On the Town

The school year is drawing to a close, as is my break before the summer term begins, and the weather in ABQ has turned beautiful. Today the kids had their carnival day at school, so we decided to play hooky and spend the day as a family. It turned out to be the best idea we've had in a while.

Our first stop was the Sandia foothills, where we did a quick hike to an overlook with a breathtaking vista of the Rio Grande valley. At the overlook we got a few nice shots, first of Summer and the older kids:And then of Evan, looking just a bit scared to be this high up:
We then went downtown to see the new Earth movie, which was quite enjoyable, if a bit overambitious in scope. But the kids were really well-behaved, earning them a trip to a new local dining find, the New York Pizza Department, a fun place on Central with great thin-crust pizza. And finding fun stuff downtown is always great.

Our final stop before heading home was the National Hispanic Cultural Center, located in the historic Barelas area of town. The complex houses a performing arts center, a museum, and educational resources. It's a very impressive facility, and we're thinking of having family photos taken there, so we did some reconnaissance. Here are some of the results.

First, from the promenade to the facility itself, Ryan and Evan in the shade of some maple trees:
And here the three oldest kids pose near the fountain:
We then made our way home for a nap time. A well-deserved nap time.