Fall Travel
This year, we stayed home for the Summer and instead saved traveling for the Fall. So, we’re on the road now.
Our first stop was Camping World in Fountain, CO, to join with our friend, Barb Wool in a little caravan to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. We again decided to get out of Denver late at night to avoid heavy traffic. That worked pretty well, but just like last time, we ran into a cone zone (line painting) and had some cars zoom ahead of us only to slam on their brakes when the lanes went from five to one. That was the only really tense moment though, and from there it was smooth sailing.
We slept the remainder of the night at Camping World, did some shopping in the morning, and then with Barb, continued on to Trinidad Lake State Park. We’ve used this park in the past as an overnight stop. It’s not too far off the Interstate and is a pleasant, quiet place.
From there came the climb over Raton Pass and into New Mexico. We had a tail wind nearly all the way to Albuquerque that gave us a little better miles per gallon and easy driving.
Apparently, Denver doesn’t have a monopoly on heavy traffic. The last time I was in Albuquerque was 1971 when the Draft Board bused me and some other 18 year olds there from Durango, CO (where I was going to college) for our physicals. It was a much different town back then. Like Denver, it has grown dramatically.
Fortunately, we made it to Enchanted Trails RV Park on the west side of town without a problem. There we linked up with over a hundred other Airstreamers and caravanned to the Balloon Fiesta the next morning.
Airstreams lined up at Camping World for the Caravan to the Fiesta
The Fiesta was wonderful. After awhile I realized that my face hurt from smiling so much. I went crazy taking pictures (only around 850 or so), and my back and neck ached from looking up. We hope to return next year with two of our grandkids.
Unfortunately, for the Fiesta, the Airstream group only stayed four days, and we took the good weather with us when we left. The rain and wind pretty much shut everything down afterward.
From Albuquerque, Patrice and I went to Roswell. We’ve never been there before, and I really didn’t have a clue what it was like. In my mind’s eye, I thought it would be some little community with a main street a few blocks long, eking out a living from tourists wanting to see flying saucers and little green men. The reality is there is a population of around 55,000 people and tourism is just a small part of the economy. But we did get to see a few little “grey” men.
"It's true, they do exist!"
Having now seen Roswell first hand, I doubt we’ll ever return. It was kind of disappointing. We did enjoy Carlsbad Caverns though. The only time I’ve ever been there was when I was a child. I mostly remember eating in the cafeteria deep down in the cavern, and told Patrice that was something we’d do. Now there is only a small snack bar by the elevators. Apparently, the cafeteria attracted unwanted wild life (mice?) and it was closed about two years ago. I also remember the place was much more lit with lights of various colors, but now the lighting has been greatly reduced. It’s all in the name of conservation of course.
Even the drive there was significantly different because there was a fire last June that left much of the surrounding area scorched. In all, it made me feel like I’d waited too long to visit. Things change dramatically sometimes.
Our drive across west Texas was dusty, with a 30 to 40 mph cross wind all the way to Dallas. Today, it is overcast with a possibility of rain here in Denton, but we didn’t come here to see the sights. We’re here to visit my sister for the first time in about a decade. Other than visit with her, I really just want some down time to recover, catch up on emails, write and process some of the hundreds of photos I’ve taken.
We don’t know where we’ll go from here. It might be back home, but I’d also like Patrice to see the Autumn foliage. So, we might head for Arkansas.
