After a long drive through southern Colorado we crossed the border into New Mexico, and drove to Santa Fe where we stopped to go through the Georgia O'Keefe museum there. Barbara has long had the urge to see the works of this iconic American modernist, and she was not disappointed. The museum was superb, and we had a lovely luncheon in the open air terrace of the restaurant next door.
Our hosts for the next few days were Bob & Donna Benson, whose beautiful ranch house was made even more interesting and colorful by virtue of the bedroom to which we were assigned--The Balloon Room. The whole room was decorated with miniature hot air balloons in an unusual and colorful nod towards the sport of ballooning which is very popular in Albuquerque.
Unfortunately, it was in Albuquerque that Barbara awoke on the second day of our stay feeling very ill, and after we took her to an urgent care center, they in turn sent her to the city's Presbyterian Hospital. After several hours there of observation, poking, prodding, monitoring, and giving lengthy medical history information to the EMR staff, it was determined that she was suffering from acute altitude sickness. At the end of the day, and armed with some new medications to treat the condition, they released her with the strong recommendation that we not visit any more locations during our trip that were any higher than the 6000 foot mark.
Thus, we very reluctantly cancelled our plans to visit, Williams, AZ at the Grand Canyon, Lake Havasu at the western edge of Arizona, and that portion of the trip to the national parks at Bryce, Zion and Arches in Utah. After resting for a day during which she became comfortable with the effects of the medication, we drove back into Colorado on Tuesday, June 9 and have safely arrived at our daughter's home in Boulder, Colorado.
We will rest here for for several days, and then attend the wedding which was the primary object of this road trip. Assuming that Barbara is feeling OK again at that time, on June 23 we will resume the trip, ("downhill") into South Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, and North Carolina and then home in early July.
No comments:
Post a Comment