October 14, 2017
Kiva RV Park
Bosque, NM

Today we left Santa Fe and headed 112 miles south on I-25 passing through Albuquerque to the small rural town of Bosque. There is not much here except for Kiva RV Park.... and Horse Motel.

narrow gravel pull through site...

Up the street....

Down the parking lot.... I mean street

Long enough to stay hooked up...

And even a little shade from a tree....without blocking the Sat dish.

This is just the first of two overnight stays as we work our way south to Las Cruces.

Today also just happens to be our 45th wedding anniversary, wahoo.... Marilyn and I don't mind celebrating in remote spots like this one because we are living the dream of a lifetime traveling this country. We are so thankful and appreciative of this opportunity, and I for one am the luckiest man in the world to be sharing my life with this wonderful, beautiful, and intelligent woman.

October 8, 2017
Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

One of the reasons we left Colorado so late in the fall is so we could be in the Albuquerque area during the Balloon Fiesta (10/7 - 10/15). This was a bucket list item for us and today was the day. Yesterday we researched the event and purchased tickets online for today. We learned that it was recommended to not park at the Fiesta grounds but rather go to a park-n-ride location and take the bus in (great advice). The Fiesta is broken up into sessions (morning and evening) and you have to purchase tickets for each session (our total cost for the bus and morning session was $26.... can't beat that). The morning session starts around 5-5:30am and the evening session starts around 5 pm. There are a few different events at each session but all have the basic Balloon Glow and Mass Ascension. The Glow is where they fire the propane burners and make the balloons glow (obviously this happens in the dark or dusk). The Mass Ascension is where all the balloons launch. Food booths, gifts, arts, and souvenirs are numerous much like you find at a State Fair.

I can't tell you how difficult it was to pick just a few pictures out of the many we took. This was an amazing event that exceeded our expectations. If you have the opportunity to attend this event you will not be disappointed (tired because you had to get up at 3am, but not disappointed).

October 6, 2017
Santa Fe, NM

Today we drove the 13 miles into the town of Santa Fe. The first thing you notice is the Pueblo/Adobe style of all buildings (business and residential). They are even the same light brown color. The main town center of Santa Fe is mostly comprised of arts and craft shops as well as galleries, churches, and museums. There are many restaurants, cafes, and food shops of various assortments as you would come to expect from a tourist town. The area is rich in history and culture.

The famous Loretto Chapel with its mysterious spiral staircase....

Here is the spiral staircase. The mystery is that no one knows who constructed it, what type of wood was used, and how it supports itself....

Of course Santa Fe lies along the Santa Fe Trail....

 Shops and galleries....

The Basilica....

Street view of shops...

And more shops...

 And more shops....

And more... Even a rooftop restaurant.

Santa Fe is a really neat town with lots to see and do, especially if you're into arts and museums. Also, the New Mexican cuisine is fantastic (and will light your fire).

October 3, 2017
Santa Fe Skies RV Park
Santa Fe, NM

We finished our time in Colorado with a trip to the mountains. Colorado College Hockey was having an exhibition game in Breckenridge and Steven secured us tickets and hotel rooms at the Doubletree (what a great deal).

What a beautiful town....

The Ice Rink....

Snow on the peaks...

Steven running the team through warm ups.....

Game action....

It was a great game (but very cold) and CC beat Lethbridge (a Canadian college near Calgary) 4 to 1.
We had dinner that night at the Breckenridge Brewery and said our goodbyes to Steven. The next morning we had a light breakfast with Julie and Katy and then headed back to Denver. We said our goodbyes at Julie's house and drove back down to the motor home in Colorado Springs.

Yesterday we left Colorado Springs and drove south on I-25 for 140 miles passing Pueblo and Trinidad, and up over Raton Pass (7,834 feet in elevation) at the Colorado, New Mexico border. We stopped overnight at the KOA in Raton, NM. This was the same place we stopped in April of last year heading into Colorado. This is a no frills KOA and just good for an overnight stay.

The next morning (today) we drove south 170 miles on I-25 past Las Vegas (no not that one) to Santa Fe. Santa Fe Skies RV Park is located in southwest Santa Fe near I-25 and Hwy 114. Santa Fe Skies was highly rated in RV Park Reviews but I have to say we are very disappointed.

The nicest part of the park is the sign......

gravel roads and sites......

On the side of a hill... gravel (and weeds) everywhere.

Rolling hills of Santa Fe in the distance..

The sites are very narrow and unlevel....

Our step just barely cleared the stone wall....

We will be here for 11 days and will be driving over to Albuquerque (50 miles) for the International Balloon Festival which runs from 10-7 through 10-15. And of course we will be going into Santa Fe. Oh yeah, can't forget... Marilyn just read the RV Park brochure and they mentioned that 17 miles down the road is the town of Madrid which was made famous by the movie Wild Hogs...... oh yeah, gotta check that out..... maybe put on some leather and ride our Zappy's in to town   ;>)