Before we get into the attractions listed in the title, I have a couple trip notes.

First: this is what we did nearly every evening.

That’s a custom version of the game Settlers of Catan that a friend of mine made for another friend of mine. (He was generous enough to let me take it on the trip.) We played it nearly every night…and I didn’t win a single game. I came close once, but I was thwarted by a lethal combination of the longest road card, the largest army card, and a victory point card.

Second: this was the weather while we were there.

It was nice. I think I’d get tired of it after a while, but I enjoyed it for a week.

On to the next section of the trip!

One day we headed to Albuquerque’s Old Town to enjoy the historic ambience. We also happened to make a visit to the rattlesnake museum. If you don’t believe me, ask this guy.

Once we finished our deeply intellectual conversations with the snakes, we headed out to the Petroglyph National Monument. There, we were warned to keep an eye out for more snakes.

Apparently some snakes must have escaped from the museum or something.

Having been properly warned, we headed up the hill.

As we ascended, we began to find views of the sprawling city of Albuquerque. I think there are maybe three buildings over two stories. Maybe. (I suspect at least one of those buildings is just an optical illusion.) As a result, the city just keeps going and going.

Also interesting: as you can see in that photo, a newer housing development runs right up next to the Petroglyph National Monument. For the people who live in the houses, that’s an impressive back yard. For the monument itself…well, I don’t know. That doesn’t really seem like the greatest idea. Maybe it’s time to get crazy and build some three-story buildings or something, Albuquerque.

Here’s another look at the city. This gives a better idea of just how close those houses come to the park land.

The mountains beyond the city will show up in a future post. Yes, you should be excited about that. Mountains are awesome. And I mean awesome in the classic sense of the word. Mountains have some awe!

The trail on this particular hill proved to be more rugged than I expected, and since I don’t have a strap on my camera, my brother offered to carry it so I could have my hands free to keep myself from tumbling down the hill. Given means, motive and opportunity, my brother took a few photos. (Since my brother is a lawyer, I figured I had to break out all that fancy lingo I learned from shows like Matlock, Quincy M.E., and Psych. Objection! Overruled, counselor. APPROACH THE BENCH.)

Look at me, all mountain climbing and stuff. I know technically there was a “trail” to make my ascent “easier” and the “hill” was relatively “small” and the “trail” didn’t actually go all the way to the “top,” but let’s not quibble over minor details. I totally conquered that thing.

At one point on the trail my nephew needed to take a break, so my brother stopped with him. Since he still had my camera, he took another photo.

Our adventures that day ended at a delicious Mexican restaurant called Garduno’s.

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Hey, did you know there’s a National Musem of Nuclear Science & History? (BEST SLOGAN EVER: “Reactions welcome.”) And did you know it’s in Albuquerque? I didn’t before, but now I do! I know this because we visited the museum.

Some of you might be wondering just how interesting that museum could be. Let me tell you: it’s fascinating. If you’re ever in the ABQ area, go visit the museum.

If my plug wasn’t enough to convince you, let me show you the floor just inside the front doors:

I have absolutely no idea how The Greatest Floor In The History Of The World couldn’t be enough to entice you to visit the museum. But if it’s not, here’s what they have behind the museum:

Also, there are a few airplanes and other pieces of military machinery to ogle.

I’m a sucker for ridiculous souvenirs that weren’t originally intended to be souvenirs, and the museum’s gift shop offered perhaps the ultimate such repurposed object:

Yes, I bought that from the museum gift shop. It’s sitting next to me right now. And if I put batteries in it, I bet it would start clicking like a tribesman in The Gods Must Be Crazy if I put it next to Jim Tressel’s resume right now. (What’s that? You’ve never seen The Gods Must Be Crazy? GO WATCH IT. WATCH IT NOW.)

That’s it for this post. Tune in next time for a fuzzy judge and a mountain.