mild temperatures are so comfortable for exploring the city.  Oh, and one more activity you may enjoy while on the plaza is a visit to the rooftop bar at the famous La Fonda on the Plaza for a drink, appetizers, and a spectacular overview of the city and surrounding mountains.  The rooftop bar is only open during the warmer months, so if this appeals to you plan your trip accordingly!

This 'n That Thursdays: I'm Dreaming of a Hawaiian Vacation

All images from Airbnb

While I am not the most enthusiastic traveler, the pandemic even has me dreaming of flying off to a faraway destination for a vacation.  One of those destinations would be a trip to Hawaii's Big Island, and the Kuono Airbnb near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park would be a wonderful place to stay.  The modern-style house sits in an Ohia tree forest and is the perfect size for two, although it does sleep up to four people.  There is a small kitchen, a washer and dryer, and Wifi access, so it would be the perfect relaxing retreat.  A hot tub on a private lanai plus an outdoor gas firepit are added benefits.  This cabin would be like a home away from home, and there are many attractions on the Big Island that can all be visited in a day.  I am not the type to seek out nightlife in the big city, so after a day of touring island attractions I would prefer to spend the night relaxing in the quiet of a secluded location like this little house.  Take a look at a few of the photos of this vacation:

The main indoor living space

The comfortable-looking bed in the sleeping area

A small but efficient kitchen

A hot tub on the lanai, with the fire pit in the foreground

Inviting night time view past the lanai to the fire pit

A closer look at the fire pit, and the Ohia tree forest beyond

🌵🌵🌵✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈🌴🌴🌴

Just seeing these pictures has me looking forward to the time when we can travel safely again and visit all the destinations on our bucket lists!  What destinations are on your list?

This 'n That Thursdays: Spend a Special Night in Lucy the Elephant!

From Weird N.J.

If you plan to be in the New Jersey area on March 17th, 18th, or 19th and would like to find a unique place to spend the night, you may just get lucky and be one of the select few to book a stay in Lucy the Elephant.  Lucy the Elephant is a national historic landmark in Margate, New Jersey, the oldest roadside attraction in the United States and the largest elephant in the world (read about her fascinating history here and here)!  She has not been open to overnight guests in over 100 years and these bookings are a limited time opportunity, so if you are interested read on!

From NJ.com

The Save Lucy Committee, a nonprofit dedicated to Lucy's upkeep, has partnered with AirBnB to provide one-night stays to three couples who are the first to book their reservations, which will become available at noon on March 5th (today!).  For only $138 (the number was chosen because it is Lucy's age this year), each couple will get to spend the night inside Lucy, specially furnished by AirBnb just for these rentals, with access to the entire structure, including her riding carriage rooftop.  They will also receive a guided tour with the mayor of Margate, dinner at a local restaurant, all-night access to Lucy's gift shop, and breakfast in their room before checking out the next morning.

From AirBnb

From NJ.com

The goal of these special one-night stays is to kick off a major fund-raising event for Lucy's upkeep, as she is scheduled for a major renovation later in the spring.  Should you not end up not being one of the lucky few to schedule a stay, Lucy the Elephant is also open for tours.  If you are anywhere in the area, be sure to visit this one-of-a-kind public attraction, and/or consider making a donation to help preserve this historic attraction for future generations to enjoy!

From NJ.com

             

This 'n That Thursdays: Visit a Haunted House for Valentine's Day!

I'll bet you didn't see this one coming!  There are an impressive number of reputedly haunted houses opening their creaky old doors just for Valentine's Day - you can check out the list by state here.  While there are no options available in New Mexico, if I were going to be back in Georgia for the holiday we would have three locations to consider, including the Folklore Haunted House,

Lake Joy Trails of Terror,

and Netherworld Haunted House.

While this is not the sort of Valentine's Day activity I would be inclined to select when celebrating with my husband (he would so not be interested!), since I will be separated from my sweetie for the holiday this year, I might be inclined to get to know a ghost or two as an alternative way to spend the day.  Unfortunately, the haunted house closest to me is probably the 13th Floor Haunted House in Denver, CO, and that is a little too far to travel just to make the acquaintance of an apparition!

I guess I will have to find some other way to have a "spooktacular" Valentine's Day on my own!

From Pinterest

This 'n That Thursdays: A Trip to the Santa Fe Plaza

Santa Fe Plaza (from The Monumentous)

The Sunday before last my husband and I went to the Santa Fe plaza for a day of sightseeing and shopping.  The plaza is a must-see destination for visitors, with its unique shops, excellent restaurants, great museums, and many historic sites.  Although most of the items in the plaza shops are way out of our price range, these places are great for window shopping.  One of my favorites is the rug room at Malouf on the Plaza, which is packed with colorful woven rugs in a vast array of patterns.

I just love all the colors in this room!
(image from TripAdvisor)

My husband's favorite plaza shop is Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery.  Pottery collecting is my husband's passion, but we do try to restrict his purchases to one a year as these fine pieces are not inexpensive!  We found a gorgeous pot that both of us loved, and my husband made his annual purchase that day.

 

Images from Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery.

One goal we achieved while in downtown Santa Fe was the discovery of the best bagels in town!  Boultawn's Bagelry, Cafe & Gallery advertises themselves as being the "Home of New Mexico's Best Bagels" and as far as we are concerned they are right!  They are not on the plaza, but close enough to be convenient, and they are also just down the street from The Cheesemonger's Shop, another favorite food establishment of ours in Santa Fe.  We stocked up on bagels as well as a few specialty cheeses, and then headed for home well satisfied with our day.  If you ever come to Santa Fe, make sure that a visit to the plaza is on your to-do list!
                

On the Homefront: The Trip to Santa Fe

From Smart Energy International

I am one day away from arriving in Santa Fe to start moving in to our new home.  I am not sure when I will have access to WiFi again after I check out of my hotel room tomorrow morning, so I thought I would give a quick summary of my travels so far.  No pictures, unfortunately, but just a few observations about driving cross-country with two dogs and a car packed to the gills with stuff.

First of all, this has to be the hottest drive I have ever done, and I used to do a lot of long-distance driving when I was younger.  I decided to take this journey in October because I thought the weather would be cooler, but I have to say it is hotter right now than it was in August in Georgia!  I took Interstate-20 from Georgia to Texas, and it was scorching the whole way, with afternoons over 100 degrees for the first two days.  I finally got off of I-20 to head north today, and the weather is considerably cooler in Amarillo, which is where I am right now.  Luckily I packed a warm coat because I will need it tomorrow morning!

Second, I have to say I am so impressed by our two dogs, who have never gone on a long car trip before.  I did get a tranquilizer for Madison, who hates riding in the car and has gotten carsick before, but I have been steadily decreasing the dose she gets and will not be giving her any for tomorrow's much shorter trip because she is doing very well.  She does not have much of an appetite but eats enough to get by, so she should be okay.  I am giving our almost 13-year-old Ruby a bit of pain medication every day so that she does not feel too arthritic after riding in the car all day, and she is doing fine as well.  I worried about them the first two days because it was so hot, but a night of relaxing in a hotel room helped them recover sufficiently to continue with our trip the next day.  They will get plenty of TLC once we arrive in Santa Fe, and I promised them that they will never have to do another cross-country trip again!

Now for a few details of this challenging trip.  I left our Georgia house two hours later than planned because I had a very hard time fitting all of the stuff I needed for myself and the dogs into the car.  I did finally figure it out, but by the time I left it was very late in the morning.  In addition to the heat, there was the usual slowdown in Atlanta, thanks to a minor accident and some road construction.  Once past Atlanta the drive was not bad until we reached Birmingham, Alabama, and that was when the worst part of the trip so far occurred.

For some reason the powers that be in Birmingham decided it was a good idea to completely close down I-20.  There was an alternate route that I could have taken, but the detour signs were put up too close to the exit ramp, so by the time I figured out I should have taken this route I had already passed it.  When I reached Birmingham, there was an alternate route set up through the city, but it was so circuitous that I got lost the first time I attempted to take it.  I ended up calling 911 because I was so lost I had no idea where I was, and they were at least able to direct me back to I-20 so I could start all over again.  My second attempt taking the detour was successful, but it took me over an hour to get out of Birmingham.  Of course this was during the hottest part of the day, with temperatures staying at or over 100 degrees the whole time.  Thank goodness my dogs were medicated, because I was so upset that I am afraid my dogs would have been a nervous wreck otherwise!

We finally made it to our hotel in Mississippi well after dark, after driving for much longer than I had planned.  Luckily the hotel was very nice and we all got some much needed rest and relaxation.  I actually enjoyed driving through Mississippi.  I even saw a billboard to the World's Only Cactus Plantation, but apparently it is now closed.  Driving through Louisiana was not bad either - the most intriguing thing I saw there was a sign along the interstate for a 13-mile Bear Crossing!  The most challenging part of yesterday's leg of my trip was driving through Dallas-Fort Worth traffic during the hottest time of day, once again at or above 100 degrees.  Fortunately our hotel was just west of Fort Worth, and the drive was not as long as the first day.  While the hotel had an inconvenient policy of only allowing dogs on the upper floors, my two girls took to the elevator rides like champs, so all was well.

Today's trip was the easiest so far, as it was much cooler and a little shorter.  We drove through a part of Texas that seems to be devoted to wind power - there are more more wind turbines there than I have ever seen in my entire life.  Luckily there are endless acres of cotton fields in which to put all of those turbines!  Even here in Amarillo the wind seems to blow constantly, so they must be generating a lot of power.

Tomorrow we should arrive at our Santa Fe house in plenty of time to get settled in for the night.  My horse is tentatively scheduled to arrive very late the next day, so I will have to scramble to get the barn set up for his arrival.  My furniture may also arrive on the same day, which would be a disaster, so I am hoping that it will arrive a day or two later as originally scheduled.  It may be a while before I get back to my blog, but I will return when I can.  I hope everyone is finally enjoying fall weather by now!
               

On the Homefront: Getting Ready for the Big Move

Boxes filled with books ready for the big move
 (I've packed up a lot more of them since I took this photo).

Just thought I would post a quick update on my big move coming up at the end of the month.  My husband and I are doing this move in stages.  The first stage involves me taking pretty much all of my books, movies, and clothes, most of our kitchen items except for the bare essentials I think my husband will need, all of our dogs' and my horse's things, and the minimum amount of furniture that I will require to live comfortably in our New Mexico house.

At the moment I am trying very hard to go through all of my belongings and ruthlessly downsize.  My husband is in charge of removing everything that I discard as quickly as possible before I have a chance to change my mind about anything (I load my discarded items into his car as soon as I can since I am less likely to haul things back in once they are out of the house).  This is the last move we intend to make, and I really want to minimize the amount of stuff that I own.

The items I decided to pack myself are my books and movies, plus some of my clothes.  I got all of my cookbooks packed up when we had to replace our kitchen and dining room tile floors so I am over halfway done, but I really need to pick up the pace and finish so that I can move on to other things.  I am afraid this means that I will be neglecting my blog for the rest of the month, so posts will be few and far between.

Hopefully by the middle of October (or whenever I can get internet service to our new house) I will be back on a more regular schedule.  Since I will be going back and forth between New Mexico and Georgia at least a few more times once I find a reliable pet sitter, my blog will keep its "GAFunkyFarmhouse" title for now.  Despite the stress of packing for a move, I am looking forward to our retirement life in New Mexico, and can't wait to experience autumn in Santa Fe!

From Pinterest

             

Weekend Wardrobe: Summer Weekend Travel Wardrobe Based on Outfits that Caught My Eye at Albuquerque's Sunport International Airport

Cabi Camilla Shirt Dress in White Animal Print
(this dress is not black and white like the inspiration dress,
but the style and print are similar).

One of my favorite pastimes at the Sunport International Airport in Albuquerque while I am waiting for my return flight back to Georgia is to keep an eye out for the most interesting travel outfits.  On my most recent trip I was at the airport several hours before my flight, so I had plenty of time to look for my favorites, but I almost missed the one that really caught my eye because the woman wearing it did not show up until I was standing in line to board my own flight.  Of course what really got my attention was the dress she was wearing (similar to the one shown above) because it had a Dalmatian print pattern and I am a dedicated Dalmatian lover.  The wearer also added a unique crossbody bag in color blocks of olive, red, and turquoise, plus turquoise and tan sandals.  The combination was so striking, and the outfit looked so cool and comfortable, that I decided to use this woman's outfit as the inspiration for a summer weekend travel wardrobe.

Here are the items to wear/carry in transit:

Clockwise from top left: North River North Park Polarized Sunglasses; Coldwater Creek Short Story Sweater Shrug in Turquoise; Earth Spirit Sterling Silver and Blue Turquoise Cuff Bracelet; SwissGear Travel Gear 6283 17" 2-Wheeled Carry-On in Teal; Rebels Joy Suede Leather Slide Sandals in Turquoise; Cabi Camilla Shirt Dress in White Animal Print; Center: ILI World Handbag 6097 in Citrus.

The apparel to be packed were selected based on two other outfits that I noticed at the airport.  One outfit was a combination of a black and white geometric print tunic top plus white ankle pants, while the other included a striking black and white southwestern print cardigan, white top, and black pants.  My addition of an extra top, a few more accessories, and more Dalmatian print on a summery short pajama set rounds out the items packed for a quick weekend getaway:

Clockwise from top left: 14th & Union Arden Leather Wristlet in Black; SilverTribe Turquoise and Sterling Silver American Indian Bead Necklace; ZAFUL Geometric Graphic Open Cardigan in Black (sold out); Eileen Fisher Stretch Cotton Tank in White; Halogen Ankle Pants in Black; PrettyLittleThing Short Satin Pyjama Set in White Dalmatian Print; Lori Loafers in Turquoise; Chico's Brigitte Slim Ankle Pants in Alabaster; Little Luxury Islands Exclusive Geometric Print Tunic in Black and White; Center: Eileen Fisher Stretch Cotton Shell in Black.

While most of the items are in basic black and white, the addition of turquoise as an accent color plus the colorful color-blocked handbag keep this wardrobe from looking boring.  While I rarely wear black in the summer (it makes me feel too hot), even I would be tempted to travel with this selection of clothing!

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I will be leaving for another trip this week, to Pittsburgh for a special reunion, so once again my posts will be sparse and sporadic for a while.  I still have an accessories post to finish for a previous wardrobe, which I will try to do when I return, but my big move to New Mexico is coming up fast so I am not sure when I will be able to get back to a regular posting schedule.  I will check in periodically, however, and once I am settled in to our New Mexico home I should be able to post more predictably.  I hope you are all having a great summer!
             

Weekend Wardrobe: New Mexico Weekend Travel Wardrobe Inspired by a Fellow Traveler

I am not going to post a description of my travel wardrobe for a recent trip to New Mexico, mostly because I only took clothes suitable for either casual plane travel or doing grubby yard work - the former you have seen in some of my previous posts, and the latter are not really apparel that I need to share!  Instead, I took my inspiration for this post from an outfit worn by a woman I saw at the Albuquerque International Sunport while waiting for my return flight home.  Her clothes were casual, but there was a stylish simplicity to her outfit that caught my attention.  Below is the outfit she wore, as closely as I could match it:

Clockwise from top left: Eileen Fisher Undyed Organic Cotton Blend Oversized Trucker Jacket in Undyed Natural; Eileen Fisher Slubby Organic Cotton Tee in Corn Flower; Alltribes Turquoise Inlaid Sterling Cuff in Navajo Rug Pattern; AmeriLeather Odyssey 21" Upright Carry-On in Turquoise; Carlos by Carlos Santana Brie Ankle Booties in Doe; Vaalbara Katama Clara Clutch; Center: Eileen Fisher High-Waist Tapered Jeans in Soblu.

I took some liberties with accessories, since I did not see those details of my inspiration traveler's outfit.  I could not find a handbag similar to the one she was carrying, so I chose one vaguely similar in style but with more color and a southwestern look.  This bag added one more hue to the mix, an orange-red which brings a definite punch of color to an otherwise subdued palette.  I took my cue for the rest of the travel wardrobe from this colorful handbag, and selected these items for this New Mexico weekend getaway trip:

Clockwise from top left: Zuni Turquoise Fetish Necklace by Deborah Gasper; Mango Linen T-Shirt in Off White; Mango Panel T-Shirt in Red; Uniqlo Women Soft Stretch Short Sleeved Pyjamas in Light Green;
Alltribes Silver Buffalo Handmade Cuff Native American Bracelet; Roots Women's Kensington Sandal in Pearl; Everlane The Day Glove Shoe in Red; Eileen Fisher Straight-Fit Front Pleated Sleeveless Dress in Red Lory; Center: Eileen Fisher Tapered Ankle Jeans in Ivory.

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Hopefully once I make the move to our Santa Fe house I will be able to travel stylishly once again, but for the near future I'm afraid my travel wardrobe will be strictly functional (I have a lot more outdoor work to do before I move my horse!).  Luckily, many of my fellow travelers are able to select delightfully chic outfits for their trips, and I look forward to being inspired by them again!