Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta - Day 4

Oh my gosh, I really didn't think that I would want to take any more pictures today.  Thought I got them all yesterday.  Well.....  the winds were perfect this morning so about 7:15 am they started the mass ascension and quite a few of them came right towards us.  Again today, we stayed around the RV and this was what we got to see.

Today a lot of the "special" shapes flew too!! We didn't see many of them yesterday!!  Elvis was even in the house!!!

Look carefully at the baby below, can you see the basket??  Sure lets you get the idea of how huge these "envelopes" are. 

Didn't expect to see one of my favorite Moscato brands here too!!

Here's Elvis!!!  

Pretty cool! ! !  This all ends right around 9:00am.  Some of the balloonists keep theirs upright for a while after they land and others take them right down.  We have learned that today most of the pilots use gps with their ground crews so they are very easy to find.

Our second event today was a trip to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.  It was a very interesting place which included a historial museum and about 45 Indian artisians and all their crafts.  The way they designed this place it had a really neat courtyard where they had a lot of Indian entertainment going on.  Was really fun place to be and watch.  A lot of young kids were involved with keeping the culture going.  The Cultural Center also had a gift shop where they were selling a book about the Code Talkers of WWII.  AND, today, the last living Code Talker who is now 92, was there signing books.  Really cool!!

Tonight pizza and beer ! ! ! 

Albuquerque Ballon Fiesta - Day 3

Today was the official opening day of the fiesta.  Thought we set our alarm but, guess what, we didn't!!  BUT, that worked out for the best.  The people who went over to the field, which is about a mile away, froze!!  It was 32 degrees per last night's weather report.  We slept in til 6:30am to find out that the winds were not cooperating either.  They were too strong.  Sooooo, the mass ascension that was supposed to be at seven didn't really happen til about 8:00am.  A few went up early as you can see but the best seats in the place were right in our camp area.  Quite a few landed right near our RV so we got lots of great shots!!  We stayed right in camp with our mocha's and winter coats.  Now at about 11:00am it is warming up..  should hit about 70 degrees today!!  

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 Notice how the balloon's can block the sun??

None landed on any RV's that we saw either! LOL!!  Was very interesting watching them find a safe place to land.  

Enjoy these pictures ! ! !   Will post again later!!  

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta - Day 2

WOW, what a day.  It was a tour day with the Fantasy RV Tour group.  We got on a bus with 50 others and rode up the Sandia Mountains to the Sandia Peak Tramway, the 10,000 plus foot mountain top and the blowing 35 degrees up there ! !  They ski down the other side!!!  For some reason I really thought this would be a tram on a stable track, BUT, that was not the case!!  It is a swinging gondola that rides up on cables for 2.7 miles.  It is marketed as the world's longest aerial tramways!!  Oh my, you who know me, know how hard this was for me!! BUT we did it!!!!!

These two pictures were taken from the parking lot..  Albuquerque is a huge, spread out city but does not have very good air..  we were very surprised at all the smog.  But, the city is in a box of mountains.  We had a really great lunch before we headed back down the mountain!

The last three pictures are from the gondola but don't really show how terrific the view was when I could peek at it!!  There was one place where the guy on the gondola said it was 1,000 feet down.  He also showed us where an airplane had crashed, we couldn't look.  The shiny stuff way down there was the metal.  He said that it was determined to be pilot error but that a compass had failed.  WOW, what an error.  

After that wild trip we went to the Turquoise Museum.  It was very interesting.  They actually took us into a conference room and talked about turquoise for a while.  Did you know that approximately 80% of the world's turquoise is mined in China?  He talked about how marketing affects it all.  Everyone thinks that New Mexico is turquoise country for the US but it is really Nevada.  Who knew??  He also told us that the best tip to shopping is to ask if the stone is "natural".  That is the one question that sellers, by law, cannot lie about.  There are many processes that make what most of what we buy not a natural stone.  It was also a great place to pick up a couple of gifts!!

We have noticed driving around that Albuquerque really knows how to landscape their freeway areas.  Lots of work done with rocks, colored cement and plantings.  Very well done!!  It is also colder here than anywhere else we have been, wearing jeans for the first time today and not just cuz we went up on the mountain.  I think the wind makes a difference too.

We are really tired tonight.  Feel that the stress of the gondola ride pooped us out!!  Tomorrow is the official assension opening of the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, they expect more than 10,000 people on the grounds just tomorrow and it starts at about 5:45 in the morning.  Oh my, wonder if we will be able to get there.  Gotta catch the shuttle!!

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta - Day 1

Got up early and headed out of Grants, after grabbing a donut, to try and get to The Balloon Fiesta Grounds first. Well..... we were far from first but so glad we went early.  There are already so many RV's here and the official opening isn't til Saturday. Can't believe all the goat head stickers here, remember them well from growing up!!  My Old Navy flip flops don't really work well in sticker country!!  They poke right throught! ! !   Made a trip to the closest Costco and stocked up with all the essentials.  Of course it included Caribbean Coconut Rum ! ! ! Today was the Fantasy RV Orientation and then we had a wonderful BBQ dinner.  Their sauce was not near as good as our son, Gary's but the meat was very tender and flavorful.  The entertainment was two guys who played the marimba for an hour.  They were so good.  Never had heard that instrument before.  Tomorrow starts some touring!!

Grants NM

Today was supposed to be just a short 1.5 hour trip leaving Arizona and getting about 80 miles into New Mexico, but leave it to me to mess it up.  About two weeks ago I MapQuested our route but totally forgot that I only put in Grants, not the actual address we wanted.  Soooooooooo, we ended up ten miles up in the mountains where there is NOTHING!!  Called the park to see why MapQuest messed up and by then was looking at the confirmation and saw a very clear map that we were in totally the wrong area.  Then realized that I had goofed, AGAIN.   Soooooooooooo, got turned around and headed back to the highway and easily found the park based on the correct directions!!  LOL, what a morning!!

This part of Arizona and New Mexico are so pretty, red rocks, scrub oaks and lots of green grass.  We were from 6200 to 7000 feet.  Today will be our coolest at about 70 degrees. Surprised to see so many horses in the fields, wonder what they do with them.  This area is so remote.  Went through Hopi and Navajo Reservation lands.  So sad seeing how poor most of these area are.  Couldn't take pictures. Upsetting too that WalMart is in all these little towns and so the local businesses are all closed up.  This is why I hate supporting WalMart.  

This park has a menu where you can order dinner and it is delivered direct to your RV.  Tonight is pizza night for us!!!  Tomorrow is on to Albuquerque! ! !  The Balloon Fiesta is awaiting us!!

Holbrook AZ

Well today was a fairly short travel day, only traveled about two hours, however, we started with a flat tire that put us over an hour behind our schedule.  Sure happy to be retired and not really have to be concerned with the time!!  We were in Cottonwood for two weeks and could easily have taken care of it during that time but, oh no, we had to discover it when we wanted to leave camp this morning!!  Ken has been battling with Les Schwab Tires back home ever since we bought brand new tires for the RV.  This tire has leaked many times.  Ken has taken it back to two different Les Schwab stores near home.  This time we went to Big O Tires in Cottonwood, recommended by our camping neighbor, Bob. They were very good.  A nice, young man took us right in without an appointment and quickly discovered that the rim had a split in it. Apparently it happened when our new tires had been put on.  Interesting, isn't it!!  The best news is that Big O only charged us for a new rim and $25 for labor.  Very fair!!  We made our way to the OK RV Park in Holbrook.  Will stay for one night here.  

Cottonwood AZ

Ken and I arrived in Cottonwood AZ on September 22, 2013 to stay at the Thousand Trails Park called Verde Valley.  We find it to be the prettiest park we have stayed in in the TT system.  The weather started out quite warm, like high 90's but has settled into the low 80's for the past week.  Very nice indeed!!  

This is the one night that threatened rain, could actually count the drops.  Not like home at all.  All the rest of our days have been beautiful, blue skies!!

We did take off the other day and go on a volunteer led, three mile hike in Sedona at the Red Rock State Park.  It is day use only with lots of hiking trails available.  This tree was along our way and a site from the trail.

We have met some great people including Bob and Donna who have been camped next to us our whole two weeks, they are staying at least seven weeks.  They flagged us down when we were driving in so that we would be parked next to them!!  LOL. Little did they know what that would mean!!  They full time RV so have been sharing a bit of their knowledge as well as getting us very interested in geocaching!!

Heading out tomorrow to Holbrook, October 1, 2013.