Arizon to Palm Springs

After Sedona, we drove the twistiest section of Route 66 still left.  Driveable but with a limit of 40 feet - now we know why!

Down through Lake Havasu (yes we saw London Bridge) and a really nice campsite right by the lake with quail and bunnies running around the van.

A chilly night at Joshua Tree National Park then a short drive to Palm Springs and a great visit wit Lani Lok.

Tomorrow, it,s back on the road as we head to San Diego.


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Here are sone photos from the past few days.

AIRCRAFT BONEYARD IN TUCSON

Mothballed planes by the hundred.

There are hundreds of acres of planes in storage

SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK

LOST DUTCHMAN STATE PARK

SONORA-DESERT MUSEUM

American Kestrel

Cougar

Wolf

Sleepy Coyote

Cactus in Bloom

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT'S TALIESIN WEST

Campus

Dining Room

Sculpture

SEDONA

Tlaquepaque Gallery Area

OAK CREEK CANYON

ARIZONA ROUTE 66

Burro in Oatman

At my Window

Flavours of New Mexico and Arizona

Lunch in Flagstaff AZ (Wifi courtesy of McDonalds).
Sedona is truly beautiful but it's time to add some photos.

We have been to Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West in Phoenix, the amazing Karchner Caverns in Tucson. The Air Force Boneyard was another amazing sisight in Tucson. Temps in the mid 90's so it is unusually warm even for here!

The American Southwest is known for its desert climate, architecture, (Art) Galleries and cuisine. Photographs and paintings are found everywhere.

Our pictures give an impressionof the feel and taste. We found bright sun and reflections on our walks exploring cities and remarkable sights. No sunrises or photoshop ppear in our candid photos.

WHITE SANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT

Family fun at White Sands - buy your sled at the gift store

White Gypsum Dunes

Hardy plants survive

Yucca Plant

It's hard to avoid human foot prints but it can be done!

TAOS PUEBLO

Adobe building is 1000 years old

Adobe home

Traditional oven

What Pueblo dwellers do now

Church cira 1850

Church window

SANTA FE

Blue Pot

Petunias

Doorway

Gallery Window

ALBUQUERQUE

Pick, dry and prepare lunch

Prickly Pear Cactus

Add water, grow plants

A touch of the past.

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Santa Fe Onward

It's been a few days but here we are in a McDonalds (free WiFi) in Silver City, New Mexico heading  to Arizona.

After a few days in Albuquerque at the Fiesta, we visited Santa Fe.  We took a day trip to Taos Pueblo, site of 1000 year old dwellings.  We also rode the "Rail Runner" on a rail day trip to Old Town Albuquerque.
We spent an entire day visiting art galleries on Canyon Road, the second largest centre of art in the US.

We travelled south spending nights at Valley of Fires  and Oliver Lee Parks and then to White Sands National Monument.  Las Cruces is so close to Texas we couldn't resist a trip to El Paso.

We spent last night in a timy park in the Gila Mountains National Forest.

Pictures to follow

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Balloon Fiesta is Awesome

We have added a bunch of new photos so please go back and take a look at some of our earlier posts

We had a fantatstic time at the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque. We were  part of hundreds and hundreds of RV's parked by the field for the event. Lots of friendly people - we met up with a Canadina ballon team.
"Uptuit" is piloted by Hal Cooper from Coburg, Ontario.

Hal Cooper

We were invited to help them  and be part of their crew for a couple of days - why not!

Peter got to help with the balloon and Val took pictures

The balloon needs to be inflated with he hep of a notor driven fan before usinng the propane burners

The bottom of the balloon needs to be held open while it fillls



Just ninety seconds before take-off, Val and I were asked if we wanted to ride along - no brainer!

UP UP AND AWAY!

What a great experience - in the end we accomplished the "Albuquerque Box". It's the Holy Grail of Ballooning.  Take off, head south, rise and head north, descend and head south again, landing back at the field.  Most pilots never do it and this was Hal's first sucess after 12 years.

Aloft over the Fiesta Field

Just part of the RV parking area

Uptuit as we head south

Darth Vader as a balloon

This is one of the largest balloons - and hardest to fly

It was hard to leave the Fiesta and head back north to Santa Fe - we'll update soon

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