Recycle Show: Part 3

The journey home to ABQ from Santa Fe was a joy. The Railrunner is a wonderful experience ...comfy, fun, and with stunning scenery. I have always loved trains. As a kid, the C & PA railroad went thru my hometown... the tracks ran right near my house ... so I got to see it everyday. In fact, my husband's grandfather was a conductor...waving to us kids at lunchtime as the train rolled through...

So-- the photos for today's post hopefully bespeak of the coolness and grandeur that is the Railrunner Station here in ABQ.

"The station reflects the architecture of the Transportation Center’s main building, which itself is reminiscent of the last big heyday of rail travel in Albuquerque. In the early 1900’s, the Alvarado Hotel, a showpiece in its day, stood right where the Transportation Center stands today. The Alvarado served as the hub of the main mode of transportation in the era – the passenger train. Today, the Alvarado Transportation Center is at the crossroads of some dramatic downtown redevelopment, ushering in a new system of passenger rail service." (http://www.nmrailrunner.com/albuquerque.asp)

coming back into ABQ

part of the old Alvarado Station section

the front facade

... and one of the archways.... looking towards a NM sunset....

* all photos by Elaine A. Russell

ABC Wednesday

*photos by Elaine A. Russell (click on pics to see them bigger)

ABC Wednesday is a blog posting with a twist. The host (Mrs. Nesbitt) hails from Great Britain... and there are participants from all over the world. Each week, people focus their post on a letter of the alphabet. They started with the letter "A" --and each week you post something in regards to the next letter of the alphabet. It is a fun, imaginative exercise... and it is great to see what everyone comes up with. This week's letter is, "R".

"R" is a pretty easy letter to try and come up with a post for... and therein lay my dilemma. Too many choices....

On Sunday I went to Santa Fe for the annual Recycle Show. I have never been before... and it makes me want to cry. The potential I missed!!! If you have never been.. .I highly recommend making the trip. Some friends and I chose to ride the Railrunner up to Santa Fe from Albuquerque.

On an aside.. I absolutely LOVE trains... so this was a huge *bonus* for me.

The station itself is gorgeous, and the ride up was full of great conversation, comfy seats, and stunning scenery.

Today's photos are just a sneak peak at the ride up. ... more to come on the actual show... and on the ride back :)

To see more on this great train ride: http://www.nmrailrunner.com/index.asp

travelin' -- 1900 miles to go

photo by Elaine A. Russell, taken at the Albuquerque Railyards

I am heading out.... into the brave wild world with my lovely Sabrina at my side for the journey. I have a map, music, and a brand new laptop that we found on an amazing sale. I have my phone, my camera, and my journals....colored pencils, gifts for my parents, a violin that belonged to my sister... that I am giving to her middle child.
I have every bit of clothing I own (yes it fit in one bag). Sabrina's food, bed, treats, and brush.
A soft pillow and a blanket just in case.
A first aid kit. Toiletries.
Sounds like alot...but is amazingly not.

I am driving my little SmartCar. I feel like the commercial for the Wii ....with the two dudes driving into the sunset/ sunrise in their little SmartCar....heading out into the vast unknown. In fact, I have always knick-named my car "the wee" ... after that. And being a small car.. it suits it.