Albuquerque
Sunday, October 7, 5 pm: My dear “other daughter” Courtney Morris and her family drove from Santa Fe to meet Shelby’s family and us at El Pinto in Albuquerque. Steve and I had just flown in from Austin, having celebrated our Texas Roots. Our table of ten was outdoors with mariachi music in the distance. I hadn’t seen Courtney’s family all together for four years, but the Eidsons had visited them last year. What a joy to see them all get along so well! After bountiful food and drinks, we ordered a dessert to celebrate Stephen’s turning 11 on October 10.
Monday, October 8, 5:00 am: Sean, an Albuquerque native, got us up early to catch the best part of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. We watched teams unfurl 90 yards of material from compact containers and fire up propane burners to inflate fanciful shapes–a flying pig, a cow with udders (sponsored by Creamland Dairy), and an artistically painted Van Gogh with both ears.
When the weatherman posted the go-ahead green flag at 7 am, Canon, the primary sponsor, set aloft its balloon carrying a huge American flag. A band from the nearest military post played the Star-Spangled Banner. I sang along. Then hundreds of balloons ascended into the high desert air. We didn’t take a balloon ride this time, but I’ll never forget the chill and the thrill of those three uplifting hours!
At 8 am the Eidsons departed for their long drive back to Dallas. What could Steve and I do to top our early-morning experience? It was Indigenous Peoples Day. Just an hour’s drive north, on the Pueblo de Cochiti, we found Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. The Native Americans at the welcome center supplied postcards and coffee. We hiked for an hour more than a mile above sea level, through clouds and sunshine, discovering unique geological formations transformed by centuries of weather. 
Click here for more photos of Tent Rocks. Before our flight from Albuquerque to Dallas and on to Savannah, Sean recommended we have lunch at the amazing Frontier Restaurant, opposite the University of New Mexico. Twenty hours in Albuquerque was unforgettable!
Leave a Reply