Road Trip Austin to Taos

 

Road Trip Austin to Taos

 

 

I have been researching to find a sample itinerary to get an idea for the road trip I never found one, so I decided to put our itinerary for here for a family to get an idea. We traveled with kids so we got movies from the library to play in our van. Travel gets easier if the kids are entertained. They also have phone to play games on. We also played I-spy on the road to make them look outside the window. Due to Christmas holidays many museums were closed.

 

 

Going to Taos

 

 

Day 1 Left around 9.00 am

           stopped at Lubbock for little bit

           picture opportunity (Lubbock Lake National Historic Landmark) 

           Stayed night in Clovis

 

Day 2 Left around 8.00 am Drove to Albuquerque (3 hrs)

           picture opportunity (Santa Rosa - Blue Hole) 

           Went to see the Balloon Museum (9201 Balloon Museum NE )

           Went to see Albuquerque Bio Park zoo (drove around town very nice lake by the zoo

            with lots of ducks)

           Went to see the old Plaza Christmas Eve beautifully lit (beautiful neighborhoods filled

            with luminaries and Christmas lights in Old Town, the Albuquerque)

            Stayed in Albuquerque

 

Day 3 Left around 8.00 am Drove to Santa Fe (1.5 hrs )

           went to The Loretto Chapel (207 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501)

           went to Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

           walked around the Plaza

 

           Drove to Taos (1.5 hrs)

           Went to visit Hanuman Mandir (416 Geronimo Ln, Taos, NM 87571)

           went to Rio Grande Gorge Bridge (El Prado, NM 87529)

           went to Taos Pueblo (A stunning contrast between massive bonfires and the

           Procession of the Virgin with rifle salutes from the rooftops of the 1000 year old

            adobe pueblo buildings).

           Stayed in Taos

           

Day 4 Went to a Ski Resort for Skiing  

Day 5 Went to a Ski Resort for Skiing

 

Day 6 Left around 8.00 am Drove to Santa Fe (1.5 hrs )

           Went to Canyon Rd Santa Fe (lots of art on  display and statues walkable no cars

           allowed)



 

           Drove to Roswell (4.30 hrs)

           went to UFO Museum (114 N Main St, Roswell, NM 88203)

           went to Roswell Spacewalk (its in a store very small but very well done, I  think  this

           space walk should be part of the museum itself)

           Stayed in Carlsbad

 

Day 7  Left around 8.00 am

            Went to Carlsbad Caverns (3225 National Parks Highway  Carlsbad, NM 88220 )

            Very beautiful Caves

            Drove back to Austin

 



Another interesting place to  see if you have time is White Sands National Monument and Lake Lucero is a playa located within that section of the Tularosa Basin that is contained within the White Sands National Monument in the U.S. state of New Mexico.

 

 

 

Route we took to get to Taos  

 

 

 Route we took to get to Austin

 

Happy New Year 2018

Happy New Year 2018

Another year, another month, another week feels like new beginnings.

Do  I  need new resolutions, I  don't thinks so, I am  still working on being a better person. So lets continue with not being judgmental, or be less judgmental. I  think I am  doing  good so far, I give people benefit of doubt. I still have less patience for stupidity (working on it). Another one is to stay  healthy and stay  active. Kind of picked some things that do not have a start date or a end date (Lifestyle changes).

Past year 2017 is already  over I  don't want to look back or bring  any thing burden with me into new year. I  just want to past year to reflect on the good things that happened
I have read a lot more books
I have been more active on this blog
I learned to do yoga and meditate
I enjoyed my time with family.
Another milestone was road trips Canada and New Mexico.
Posted a lot of pictures on Instagram


Somewhere I have started feeling that we are getting old, not by looks but by maturity. It has become easier to let go of things. Many small things don't make me mad anymore. I  have been  clicking a lot of pictures, I  don't want to miss anything. We live in a very beautiful world. I am really thankful to have an  opportunity to appreciate and see this beautiful world.

The word I am adding  to my  life is Grateful. I will incorporate this word in my life more starting this year.

Thankful and Grateful

Being Thankful and Grateful...

Month on November brings gratitude .. I am very thankful for all my blessings and my family Thanksgiving is around the corner. Its the most wonderful time of the year. I love holidays, I know different holidays have different meanings to people of different religion. I love the celebration part, joy and happiness of having friends and family around, lots of food.

Since my kids are getting older we have started doing thanksgiving dinner. Just for our family. Turkey is too much for us as we don't eat too much meat. Chicken is enough for our family. We make mashed potatoes, bake some croissants, green beans and stuffing (I love) and Cake for desert. Oh yeah corn bread not to forget.   I have many times given a Indian twist to the bland food, but it has been growing on me. We also have a tradition we set the table but before we start eating we all have to say we are thankful for ...

Every year my workplace also had celebrated with a thanks giving meal close to Thanksgiving. Place I work now does not do that... come on people appreciate and be thankful for the people. I also used to eat with my kids when they were in elementary. I was so happy when one of my kid told me that they are serving pumpkin bread at school, and they would love to buy it and bring it for me since I don't go to school to eat with them anymore. Emotional mommy moment sweetness.

Simple traditions that will last long, I love these.

Book Club

Book Club

I am part of a neighborhood book club now, its a blessing, as I always wanted to join a book club, but was never able to.
All the book clubs I knew were farther from home, so going to attend on a weeknight after work and after taking care of the dinner for the family, always seemed like a fantasy. I know there might be so many moms out there who are like me. Once I am home I don't want to go anywhere if not necessary.

Since my book club is in the neighborhood, so very close by. Its a small group of 8 ladies. We keep on trying to encourage more ladies to join often. Our starting member is retired as an English teacher, she keeps the schedule and keeps track of suggested books. Books and hosts are decided 3 months in advance, so people have time to buy books and read. Its so interesting these days to see the technology we have some of us do Audiobooks, some use Kindle some read real books some of us also use libraries to loan the books, since all versions are available in libraries these days.

Many a times there's a member or two who has not read the book or was not able to finish it. We still like them to join and participate in our discussions. As they tell us where they lost interest or why they were not able to get into the book. My realization as I listen to lot of books while commuting to and from my work. Its easier to finish a book when  you are listening, even  if you are not fully into it. I love our book club meetings as the discussion starts with the book, and the author. We also talk about similar experiences related to real life. Story takes a different meaning to some people. sometimes my perspective changes to the story after the discussion.

Another thing that I like about the book club, they pick the books that I would have not picked usually. So its like a surprise to unfold and finish. We have read many historic fiction books. Its fun to discuss the books that has a movies related to  the story. Discussing old times with new times, old trends with new trends. Some books are from different countries. We had deserts from that country. Thanks to the internet availability we look at the pictures of that time periods of the places mentioned in the books.

Any one who's motivated enough to setup a book club I can suggest some ideas to keep it simple

1. We meet once a month with Wine and dessert (Host Provides)
2. We get to know our neighbors
3. Its fun to look at our neighbors homes, so differently and beautifully decorated
4. everyone takes turn in hosting the book club.
5. We are planning on including guys to the discussion as well, not sure how it will change our discussions of if it will change anything at all.
6. Host also leads the discussion doesn't have to be the host, but we want everyone to have this option.
7. Find Pictures of places mentioned in the book (Last book we read was about a trail, one of the members marked the map to show the trail)
8. Find food from that country
9. Find books from different cultures and talk about them
10. There will always be some books that no one will like, its ok
11. Find interesting facts about the book and the author (available on internet)
12. Find interesting quotes from the book (available on internet) 
13. Find interesting questions to discuss (available on internet)

My Book My Life

My Book My Life

We all live and create a story that's called life. One choice made leads to another and another... It unfolds the story of our life.

Are there any choices that I would like to redo or not make yes, but I like where it lead me so far. I like the end result, so if my end result will change if I redo my choices then no I wont change anything. There are some mistakes that I wont make again.

How many books have we read where people mention that so many people we meet we cross our paths with. Where are they now, we never see them again. So many schools friends that were so important in that moment are long gone. I have no clue where they are and what they are up to. Do they ever think the same, like I do sometimes.

Some friends I try to find on social media, knowing that I am not even  sure if I  can recognize their faces if I see them now. Names have changes personalities have changed. people have moved but they had a part in my life. They played a character in my book, some had important part and some were barely present. I wish everyone best and hope their book in which I was a character is also very interesting.





Kuch log kabhi kabhi yaad aatey hai

Kuch cherey jo dhundaley ho gaye hai

kisi bheed main kho gaye hai

zindagi ki zaddo jahat main ulajh gaye hai

Kabhi dikh gaye to shayad pehchann lengey

unsey unka haal chaal jaan lengey

panno main dabey kirdaar nikal aatey hai
Kuch log kabhi kabhi yaad aatey hai

I know everything I have done everything

I  know everything I have done everything !!

Don't we all sometimes meet some people,  who assume and want you to believe that they know every thing. They  have done everything  been  everywhere.
Any thing you  can  think of has happened to them or they  know some one who has been  through.

I  have met  a few people of this kind,  and seems like I am meeting  more and more lately. I  might  have this in me a little I wonder sometimes but then,  I  also  know that I  don't  make up stuff. I also  give the person  who's talking there attention  that they need. Seems like my  tolerance level  has gone down for this kind of people. Not that I have stopped any one from  doing  what they do. I  have stopped reacting to the blabber. I wonder sometime,  is it some kind of complex in people that people have to prove that they know more than  the other person. Just to prove something that you  cannot know more than  me. Which  might  be completely  wrong. I  am not  a psychologist, but I have trying  to  analyze people,  what are they  getting out of this. Does it mean  that people are so  desperate to  get the limelight that they can  steal from you.

I have also met some that, you  change your picture,  they will change it right away. You  try to celebrate something they have to  do  it before you even  if it's just a day  before yours. You wear a color they will too very next day. You go  some where,  they will also go there. Your kids do  something,  there kids can do better. How many friends you  got they have to  be their friends too. They have to have more friends than you.  Come on  stop it now had enough,  we are not competing against anyone. If you want to  compete do  it in good stuff,  I  am  unable to  volunteer,  why  don't you do that. Go help people show the world how much  better person you are. I  like to  read and learn  why don't you learn and study more. Why  not try to be a better person instead of just running after illusions.

Some are so  full of themselves that you  can tell they are lying and making  up stuff. They know all about technology, music, people, cocktails, martial arts,  travel, medical stuff,  discoveries, babies, elderly, work (not just mine but everyone's). They know how to talk, how to  walk, how to handle things. I  guess there's nothing left to learn any more. I  want to ask Is there anything  that you would like to know that you don't know.  All you  can  do  is just  listen  with a smile on  your face. I  am  still  trying  to  learn  not to  get bothered with people like that. They  might have a complex in  them  that they have to feed to make them feel better. Again  just my  assumption. One of my aim in life is not to judge people.

God please help me.. and keep me on the right path. I don't  want to make anyone feel small and less valued. As everyone has their own  journey of life and their own story to write.

 

No Girl only Boy

Few comments make me mad and I  want to  scream  this is wrong.

I  met  a very  nice lady at  work. She is a Temp helping  out  with  a project. She is from  Morocco, looks nice and very courteous. I  helped her  with the scanner and she said "shukriya"  (Thank you in  Urdu). I  happened to  be in  a room  with  her  for a while and we started chatting  as women do. Exchanged names how long  we have lived in  the city  and all. Then  she asked me how many  kids I  have,  and I  asked her the same. She said only one. When  asked Boy  or a Girl,  her answer  made me mad.

She said Boy  only  no girl,  this is not  a good world to  have a Girl. I  never thought this is an  awful world to  have a girl. There might be some bad people in  this world and some women do  go  through hardships. Should that prevent  us from  having  girls. What  are you  going  to  do  when  there's only  men in  this world. We should try  to  make this a better place for our kids. Boy  or a Girl. If she already  has this perception, isn't  she unintentionally teaching  her  kid a wrong  thing. This is beyond my  imagination that people so  much  educated and living  in this modern  world are thinking  like this and a women is so  afraid to being  another  women in  this world. I  wanted to  ask what  will  happen  with  your husband if she wasn't born  and she would have not  her  son in  this world.

What  are Daddy's doing, Isn't  a  girl  supposed to  be his daddy's princess. Do  men not  want  to  have a daughter and cherish her. These are the times when  I  am very  thankful to  be born  in  the country and family  I  am  born  in. I  was always given  the freedom  to study any subject. I  had freedom  to  choose my  career. Always had freedom to speak  and think,  before and after marriage. I  am  also  blessed to  be married in  a very good family. Where My  mother-in-law a very strong  women raise very  strong daughters. My sister-in-laws are also carrier oriented independent women.

Don't let  few incidents scare you. Its a beautiful world out there. Daughter is mom's best friend, Have daughters and raise them to  be independent  and confident women. Who  can  make this world a much  a wonderful place for all of you.

Slim vs Fit

I  also  dream  that one day  I  will  have the so  called best figure. I  will  be able to  wear  those short  dresses  "by  short  I  mean  short  at  waist"

Like everyone I  have my  own  struggles with my weight and health. I  won't  say  too bad, but  enough to  make me do  something  about  it. I  actually  gained a lot  after birth of my  second kid. Now I  look  back  and think  why  did I  let  this happen  to  me. I  lived in  such a beautiful  part of Germany. I  should have walked my  weight  off, and I  love walking. but  I  guess easier to  look  back  and say  things. I  had a toddler with  me lot of house-hold stuff to  take care and all. Sounds like excuses to  me now but that used to  be  my  reasoning.

I  always knew that I  want  to  maintain a healthy  weight. I  don't diet, I  always try  to eat  healthy. so  I  am  not  those people who keeps staring  at a piece of chocolate and keep thinking  about  when  I  will  stop  dieting. I  will  actually  pick  up  the chocolate and eat it. Portion  control  is some thing  that I  am  working on. I  should not  eat  the second piece of chocolate. I  don't  want  to  fit into  a dress or swim suit  for few days. I  want  to  feel good about  self and stay that way.

I  love carbs and who doesn't,  I  eat  bread,  tortillas,  potatoes,  rice in  moderation just  because it causes me bloating  and stomach ache.

I  exercise,  I  love doing  Zumba and elliptical in  the Gym. I  enjoy  group  exercises with  loud music as they  don't  make me  feel  that  I  am  working  out. I run every now and then. Not  a big  fan  of running, but  I  have done  my 2nd  10K and am planning to continue them  every year.

I  hate getting  on  a scale,  I  don't want  my  life to  be obsessed by  number. I  know when  my  pants don't  fit, and I  know when they  get  loose. So without scale I try  to  manage.


I  would like to  call my  self that I  am on  path to  getting  fit not getting  Slim.

Pandora or Spotify

It really  amazes me when  my  little boy who's not  even  a teen  knows more about the technology. I  am  not  an  ignorant mom I  think  I know my  fair share about the ever changing  technology. Now on  second thoughts I  don't  think  I  can  keep  up  with  my  kids.

Son  : Mom what  do  you  use for radio?
Mom : Pandora
Son : Have you  tried Spotify?
Mom : No why  same internet  radio ?
Son : Don't  you  get  ads or Do  you  have the paid one with  no  ads?
Mom : I  do  get ads they  are annoying  but oh  well
Son : Try  Spotify
Mom : Why  does that have no  ads
Son : It does but  once you  watch  an  ad you  don't  get  ads for next  30 minutes. So  its better to  watch  one ad and be ad free for 30 minutes. Isn't that nice, try  it  next  time.

Mom is sold but still too  lazy  to  download a new app and mess with it. May  be I  will  get  to  it  some day.

with this he now walks in  the house with  tablet playing  his favorite songs,  showing  off trying  to  play  DJ with the volume buttons.

This also  makes me think  of my  mom who still  like listen  to  the real  radio. Old school with  batteries in  the radio  off the air not  on  internet.

I  don't  even  think kids these day  can understand such  thing  exists,  people can  survive without internet

Me watching different generations and comparing with a sigh !!

A beautiful women dosen't flirt she simply smiles

I  read it  some where,  and loved it.

Isn't that true, beauty lies in the eye of beholder. Just  believing  that I  am  beautiful  gives so much confidence. I had seen  an  ad for Dove,  when they  were telling  people that they  look  beautiful. Just  by  listening  to  this people had a genuine smile on their  face and they  looked pretty  or handsome. I  think  every  one's beautiful in  a way.  We live in  this beautiful world. Once you  start looking  for beauty you  will  start seeing  in  every where. Well this is about beautiful women will  flirt or not. I  think  when  you  believe in  your self you  don't  need to  flirt. You  will radiate so  much positivity and charm  that people will  notice with out  flirting.

Not that flirting,  not  bad if it  works for some. We can  also  say that Smile can  be just another way for flirting (hansi  to  phansi) ..

I  believe in  keep  smiling  and believe in  your self. There's lot to  do  in  this world don't  get  lost in  appearances. The Soul and thoughts should be beautiful.

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