The wifi here at the Albuquerque KOA has been very erratic to nonfunctional since the high winds of Sunday and we haven't been able to post anything for the last couple of days. The winter storm continued Monday with cold temperatures and wind, although no snow or rain. So we used the day for "maintenance." We took the Tahoe for an oil change and general checkup (we have driven over 3500 miles since leaving on this trip), filled two of our three propane tanks, puttered on a few other minor tasks, and relaxed.

Tuesday the cold continued (it was 28 degrees when we woke up and the water hose to the trailer was frozen) and it continued to be breezy.  We spent the morning at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, described as the "gateway to the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico" located in Albuquerque.

The exhibits are very interesting and represent their own perspectives on the prehistory, history and contemporary situation. The exhibits are remarkably balanced and objective with no resentment expressed about how they have been treated - but they are also honest about the reality of history, both Spanish and American (i.e., the exhibits are supported by empirical facts, not just assertions and unsupported interpretations). We learned a lot about traditional culture and how it has been stressed and modified throughout the last 500+ years of Anglo contact, including the legal history of laws and acts, both federal and state, that have sometimes challenged and sometimes supported the preservation of their culture - fascinating!

Much of the exhibit contains art - both contemporary and historical from the last century or two (plus they have a limited exhibit on prehistoric artifacts including the pottery of the region - it is interesting to see the continuity in contemporary art with the ancient examples).

A big attraction that we didn't see (because of their winter schedule) are the traditional dances (the ones that are appropriate for non-natives to see).

After an enjoyable morning at the Center we visited the Gruet Winery. It was recommended to us by Pat Hogan and Lynn Sebastian when we had dinner with them the other night. They said that if we were to visit only one winery in the area, this had to be it and they were right. They specialize in sparkling wines and we sampled several. We enjoyed them so much that we joined their "club" so we will be receiving a shipment of two or three bottles each month (except for during the heat of the summer but they send a big shipment in April).

Today we depart for Holbrook, Arizona, which is the nearest community to the Petrified Forest National Park The weather is supposed to warm considerably - back up into the 70s - which we are looking forward to; and the winds are supposed to be calm. Hopefully they will have a better wifi connection so we don't end up going days without a post.