Then we were off to Rio Rancho, a small area just outside of Albuquerque. With the festival a couple of days away, we took in the sites of the area.

The beautiful architecture and Sandia Mountain ranges in the area gave us plenty to look at. We also visited a few Museums and malls in the area.

We initially left the hotel with the thought of visiting the EXPLORA!, a children's museum. However, just across the street from that museum was a Science Museum with Dinosaur sculptures that caught our attention. It was hard not to be drawn that way.

Also, as part of the same museum there was a BRAIN exhibit that had multiple stations demonstrating how our brain works. Fascinating and fun stuff with plenty of "hands-on" demonstrations! Additionally, there was a section on space with emphasis on our solar system. Even Kevin had fun exploring the displays despite the fact that he understood none of it.

The following day, we started with breakfast at the Range Cafe. It was a great mix of good food and atmosphere. Pictured here is Jordan's breakfast. I'm drinking a Mocha Latte. There were shelves of great looking desserts, and when we left, we planned to go back for some but never made it back, being distracted by other snacks and sights.



And then we were off to the Art Museum. Here are some pictures of us at different exhibits and clowning around. They even had an empty frame and costumes that you could wear to take a picture of yourself. The 3rd picture is "colonial George". I also like the "warrior stance" of Jordan and Cynthia.

On the Friday before the festival, we made our way to the Acequia Vineyards & Winery in Corrales, NM. This was a small reception room but the place was a true pleasure. The proprietor (whose name I've unfortunately forgotten) not only gave us a lot of information about his wine, but many other tidbits and anecdotes about past customers and acquaintances. It was a delightful experience even for someone like me who is not a wine connoisseur. After multiple glasses of sampled wine we were feeling no pain and life seemed good.

By the time Saturday came and it was time for the Coffee and Chocolate Festival, the event almost seemed anti-climactic. We had a previous evening where we sampled multiple types of coffee and several free chocolates, red velvet brownies and puddings. This was very nice with only a limited number (80) of participants, but the festival itself had thousands of people which made it more crowded and harder to experience everything. Still, there were dozens of stations displaying their products. I never thought that I could sample too many chocolate, fudge & other sweets but now I know it is possible. Of course, we purchased our fair share of the confectionary products and snuck out of the festival with our booty. Kevin's stroller came in handy to wheel all of the stuff out. In addition to sampling and buying various coffees and chocolate, we also did a cookie decorating session (Cynthia, right) and a painting session. The 4-5 hours that we spent there made a full final day.

Even Kevin got involved with the painting. His (abstract) painting is in the middle.

Below is Kevin mesmerized by the fish and riding the Merry-go-round at the mall.

This picture on the right sums up the festival. A lot of fun. A lot of excess. Too much wine. Too much coffee. W-a-ayy too much chocolate. I may take a break from chocolate for awhile...

(...Kidding! Ok, break over!)

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Below, is an image carousel with the rest of the pictures. Enjoy.

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