10/22/2015 Checking Out Tucson, AZ

Agave Gulch FamCamp View

Small Portion of the Bone Yard

Having no plan at the moment, we check out Tucson as a possible place to winter. We fall in love with this desert city with it's pleasant weather and beauty surrounded by several different mountain ranges. Then we discover Davis-Monthan Air Force Base has a great RV park, Agave Gulch FamCamp.  It sits along side the bases famous aircraft "bone yard" where all branches of the military services park their retired crafts. This place is massive with over 4,200 air craft of all types either waiting to be called up again or waiting to be dismantled.  One of Jack's best friends, Gibby, recently flew his Army helicopter here to be retired.  

Larry, Missie and John in Tubac

So much fun to meet up with John's cousin Missie and husband Larry who live here along with Bob S., an old Navy/Sonalysts friend. Missie and Larry take us a little south of Tucson to the small artsy township of Tubac where we lunch at Shelby's and poke around the many shops.  

Some cool campers we have seen along the way.

10/15/15 Cochiti Lake Pueblo, Santa Fe New Mexico

Santa Fe

It's a short trip north from Albuquerque to a sparsely occupied campground 45 minutes outside Santa Fe in the high desert on Cochiti Lake. This Army Corp of Engineers manged site is near a dam they manage and the quiet is just what we need.  The night sky is littered with falling stars and a very prominent milky way.

Flamingo Dancer at Santa Fe Botanical Garden

During the week John has a meeting at the Santa Fe Institute, we tour the very cool artsy town and at sunset grab cheese and salami and picnic Italian style while attending a wonderful performance of flamingo dancers in the Botanical Park sculpture garden.  A reminder to always check the town's "what's going on today" website!  

Tent Rocks HooDoos from Canyon Trail

Another day we enjoy a fantastic hike through a slot canyon up to Kasha-Katuwe 
Tent Rocks 
National Monument and later tour nearby Cochii Pueblo where Deb had a nice chat with a delightful old Indian named Dan in his adobe home where he and his wife make

ceramic Story Tellers and other cultural pottery.  He tells her how much he appreciates outsiders showing

John Navigating the Slot Canyon

respect for his culture.    Each tribe has it's own style of pottery and Deb realizes the clay Story Teller she bought Zoe back in the 90's may have been from this Pueblo!  She also realizes the Ute Pottery she bought on a camping trip to Mesa Verde with John in the 70's while she was studying away from Connecticut College for a year at University of Denver, is worth a LOT more than she paid for it.  Too bad she just gave it to Good Will when we sold the Virginia house.  Oh well.....

Cochiti Ceramic Story Teller

10/11/15 Albuquerque International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

New Mexico and another state sticker brings us to the biggest bucket list item of all for Deb.  When she made reservations in February to stay for 7 days, John said "really, what are we going to do for 7 days?" Well he was hooked the moment the first balloons went up and had the time of his life as well.  Our VIP West campsite was on the fiesta grounds, a two minute walk to the balloon launch area.  The grounds open at 5 a.m. and the fairway loaded with media, food and vendors of all sorts was packed with thousands of people by 6 a.m.  A half dozen Dawn Patrol

Atop Our RV

balloons ascend before sunrise to test the winds then between 7 and 8 a.m. 300 to 600 balloons ascend, EVERY DAY! When the wind was blowing south, they flew right over our heads as we sat on top of our RV. Some flew so low we had conversations with the pilots.

Lady Jester Balloon

                                   

Deb volunteered to crew for the Lady Jester Balloon Team for three days, one of the coolest things she has ever done.  Arriving at our spot on the field around 6:30 a.m., we unroll the tarp, then the balloon, turn on the fans to start to fill the balloon and then attach it to the gondola (basket the pilot/passengers ride in) and turn on the gas to fill it the rest of the way.  The referees signal when each balloon can ascend but it still feels like beautiful mass chaos on the field with hundreds of trucks, crew, referees and balloons along with thousands of spectators.  After Lady Juster rises and we see which direction the wind is taking her, we pile in the back of the pickup and follow.  When she lands we roll it all up, pack it in the trailer, go back to the fiesta field and tail-gate. Jester's owners and pilots, Sally and Robert, treat their crew royally.  It's now about 9:30 a.m. and today breakfast is delicious Frito Pie (chili poured into a small bag of Frito's with cheese and onions on top and of course the traditional ballooning beverage - champagne! Ah, yes, life is oh so very good.     

On the weekends, for The Night Glow, balloons are filled and lit up by the gas burners but do not ascend.  Helping to hold down the gondola attached to an eight story balloon filled with hot gas, on a windy evening, took muscles Deb didn't know she had.  The Glow is followed by the most fantastic ground and air fireworks we have ever seen!  So grateful to be walking home as stories abound of taking 2 hours just to get out of the parking lot after the fireworks. 

Holding The Jester During The Glow

We met some great new friends in the RV park, Marsha and Ralph, who live near Cape Cod, Massachusetts, about 2 hours from where we will live in Westerly!!  They are on a 4 month RV-about so we hope to hook up with them again before they head East in Spring.

By the way, this is NOT the last time we will come for the fiesta. Rent an RV and come with us next time!!!

Deb Waiving From Lady Jester Crew Truck

Photo While Holding Lady Jester As She Fills