HOMEWARD BOUND TO CALIFORNIA
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
October 11-19, 2015

Driving from Albuquerque, New Mexico to California’s Yosemite National Park in two days with a triple tow rig some 950 miles is a long stretch which definitely earns one a Road Warrior badge. Toss in the challenge of navigating through the various interstate exchanges to bypass the massive expanse of urban sprawl development around Nevada’s Boulder City and Las Vegas is a feat worthy of a  Super Road Warrior award. The transportation infrastructure system there is best left to those folks thinking that they have found utopia (NOT) by living cheaper in the desert. 
Exploring parts of America’s western region during the past three months conquered nearly 10,000 miles and lots of amazing landscapes out on the road. 

The final destination found us crossing over Tioga Pass into Yosemite Valley for a week to decompress and unwind before returning home in the Bay Area. Mother Nature seems to continue playing havoc around California with the drought and  the rage of wildfires.  

This year we have been to Yosemite NP both in the spring and the fall in celebration of its 125^th Birthday. People all over the world come visit this national park for the beauty and tranquility it offers.

Vernal Falls 

The state’s lack of rainfall has greatly impacted the national park and valley floor as well; the fall colors are less vibrant and leaves on the trees are extremely dry and sparse the season, the waterfalls and the Merced River are virtually all dry (although a two day rain and thunderstorms brought the valley somewhat back to life), hordes of ravens and animals are savaging about everywhere for food and water, and smoke lingers in the air from prescribed burns and natural fires. 

Yosemite Falls bone dry October 12, 2015

As rainfall poured into Yosemite Valley we found the kid within ourselves jumping and splashing for joy in the puddles. Rain is such a blessing and much needed gift everywhere for the environment. The drought reminds us just how fragile our planet has been impacted by global warming and the importance of the role each of us must consciously assume in becoming even better stewards of the Earth. 

Hiking to the Mist Trail

48 hours of heavy rainfall October 17-18, 2015  Yosemite Falls
gushes after months being bone dry and the fires cease to prevail
HOORAY LET'S SEE MORE RAIN
BRING IT ON !  

 ALBUQUERQUE BALLOON FIESTA FILLS THE SKY FOR ITS 44^TH YEAR

October 3-10, 2015

Our youngest son Justin with his wife Graciela and the grandkids Bella and Nina flew down a few days to enjoy the balloon fiesta with us. The event is a world-renowned attraction and destination for kids of all ages. Literally hundreds of balloons have taken flight from the Balloon Fiesta Park this week. 

From its modest beginnings in 1972 with 13 balloons launching from a shopping mall parking lot, the Balloon Fiesta has grown to multiple events launching year-round at the custom-designed, 365-acre Balloon Fiesta Park. The signature event remains Balloon Fiesta—which, with almost 600 balloons, is the largest ballooning event on earth, the most photographed event on earth, and the largest annual international event held in the United States.

Imagine 54 football fields, all put together. That's the size of Balloon Fiesta Park's 78-acre launch field! And at this Park's "playing field," there are no losing teams and no viewing stands.

Fiesta events begin early in the morning at 6:30am when the dawn patrol of 8 to 10 balloonists check the wind conditions, one of the balloonist signals if the weather conditions are okay for all other balloon pilots on the field the go ahead with their crews to begin the process for inflating their balloons. 

Equipments is pulled off of pickup trucks on the launch field. Balloon fabric called the envelope is rolled out on the grass, a fan operated by a generator fills one's balloon until it slowly inflates with air, propane tank hoses are attached to burners on a frame above the gondola basket, each  pilot sporadically turns a lever sending propane gas hot flames inside his/her balloon  to fill it upright,  crews help to hold the basket down from lifting, zebras control volunteers direct the crowds to move back away to clear the area for safety and then blow a whistle to signal the balloon pilot the okay to launch. It is indeed something to watch the spectacle of a mass ascension.

  

 

Visitors walk the field and are part of the action.

Hundreds of thousands of smiling, upturned faces, awestruck by the spectacular beauty of hot air balloons filling the big blue New Mexico sky.

Evening events such as night glows and laser shows thrill the crowds. Fiesta fireworks are amazing. What you can't hear until you walk the field at nightfall is the thrilling roar of hundreds of burners simultaneously igniting, turning the Park into a huge lighted Christmas tree of colorful balloons.

The grandkids climbed up on top of the motor home

with their dad and JR the following morning to witness

 the next morning mass ascension for more excitement 

Wow a chase crew helps its pilot who landed  safely in the RV lot
one morning during a mass ascension. Was it his target for breakfast?

Close call as a gondola basket passes over several RVs.

JAUNTS FROM ALBUQUERQUE TO SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

September 17- October 4, 2015

Albuquerque is known for its annual International Balloon Fiesta that occurs early each fall, filling the skies with luminous, colorful balloons. For more than four decades, the first week in October brings the smell of roasting chiles and the beautiful, magical moving picture show of hot air balloons sailing silently through the crisp fall air. 

Guests from all over the world come to Albuquerque to celebrate ballooning. We arrived a week early to join with our full-timer RV good friends Earl and Dot Underwood who drove down from Michigan to stage and base ourselves together for the 44th annual Albuquerque International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta.

The four of us the first night hopped in their silver convertible Cruiser and drove to Hong Kong Pavilion for a delicious Chinese buffet supper. Later we caught the red glow of the moon's lunar eclipse in the night sky that evening. 

We have enjoyed lots of fun here the week before the balloon fiesta with Dot and Earl. A night at the casino, nightly fireworks and balloon fiesta events, potluck meals and good laughs have been a few things shared  together.


Taking the Rail Runner Train as seniors from ABQ to Santa Fe round trip for a whopping $6.00 was a bargain.

In the centre of old town Santa Fe Plaza the St. Francis Cathedral built in 1886 took 17 years to complete. The church makes for really a lovely visit with its architecture. The historic Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi was elevated to a basilica status by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005. The beautiful Romanesque Revival cathedral stands out in contrast to the adobe structures surrounding it and is crowned with an exquisite stain glass window.

Another top attraction is Loretta Chapel with it mysterious spiral staircase that has no nails or structural support leading to the choir loft. Santa Fe offers lots of shops around the old plaza with local Indians wares. 
Silver and turquoise jewelry along with Acoma and Navajo pottery are hot items if one has money to burn. JR and Earl found a comfortable seat in the La Fonda Hotel while us girls meandered and browsed around the plaza square. 

 

JR and I drove the Turquoise Trail Scenic Byway one afternoon taking in some highlights of the small towns of Golden, Madrid, and Cerrillos along the High Road in the desert between ABQ and Santa Fe This is what traveling in the southwest captured along the way.