My New Mexico Adventure

Lupe and I left early on 7/30 and headed to New Mexico.  Had Breakfast at Big Tex and no we did not eat the 72oz steak in a hour, shoot it would have taken us a week to eat it.  :-)       We stay in downtown Santa Fe  where the high was about 85'   and low in the 60's .  took her to famous churches she wanted to see and then to Albuquerque where I lived when I was young.  Then we drove back to Santa Fe on the scenic highways.  Monday we did the Tram Way  to Sandia Peak  (it was 57 degrees then)  Lupe overcame her fear and enjoyed it and hike a little around the top and then we had a lunch on the top called High Finance.  Then we drove to the other side of the mountain to the Sandia Crest and hike some more.    then took the scenic drive back to Santa Fe.  tuesday we drove to the Santa Fe national forest and Pecos national forest were I took the Liberty offroad a little.  The roads were very tight with sharp turns.  we lost track of time playing and had to drive down in the dark but my new HID lights I had installed were GREAT.    Wednesday we drove to Albuquerque to go on a balloon ride but the Captain canceled because he did not like what the winds were doing  ( other companies flew but had troubles I found out,  one landed at the Kirkland base and was fined and 2 others landed at the airport so good call.)  So we check out the writings on the rocks and the Rio Grande river one the areas I played on that now was fenced off, then we drove to the Jemez scenic trail where I drove a little by the cliffs before I found out it was Indians land.  But they gave me ideas where to go.  saw more   Indian ruins  and some cool natural formations.  we were delayed for about 45 minutes so the can take off about 5 inches of mud that slid off the mountain since nothing holds it since this was where the fires were.  saw the Los almos   plant.   Thursday we tried again the ballooning and it was great!  The weather was perfect and even Lupe who was scared was Awe-struck and evened called her brother from the balloon to say she was flying.  I took pictures and was videoing the flight. We did land in a residential street but they helped out and Lupe made new friends.  speaking spanish helped alot.  We then went back to Santa Fe and eat a great dinner then start packing up.  Friday we drove back and the only tourist thing we stopped by to see was Cadillac ranch.  We drove a total of 1625 miles and I spent way too much money but have a lifetime of memories.  

I did take alot of video and pictures and was loading some then my computer was full so it stopped so I went and bought a external hard drive and transfered my old  pictures to it and deleted the ones on the computer but I now cannot load nothing .  I need HELP.   would love to show the balloon video and me walking the cliff trail on the Sandia.  pm me if you can make my computer easy for me.

Sounds like a blast!
Was it intentional to land the balloon on a residential street?

Tell us more about the losing track of time because y'all were playing, Dave
 

The captain first tried to land near a school field but the wind shifted us alittle so he then he thought of landing in a vacant lot but it had alot of sage bush all over it so he aimed for the street since it was smooth and the chase van could get to it. 

a few  thousand pictures taken but will show a couple.    

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a few more....  later I will try some videos 

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Very cool pics makes me want to go on a road trip!

Great pics Dave...what flavors are those beverages?

We ate at a place in Santa Fe called Blue Corn that makes its own beer and I could not decide so I got the sampler tray.  Don't worry we walked from our hotel . 

Looks like you had fun!  Love the pics!