Pecos National Historical Park and Historic Santa Fe

Pecos National Historical Park is a great stop for kids.

The carful of kids are our way to Santa Fe, New Mexico, for a Winter Break Ski Trip when we stop off at the Pecos National Historical Park for a look around. This park is 25 miles east of Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Interstate 25 outside of the town of Pecos, and a great place to stretch your legs and minds.

Pecos National Historical Park is open everyday except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day, during the winter it's open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The admission is $ 7. per person, 16 years old and older or you can use your America the Beautiful annual pass ( $ 80 ).

Pecos NHP features a self-guided 1.25 mile easy hike that winds you around the pueblo and mission ruins. There is also a small museum exhibit and movie to watch about the native people.

After running around, she loses her boot.

The carful of kids love national parks but today the kids are really in love with all the snow on the ground at the park. They are running around like goons and my crazy kids from Texas don't realize that they can lose their boots in the snow.

We take the hike, tour the museum, watch the movie and earn our Junior Ranger Badges all under an hour and a half. The carful of kids learn about the Civil War Battle of Glorieta Pass and the Santa Fe Trail.

Shh! Don't tell the kids they are learning during Winter Break.

Next stop historic Santa Fe. We take a walk around the square and see the sights--it's especially festive at Christmas. There is plenty of shopping to enjoy with boutiques and galleries.

Downtown Santa Fe is especially festive at Christmas.

The carful of kids really just like looking at all the holiday lights and luminarias that dot the downtown area. Santa Fe Plaza is dripping with them, there are food carts with hot drinks if you need something to warm you up.


We walk by the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and take a picture.  Unfortunately, it is not open but they feature special services during the holiday season.

It is getting a little chilly and we still have to rent our ski gear so the carful of kids load up and head to Alpine Sports at 121 Sandoval St.

I like to rent our ski and snowboard equipment at an independent rental store. I have found over the years that the prices are cheaper and the equipment is nicer than at the resort.

My daughter and I got brand new ski boots this time--no smelly ski boots for us this year. With our ski and snowboard equipment in the back of the SUV, we are ready to hit the mountain in the morning.

Up Next: Ski Santa Fe

Crazy West Texas Dust Storm

Yesterday outside of Abilene, Texas, the sky looked a little dirty at the horizon in front of us.  We were no where near a smog-smothered city.

"Hey kids that looks like a dust storm,"  I said to the carful of kids attached to their iPods.  I get a grunt in return.

I looked at the ultimate traveling companion--my iPad and checked out the weather in Lubbock, Texas.  There was a dust storm warning in effect for the area.

Well outside Lubbock we ran into a wall of dust.  The wind was howling, the dust was blowing, I could only see 25 feet in front of my car.  

First the cars put their flashers on, then we see the cars parked on the side of the road.  What to do?  I pull over for a few minutes and decide I was a sitting duck waiting to get hit.

I decided that 10 mph is better than sitting in a raging dust storm and crawl out of it.  It was lucky that we did because the highway was shut down minutes after we left.  The storm was the worst in that area.  The closer we got to Lubbock the better the conditions got.  

You have to pack your best judgment for your road trip.  

We drove the next four hours in 40 to 50 mph winds and varying levels of visibility.  It was fun for the kids but my hands hurt from holding on to the steering wheel so tight.

We made it through the dust storm and the temperature dropped 40 degrees.  The middle child was cold because he was wearing shorts and flip-flops.  I know, but who listens to Mom anymore.

We made it to Santa Rosa, New Mexico and checked into the Best Western there and called it a day. 

You know you might be from Texas

The carful of kids are from Texas and occasionally we herd cattle on the side of the highway to help a fellow Texan.  That is what we did this morning on our way out of town.

While driving on Highway 183 outside of Lampasas, a cow falls out of it's trailer right in front of the carful of kids.  How a cow falls out of it's trailer at 60 mph is one of the great questions of the universe.  The cow did bounce a bit but walked off the highway, I am happy to report.

We like to help when we can so we hit the hazards and get out of the truck.  We are off to rope some cattle because another one is on the loose.   It's in our blood being Texans, right?

We are not all cowboys and roping cattle isn't easy, but we did help corner a couple of cows.  More people jumped out of their cars to help the real cowboy rope his escaped cattle.

After the cowboying pit stop, we are back on the road.  The carful of kids is headed to see the snow of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Anyone who knows the carful of kids, knows we are a snow curse.  Every year, we plan a trip to do a little skiing and snowboarding and wait for the snow to fall.

We wait and we wait and the snow does not fall.  In the past, the carful of kids has slid down hills of ice glaze and learned to ski on snow cone mush covered hills.

The carful of kids are not snow snobs at this point and anything cold and white would be great.  At last the curse has lifted and there is natural snow covering the mountains of Santa Fe.

Snow is falling right now and the rest of the week is clear with highs in the low 40's.  Yea!  This makes a carful of kids so happy.

We start driving early and hope to reach to Santa Rosa, New Mexico, tonight.  We don't want to drive with snow falling in the mountains after dark.

We are from Texas and we might herd cattle on the side of the highway.  We will leave the treacherous winter driving to those who know what they are doing.