We joined up with a group of 18 Beaver owners (the make of our motorhome) to venture across the state of California, Arizona, and into New Mexico for the Albuquerquer Balloon Fiesta. 11 days of traveling and playing follow the leader with 1-2 days stop to have an adventure and then moving on. We started in French Camp, California - getting to know our fellow Beavers and doing some general errands. Laundry, getting our mail, getting prescriptions, grocery shopping, and adventures.
We toured a local winery that one of our members (a retired high school teacher) taught the supervisor when he was in high school. Dinner at that same members house, he had an almond grove in his back yard. Learned all about almonds from him and then toured the Blue Diamond Company (after a stop at Ghirardelli's Ice Cream Factory & Gift store. MMMmmmmm.
NO, Randy did not become a physician in our travels. At the Blue Diamond factory we all had to wash our hands really good and where hairnets. Due to Randy's beard, he had to get double netted. Good thing he trimed his nose hairs or we would've been going for a 3 netter!
Our next stop was in Lancaster near Edward's Air Force Base and a group tour of the facilities. Really neat to see and to have all of the veterans with us in the group. Edward's used to be called Muroc Air Base during WWII. My Uncle Elmer had been a pilot at Muroc and then Pearl Harbor during WWII. So it was really neat to be here and think that he had come through here 70 years ago. Such a massive area and huge dry lake bed. Test pilots, new creations, and the space shuttle alternate landing, call this place home. The test plane in the picture was a Warthog TA108 and Randy had designed and built parts for the plane during his machinist employment. Really neat to see the big picture of the parts he made.
Onto Laughlin Nevada area. Camped at a Casino campground. Had an awesome crab leg buffett at the casino and played our FREE $10 from the casino. Both of us lost all $10 on slot machines but it took us a few hours to do so. I fugure it is the equivalent to giving the kids $10 for arcade games. We had fun and watched a few big winners from our group. Really getting to know a few couples and having a blast with them. Maryalice and Pete from Apple Valley California. Pam and Bob from Boulder City Nevada. Learning all about their areas and learning alot of fun card and dice games. We fit 10 people in Pam and Bob's RV to play games one night. Had a blast! Now I've just got to remember all the rules and bring the games home to play back in Wisconsin. Better write them down or I know I will forget. We passed 9 of these HUGE wings for a wind generator.
Next stop in Williams near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We have been following or running the freeways near Route 66. Alot of really neat towns and areas on the way. Took the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams to the Rim. 2-1/2 hours ride and 3 hours to check out the Rim and Canyon Village. We chose to ride in the 1923 Pullman Car. It was awesome. It was the only car that had windows that opened and bench seats that could flip so riders could face each other. It also was the cheapest, so we were good. We were told by others that had ridden the train in the past, that on the way home there would be a train robbery. So the 4 of us riding in the Pullman decided to dress the part and have fun with the day. We had a great time and sure enough the train was held up and stopped by a group of horse back riding, train robbers. They even asked if we were looking for a job. It was great! Oh ya, that big hole in the ground, known as the Grand Canyon was really great too. We loved our train ride and the ability to see the awesomeness of the Grand Canyon. That was on September 30 - Little did we know that on October 1st the government shut down would halt all visitors. We are very thankful we went, but met some great people working on the train (even those train robbers) and people in the village, that our now not working. I pray the government gets their act together and thinks about THE PEOPLE.
Even Cowboys get tired!!
Gallup New Mexico was our next stop. We learned all about turquoise jewelry and rugs. Toured a huge pawn shop in Gallup that helps store Indian family jewelry, rugs, saddles, you name it they pawn it - basically for security and then come get it when they need it for ceremonies or tribal need. Learned about the Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni Indians that all live in the area. Drove 30 miles to the Zuni Pueblo and had some great conversations with Indians selling their wares. We were told to drive around the butte, which is an Indian Sacrad area on top. Luckily, Maryalice and Pete drove us in their Jeep and we made it on the old dirt, cow path. Got some beautiful views and had a great adventure. Only 1 dead rattlesnake was seen, and no live ones!
An overnight stay in another Casino campground - another great Buffet and time with our friends. Time to empty holding tanks and fill the water tank for our early departure to head to Albuquerque for the Balloon Fiesta and 10 days of dry camping (no electric or water hookup). Left at 7:30am and drove into the beautiful sunrise coming over the Sandia mountain range. Made it safely to the Fiesta grounds and our paved parking area on a hill overlooking the Balloon Fiesta grounds.
We toured a local winery that one of our members (a retired high school teacher) taught the supervisor when he was in high school. Dinner at that same members house, he had an almond grove in his back yard. Learned all about almonds from him and then toured the Blue Diamond Company (after a stop at Ghirardelli's Ice Cream Factory & Gift store. MMMmmmmm. 
NO, Randy did not become a physician in our travels. At the Blue Diamond factory we all had to wash our hands really good and where hairnets. Due to Randy's beard, he had to get double netted. Good thing he trimed his nose hairs or we would've been going for a 3 netter!
Our next stop was in Lancaster near Edward's Air Force Base and a group tour of the facilities. Really neat to see and to have all of the veterans with us in the group. Edward's used to be called Muroc Air Base during WWII. My Uncle Elmer had been a pilot at Muroc and then Pearl Harbor during WWII. So it was really neat to be here and think that he had come through here 70 years ago. Such a massive area and huge dry lake bed. Test pilots, new creations, and the space shuttle alternate landing, call this place home. The test plane in the picture was a Warthog TA108 and Randy had designed and built parts for the plane during his machinist employment. Really neat to see the big picture of the parts he made.
Onto Laughlin Nevada area. Camped at a Casino campground. Had an awesome crab leg buffett at the casino and played our FREE $10 from the casino. Both of us lost all $10 on slot machines but it took us a few hours to do so. I fugure it is the equivalent to giving the kids $10 for arcade games. We had fun and watched a few big winners from our group. Really getting to know a few couples and having a blast with them. Maryalice and Pete from Apple Valley California. Pam and Bob from Boulder City Nevada. Learning all about their areas and learning alot of fun card and dice games. We fit 10 people in Pam and Bob's RV to play games one night. Had a blast! Now I've just got to remember all the rules and bring the games home to play back in Wisconsin. Better write them down or I know I will forget. We passed 9 of these HUGE wings for a wind generator.
Next stop in Williams near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We have been following or running the freeways near Route 66. Alot of really neat towns and areas on the way. Took the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams to the Rim. 2-1/2 hours ride and 3 hours to check out the Rim and Canyon Village. We chose to ride in the 1923 Pullman Car. It was awesome. It was the only car that had windows that opened and bench seats that could flip so riders could face each other. It also was the cheapest, so we were good. We were told by others that had ridden the train in the past, that on the way home there would be a train robbery. So the 4 of us riding in the Pullman decided to dress the part and have fun with the day. We had a great time and sure enough the train was held up and stopped by a group of horse back riding, train robbers. They even asked if we were looking for a job. It was great! Oh ya, that big hole in the ground, known as the Grand Canyon was really great too. We loved our train ride and the ability to see the awesomeness of the Grand Canyon. That was on September 30 - Little did we know that on October 1st the government shut down would halt all visitors. We are very thankful we went, but met some great people working on the train (even those train robbers) and people in the village, that our now not working. I pray the government gets their act together and thinks about THE PEOPLE. 
Even Cowboys get tired!!
Gallup New Mexico was our next stop. We learned all about turquoise jewelry and rugs. Toured a huge pawn shop in Gallup that helps store Indian family jewelry, rugs, saddles, you name it they pawn it - basically for security and then come get it when they need it for ceremonies or tribal need. Learned about the Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni Indians that all live in the area. Drove 30 miles to the Zuni Pueblo and had some great conversations with Indians selling their wares. We were told to drive around the butte, which is an Indian Sacrad area on top. Luckily, Maryalice and Pete drove us in their Jeep and we made it on the old dirt, cow path. Got some beautiful views and had a great adventure. Only 1 dead rattlesnake was seen, and no live ones!
An overnight stay in another Casino campground - another great Buffet and time with our friends. Time to empty holding tanks and fill the water tank for our early departure to head to Albuquerque for the Balloon Fiesta and 10 days of dry camping (no electric or water hookup). Left at 7:30am and drove into the beautiful sunrise coming over the Sandia mountain range. Made it safely to the Fiesta grounds and our paved parking area on a hill overlooking the Balloon Fiesta grounds.
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