You know who he is. He's the cook. He's the one who knocks. Say his name. He's Heisenberg. And today, some members of the Grinch re-traced some of his most famous paths around Albuquerque. We started by going to Java Joe's, also known as "Touco's Hideout". We grabbed some java and then drove past the downtown City Plaza- this was the location for an episode in which Walt (Bryan Cranston) waited for a showdown with Jesse. This was a quick stop on our way to the highlight of the trip, which was Walter White's house. The entire group lit up the street with selfies, because... that's what Walt would have wanted. Even though the house was re-painted, there's no pizza on the roof, and there are now 4 signs that say "Private Property", it was still pretty amazing to see this iconic house! It was exciting for all of us to see, but especially for Chelsea, who had just finished her trek through the final season last night! Although this was the main event of the trip, it was not the end of our journey by a long shot! We ventured from Walt's house to his car wash, which has since been remodeled from its "A1" look. Near the car wash was a billboard advertising for the "Candy Lady", who had been hired to cook Heisenberg's signature blue meth (aka... blue rock candy). So... I mean... we HAD to go. This place was the dream of every Breaking Bad fan- small zip lock bags of the blue stuff, clever t shirts, pictures, hats, and even a corner in which you could put on some Heisenberg shades and the famous fedora to pose for pictures! I walked out with my little zip-lock bag of blue rock candy and some chocolate walnut fudge, which I could get at any candy shop... but it looked good, so I got it. Our final stop was at Twisters... which means nothing in the world of Breaking Bad. However, a little place called Pollos Hermanos does! Though the name is now different, it's the very place where Walt met Gus and had himself some fine looking fried chicken. Ironically enough, this establishment specializes in Mexican cuisine (and burgers for some reason), so we found just about everything except fried chicken on the menu. And as if the day hadn't been rewarding enough, I met an ostrich and a llama outside the restaurant. I'm tellin' ya, it doesn't get much better than that.
This adventure took us from one side of Albuquerque to the other, and I have to say... I love this place. It's fun taking in a landscape that is so different from home! Almost every building around here is adobe, complete with the tan and teal color pattern. Not to mention the backdrop of the mountains! It's breathtaking to take in the way the sunlight hits the mountains at different times throughout the day, and the way the sun sets over them. It's times like this that I look up and give props to that brilliant Artist- He's given us something truly, truly special, and I consider myself so lucky to explore so many different facets of His creation. Speaking of that exploration, tomorrow brings another adventure: "Up higher than high, to a frightening height... 11,000 feet high to crest of Sandia, we'll scram on the tram to the tip top... so see ya!"
A side note, as long as I mention elevation... the altitude is noticeable out here, especially for singing. Maybe I need to up my commitment to the treadmill, but it's definitely taking a bit more effort! I can only imagine how this makes things exponentially more difficult for Stefan (Grinch) and Andreas (Young Max)! Of course, they're both machines, so on the outside it's the same show as ever, but it is a work out for the ol' lungs! The following weeks will be very interesting, travelling to different altitudes such as Salt Lake City and Denver, but I guess it's good training!
This adventure took us from one side of Albuquerque to the other, and I have to say... I love this place. It's fun taking in a landscape that is so different from home! Almost every building around here is adobe, complete with the tan and teal color pattern. Not to mention the backdrop of the mountains! It's breathtaking to take in the way the sunlight hits the mountains at different times throughout the day, and the way the sun sets over them. It's times like this that I look up and give props to that brilliant Artist- He's given us something truly, truly special, and I consider myself so lucky to explore so many different facets of His creation. Speaking of that exploration, tomorrow brings another adventure: "Up higher than high, to a frightening height... 11,000 feet high to crest of Sandia, we'll scram on the tram to the tip top... so see ya!"
A side note, as long as I mention elevation... the altitude is noticeable out here, especially for singing. Maybe I need to up my commitment to the treadmill, but it's definitely taking a bit more effort! I can only imagine how this makes things exponentially more difficult for Stefan (Grinch) and Andreas (Young Max)! Of course, they're both machines, so on the outside it's the same show as ever, but it is a work out for the ol' lungs! The following weeks will be very interesting, travelling to different altitudes such as Salt Lake City and Denver, but I guess it's good training!