ESPN: The "Legends" Tour

When our friends Sarah and Rohan offered us the opportunity to tour the ESPN facilities in Bristol, Connecticut, we jumped at the chance. This afternoon, we got a behind-the-scenes look at ESPN and were not disappointed. We were in awe of the unbelievable facilities - the technology behind the shows is amazing. Did you know that it takes 130 people to produce each show on ESPN? We saw just a little piece of what all of those people do and it was pretty neat. We got the chance to hang out in the NFL Live and Sports Center studios, running into some of the "talent" along the way. As the tour was ending, the most amazing thing happened - we were walking by a car and our tour guide said "there's Lou Holtz." And there he was. And yes, I got a picture (thanks Lee!). The Man, the Myth, the Legend. I was so excited, I called my dad on the way home!! You can see more pictures from our tour here. Inside the NFL Live studio. Marcellus Wiley and Mark Schlereth were very friendly and even posed for some pictures. Miss Sarah and Elizabeth get the feel of things at the Sports Center desk.

Former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz and Maureen.

Goodbye to the Land of Enchantment

Our last night, we stayed in a hotel in Albuquerque. As you can see, everyone was totally wiped out. From our room, we were able to watch the amazing sunset, before turning in for the night. Goodbye to New Mexico, we'll see you soon.

Not a bad sunset picture, considering it was taken through the hotel window.

Feeding Felix

One the girls' absolute favorite things to do in New Mexico was help Uncle Mike and Auntie Kelly with Felix - especially feeding him. Every he cried, they either wanted to put his pacifier in his mouth or feed him. Uncle Mike and Auntie Kelly (and Felix!) were very gracious and almost always allowed the girls to help. It was very neat for Lee and I to watch this nurturing from our daughters - they were always so gentle and loving with him.

Last Day - Albuquerque

At the end of our trip, we spent a day in Albuquerque. We went to Sandia Peak, which was absolutely incredible. We took the tram to the top of the Sandia Mountains and at more than 10,000 feet above sea level, the view is unparalleled. The tram takes about 15 minutes to reach the top - and the ride is either breathtaking or sheer terror, depending on whether one is afraid of heights. More pictures from the rides up and down and the view from the top are here.

At least Emily enjoyed the tram ride up to the top of the Sandia Mountains....
View from the top.

After spending a few hours at Sandia Peak, we headed off to Explora!, the Albuquerque children's museum, where the girls had an absolute blast!! For the girls, this might have been the best part of our trip (other than hanging with Felix) as they were finally able to let loose, explore, play and use their imaginations to the fullest. They simply loved it! More pictures here.

Is Emily into it or what?!


Even Felix enjoyed himself a bit at Explora! (here he is, giving his mom the LeBlanc crooked smile.)

Simply Santa Fe

When we weren't on the road, we spent a good deal of time walking around in Santa Fe. We made a couple of trips to the Plaza and spent a few hours on Canyon Road. The Plaza was filled with tons of people, music and lots of shops. You can see more pictures from around Santa Fe here (there are more albums below).

One of the neat places we visited in Santa Fe was the Loretto Chapel. The Chapel contains an amazing staircase - it has two 360 degree turns and no visible means of support. It is said that it was built without nails by a mysterious carpenter, who arrived in response to a novena by the Sisters of the Chapel in the late 1800's. There are more Chapel pictures here.
The amazing staircase in the Loretto Chapel.


But mostly, when we were in Santa Fe, we just hung out with Uncle Mike, Auntie Kelly and Felix - playing, reading, making dinner, and just having fun. Click here for a bunch of "just hanging out" type pictures!

The girls really love making pizzas for dinner with Auntie Kelly - so much so that we just might have to start a new tradition at our own house!

Uncle Mike reads to the girls and Felix after dinner.
One of the best parts of any day - when Uncle Mike and Auntie Kelly let the girls feed Felix!!

The Road To Taos

On the second full day of our trip, we made the journey to Taos. On the way there, we were able to get a glimpse of the Rio Grande Gorge, which we saw close up on the return trip. While in Taos, we visited Ranchos de Taos, the most photographed church in America. It is simple and elegant, built by Spanish settlers and Pueblo Indians from adobe bricks of clay, sand and straw. After leaving the church, we walked around Taos, checking out the goods of the many street vendors and shops. Click here for more Taos pictures (there are more albums below too!).

This picture was taken on the road to Taos - you can see the Rio Grande Gorge is in the distance.
Ranchos de Taos - Mission Church of Saint Francis of Assisi - so peaceful.
After spending time walking around Taos, we checked out the Taos Pueblo, a "living pueblo" that has been continuously inhabited for more than 1,000 years. It was neat to see how some native americans continue to live in much the same way as their ancestors. More pictures from our visit to the Pueblo here.

The cemetery (below) was incredibly interesting - although we saw markers dating back hundreds of years, some were as recent as only a few years ago.
We took the long way back to Santa Fe in order to drive over the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. After reaching the other side, we (well, some of us) walked the bridge to see the spectacular view. Even though I have no fear of heights, I have to admit it was a bit scary - and everytime a tractor trailer went over the bridge, a lost a few days off of my life! More pictures here.

Auntie Kelly and Uncle Mike brought Felix along to check out the view.

Bandelier

On the first full day of our vacation, we visited Bandelier, an amazing national monument located about an hour from Santa Fe. People have lived in or near Bandelier for more than 10,000 years and the Ancestral Pueblo people built homes in the park's canyons (carved from the volcanic tuff) and on the mesas. We were able to climb ladders into some of the ancient homes, which were incredibly small. The day was beautiful, the scenery was gorgeous and it was a wonderful place for the girls to get the first stamp in their National Parks Passport. More photos here.

There was a controlled burn the day of our visit and in the very distance, you can see the smoke.
Auntie Kelly keeps an eye on Elizabeth as she scales a ladder into one of the ancient homes.

Family picture
This visit was a "full circle" visit for Mike and Kelly, who got engaged at Bandelier a little more than three years ago. This is the first trip to Bandelier they've made since the arrival of Felix.

Meeting Felix

Perhaps the most exciting thing about our trip out west was meeting Felix. It was great for Lee and I to finally see our nephew and it was even more wonderful for the girls to meet him and interact with him. They were immediately enthralled by him and tried to help Uncle Mike and Auntie Kelly whenever they could - pushing his stroller, feeding him, picking out his clothes, and playing with him. Here are a few pictures from last Wednesday.

Helping Uncle Mike feed Felix.
Here, Emily shows Felix just how much she loves him by giving him a big hug.
Emily even shared Lambie with Felix, although only for short periods of time.
Elizabeth gives Felix a kiss.
Emily enjoys holding her little cousin.