Balloon Fiesta Day 1
- Wednesday
We head for the Balloon Fiesta in the dark, trying not to
wake the neighbors. Jeep hitched to the
back of the Floating Palace, VV puts on her tunes and assumes control of the tour
bus-sized recreational vehicle. Jesse
and I stretch out on the sofa and Michael nods off in the reclining
captain’s chair. What's the route? South on I-25 to
Albuquerque, turn right on Alameda Avenue.
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| Southern Colorado Heading for New Mexico |
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| Graphic reminder of Mining History |
South of Pueblo, yellow trees are blurring by, as we head for Raton Pass.
VV pulls into a
rest stop and made coffee.
Ermine clouds snuggle up to the mountains.
A poster in the
“hospitality” building informs us we are on the Santa Fe Trail. A stone monument claims we are on the Blue Star Highway, dedicated to WWII vets. The voices of history calling, calling. Raton Pass, despite its unsavory name, is lovely, a bright sunshiny
day, and we head across the border into New Mexico.
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| Historic Ft Union Rest Area |
Hours later, historic Fort Union rest station lures us off the road.
Ft. Union was the launching site for
army raids against Indians, Confederate soldiers, and outlaws.
After the “pacification” of the area, the
government closed the fort in 1891.
The
foundations and a small section of the ruins are viewable.
In the restroom was a sign: “Do you approve of this rest stop?” with unusable Yes or No buttons. Approve of what, I wonder. Do I approve of what aspect, exactly? The history, the ruins, the nasty toilets? A mystery I will probably never investigate.
Another few hours and we are taking a right on Alameda
Avenue and pulling into the Balloon Fiesta Park. The Sandia mountains are pink as the sun is
setting. Journey's end, we think.
Snafu ensues, as an RV club bumps us for the premium site VV paid for in February. We were directed to park in a “dry” area with
no hookups. After a number of phone
calls and visits to the Office, we are left high and, yes, dry for the
night. High winds do not permit any
evening balloon activities. Thanks to a
generator, we watch “Tangled” on the VCR. The late night news,
predicts that the weather will cooperate and the famed Dawn Patrol will take place as scheduled.
Hours later, historic Fort Union rest station lures us off the road. Ft. Union was the launching site for
army raids against Indians, Confederate soldiers, and outlaws. After the “pacification” of the area, the
government closed the fort in 1891. The
foundations and a small section of the ruins are viewable. 