Our winter vacation actually started on 7 Oct when we left Med Hat for a trip to Albuquerque, NM to experience the 3 day Air Balloon Fiesta which we had planned to do for years but the World Senior Games in St. Geo, UT , which I have participated in for the passed 12 years, was always held on the same week. Now since I have now turned 70 the World Senior Games schedule was now a week later which allowed us to go to the Balloon Fiesta.
We normally leave home at first light but our son Clark was visiting and he left for Calgary at 6 AM so we left at 6:30 and it was still dark. We headed down hwy 41 to Havre , MT which goes thru Elk Water Park and is crawling with Deer, Elk, Moose and other such animals. We were about 20 miles down the road when Carroll suggested that I slow down and watch for deer when out of nowhere two deer flashed in from of me. I slammed on the brakes just in time to save the deer but I can assure you that I was close enough to wipes its' ass. Finally daylight arrived , as i knew it would, and we carried on thru the Border check at Wild Horse on on to Sheridan, WY were we spent the night with many other campers at a Wal-Mart camping area.
8 Oct was fairly uneventful except I noticed the truck was losing power. Our Truck is a F-350 with 200,000KM so I have been thinking about getting rid of it but now i had hoped it would get us to Albuquerque , then to St.Geo and then back homes so i could "Dump " it as it has not been all that kind to me. We made it to a city south of Denver with another convenience Wal-Mart where we spent the night.
9 Oct ; Our intention was to meet up with our friends , Tom and Maureen Mathison, at a Casino on the outskirts of Albuquerque, so we could both go to the camping area on the site of the Balloon Fiesta on Thursday and hopefully park beside each other. When we arrived at the Casino, it was a brand new beautiful casino with acres of parking and the Security met us and helped us to find a convenience parking spot. Then he said he had to signed me in and ask the proverbial question. When he said how long are you staying my answer was April 2014 and I think his heart skipped a beat. Then I said one night so his heart revert to normal. We then had a happy Hour with our friends, checked out the Casino so Carroll could donate 20.00 had supper and called it a day.
10 Oct ; At 10:00 AM we left the Casino and move a few blocks to what would be our scheduled Camping area for the next three days. This camping area was well organized and when we entered the gate we were handed over to a parking attendant who showed us to our site and was willing to park our trailer if we felt uncomfortable backing in. I refused his offer as I have been doing this for 12 years so I think I can handle the parking part. This area did not have any facilities like power and water but we already knew that. However the area was large enough to hold 2000 campers so you can picture the size of the place. Incidentally I ask how they could have possibly have so much unused land in the middle of a city this large and answer was that this area was once a land fill for the city and gives off so much Methane gas that it can not be developed. In fact I was should many ventilating pipes to vent the gas. Also the gas is captured and piped to a collection area and utilized by the city to produce gas for their Heating Plant.
As part of our Camping fee, a bus or should I say many, many Buses picked us up and took us to the Air Balloon area which was about a block away. This Bus services was great and the entire Fiesta was well organized. As the saying goes " This was not their first Rodeo ". I guessing the area where the balloons inflated and launched, probably cover a city block and again was well organized and there was either 400 or 500 Air Balloons of all shapes and sizes. The cost to enter the " Balloon Field " was 8.00 per person and they lauch at 6 AM ( yes 6 AM ) and then at night the Air balloons are Tethered so once it gets dark they " Fire " the jets and the scenery is out of this world. I don't know how to add pictures but once I find out I will include the pics. At 8:30 PM each evening they had a Fireworks display that was fantastic and we could see the entire show from our Campsite rather then stay at the Balloon field.
We stayed at the Fiesta for Thursday, Friday and Saturday and attended the launch every morning and the night show in the evening. This show was well worth the trip and we strongly recommend it. the camping is 30.00 per day and the entry fee is 16.00 per day. You will never get a show like this for that price anywhere on the planet. On Sunday we will head to St. Geo, UT
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