Blue Goose ~ Day 304

March 27, 2015 ~ Kansas to Albuquerque, NM

I woke early and sat in the observation car hoping for a sunrise, but an early morning cloud precluded that.

DHC reappeared and we discussed our respective wanderings through the coach last night.

We ate a marginal breakfast in the dining car. The evening meals are better. 

It was a good day moving west across the plains into eastern Colorado, slowly turning south at Trinidad down into New Mexico. The sun came out as we moved over flat dry land, through small towns. The Colorado Rockies came into view as snow-covered peaks rising from the prairies. We were near National Grasslands; buttes and mesas appeared on the northern horizon by late morning. We started to see sage and prickly pear. Some of the land is irrigated but much is barren. The night skies would be spectacular out here....and the weather changes and sunsets and sunrises.

The highest elevation on this route is approximately 7500 feet where we went through the Raton Tunnel near Raton, NM. The topography became much more striking and southwestern with impressive red rocks, dark green junipers / cedars and straw-colored grasses on the foothills as we traveled south. Aridity defines this vast landscape; small dusty towns were spaced at intervals along the train tracks and isolated homesteads baked in the sun. 

New Mexico with Rockies in the distance (from Amtrak)

There were more and more adobe homes as we got closer to Albuquerque, some modest and some large and artistic, the latter often in the foothills with views over the valley to the east.

The train was only an hour late; we schlepped our baggage the few blocks to the wonderful Andaluz Hotel. (We both had over-packed inspite of thinking we had done better than our trip to Texas last spring.)

The Andaluz is the first Conrad Hilton hotel and was the perfect respite after 24 hours on the train. We entered through a modest side door and expected a generic downtown big city hotel but were delightfully surprised as we entered a spacious lobby with couches and small tables, lamps and overstuffed chairs, and cozy dining alcoves for small parties preferring more privacy than the open restaurant.

Outskirts of Albuquerque, NM

We were on the 6^th floor and had no desire to leave the Andaluz to seek an outside restaurant so immediately went downstairs to eat. We also had the choice of second-floor outdoor patio seating which was now in the shade and rapidly cooling as it does in the southwest right after sundown. People definitely learn to live in dry heat.

Our food was superb. We chose from a tapas menu and split a salad of greens with beet slices / goat cheese “sandwiches.” DHC had a shrimp dish and I had salmon. The portions were perfect. We left feeling satisfied and relaxed in our wonderful corner room, which faced east toward the Sandia Crest. 

One possible plan was to drive to the top of Sandia to look for Rosy Finches, all three species of which can be seen there from November to March, but as it turned out, we never made it. 

Traveling on Amtrak; a 10-minute shopping opportunity from vendors on a train platform.