Travelogue: On The Road To California. Day 2.

So those that know me well or have traveled with me in the past will be surprised to hear that I planned this trip very thoroughly, even taking the extreme measure of typing up a day by day itinerary.

I usually like to be a bit more spontaneous, but with a baby, I decided it was best to have some sort of plan so we didn't end up having to sleep in our car at a rest stop in the middle of the desert.

We were up very early on day 2, as we wanted to make it to Los Alamos, New Mexico that evening to see some old friends.

Our first stop was Albuquerque, where we had lunch with one of my mom's high school friends and her husband. They took us to the most amazing, authentic Mexican restaurant called Los Cuates. The salsa was super hot! I couldn't help but think how much Nate would have liked it.

After lunch, we headed out for Los Alamos, with a short stop in Santa Fe at Whole Foods for some organic sweet potatoes for Maddux. If the customers in the store were any sort of indication of the whole population of the town, then Santa Fe must be a cool, artsy place to live. I even saw one woman in a silver sequined turban. I couldn't pull it off, but she looked totally chic.

After a nail-biting, curve-hugging drive up a fairly steep mountain pass, we were happy to make it to our destination for the night, Los Alamos, which we learned has the most PhD's per capita.

It was cool getting to see our friends, the Sorensons. Our families lived in Davis, California at the same time. Some of my best childhood memories revolve around panning for gold in Lake Tahoe or exploring ancient Native American ruins with them. They also have eight kids in their family, just like us!

{Then. May I just say that I find many things odd about this picture?}

{Now. Some of us, at least!}

We spent the evening eating pizza, reminiscing, and looking at old pictures. I even got my hair done! I have always wanted sisters, so it was fun getting a glimpse into what it would have been like. I absolutely love this family. Their creativity, their spirit and their obvious love of life. It was a great visit!

Here are some more pictures from Day 2!

Next up: Day 3 and the road to Tucson!