McDonald Observatory

(10-13-09): Today we drove over to the Fort Davis area from Alpine, TX and up to the McDonald Observatory for a tour. We went on the 2:00 p.m. tour of two of the telescopes there. Our tour guide, Rachel, was just wonderful and you could tell that she loved her job. We drove back down the mountain for dinner at the Bear Den at the Indian Lodge and then back up the mountain for the 8:30 Star Party that evening. With no moon the sky was really dark in this part of the US. What a show the stars and Milky Way put on for us. We saw several satellites crossing the sky. They had set up 6 different telescopes and we carefully walked in the dark from one to another to gaze at several different stars and Jupiter. After, we sat in the dark outside and they pointed out different things in the night sky using a laser light. It is so dark in this part of the country and that is why the stars are so visible. We left there about 10:30 and got in bed just before midnight--tired but amazed with what we got to view tonight!

Looking Out from the Top of the Mountain where the McDonald Observatory is Located--No Man's Land

Beautiful Day With Beautiful Clouds Behind One of the Telescopes (5th Largest)

Inside the Silver Domed Building (Flat Array in Center Left in Pic)

Same Telescope from a Distance

Another Telescope that We Toured

Our Tour Guide, Rachel, and the Telescope that She was Demonstrating

Another Smaller Telescope that We did Not Tour

Roswell, NM

Sunday Oct 11, 2009: Today we traveled to Roswell, NM from Albuquerque. Long, grey sky day with not much scenery to look at--except a rest stop at a place that warned about rattlesnakes! I didn't get out of the coach. We "camped" at the Sam's Club there in Roswell, which was beside the Wal-Mart and all had dinner at Chili's Restaurant in front of the Wal-Mart parking lot.

Parked at the Rest Stop

Sign says "WATCH FOR RATTLESNAKES"!

Albuquerque, NM - And Even More Balloons!

Albuquerque, NM Balloon Fiesta

Thu (10-08-09): Special Shape Rodeo--Well we were up at 5:30 a.m. today to walk over to the balloon field to walk among all the special shape balloons as they were being rolled out and inflated about 7:00 a.m. Quite a sight to see. Chuck took about 300 pictures and I am wading thru them to pick out a FEW of the shapes that I haven't already posted! It was really alot of fun and I'd highly recommend it.

Zebra Patrol (Blonde) Clearing the Crowd Away

Woodrow C Greenleaf

Sahuard Grande Cacti

Police Were on Horseback

Orient Express

Nelly-B

Miss Daisy & Sunny Boy

Haunted House

Fire Engine

Dart Vader and the Crowd

Bradenburger Tor from Germany

Aero-Nut Being Inflated

And He's Up and Away!

Smokey Bear--The pilot of Smokey Bear, Bill Chapel, came to our camping area and talked to us for an hour about his experiences with flying a hot air balloon and he also answered alot of our questions.

Lois, Bill Chapel and Jim Campbell

Smokey Bear Hot Air Balloon

Special Shape Glowdeo and Fireworks--

(Glowdeo Pics to Come)

It's amazing what the camera eye sees! Chuck had it set on "Fireworks".

Albuquerque Natural History Museum

Wed Oct 7, 2009: Change of plans today, as it was raining and thundering this a.m. The bus trip to Old Town Albuquerque was cancelled today. JR and Betty Mertz suggested we go to the NM Museum of Natural History & Science, so that's what we did.

I did some research on the internet this a.m. to learn about "White Buffalo" Turquoise--it is not what we saw yesterday. What we saw was Howlite and is often confused with White Buffalo or Sacred BuffaloTourquoise, which is a very light blue tourquoise.

Balloons, Madrid & Santa Fe, NM

Tue (10-6-09): Busy day today. Watched this mornings balloons go up and over our coaches. From inside I could hear them giving more gas to the flame so they would rise. Chuck took some MORE pics. A group of us left at 9:00 a.m. to head for Madrid (left over artsie hippy town where they are still smoking pot out in the open) and then up to Santa Fe for lunch at an authentic mexican restaurant--Tomasita's, shopping and sightseeing--Loretta Chapel--to see the free standing wooden staircase. We rode with the Halsteads and the Mertz.

I was on a mission today to find some more Kingman Turquoise jewelry. I had gotten a bracelet at Gouldin's in Monument Valley, UT when we were there two years ago and now I was looking for a slide, earrings and ring. Well, I found a ring in Madrid and then the earrings in Santa Fe. This is a good time of the year to shop because it's the end of the season and alot of things were 60% off! Mem and I were in one jewelry store where we found my earrings and they had white and black turquoise, which is called White Buffalo. The lady there explained that they just found this kind of turquoise in the last 8 yrs or so and that it is white because it lacks copper. Well, it was time to meet the guys for our return trip back to Albuquerque, so we had to leave. So now we have another mission--find White Buffalo jewelry! We are going to Old Town Albuquerque tomorrow!

MADRID, NM

Street Vendor

Downtown Madrid

Maggie's Dinner Where Wild Hogs was Filmed

Fixer Upper in Madrid?

Java Junction Outside Cafe

Mail Boxes in Madrid

Coffee and Weed for Breakfast?

Neat Shops in Madrid Sell Jewelry and Other Oddities Like These Clocks for $65.00--Now Here's How Chuck can Use His Spare Computer Parts!

SANTA FE, NM

Baskets for Sale

Red Chili Peppers for Sale

Donna Shopping in Old Town Santa Fe

Old Town Santa Fe Shops

Now Here's a Trike!

Loretto Chapel, Old Town Santa Fe

Miraculous Stairway in Chapel

Albuquerque, NM - Morning Balloons Overhead & Sandia Peak Tramway

Mon (10-5-09): Yesterday's happy hour was very windy with dirt blowing--not much fun. Balloons are rising again this morning, but I am watching from inside the coach trying to get some pictures uploaded to this blog!!! Looks like there is very little wind this morning. Chuck went out to take some pics as the balloons are going right over the coach. There were 2 balloon accidents today and one man fell out of a balloon basket when it clipped the top of a tent over on the balloon field.

Today we drove up to the Sandia Peak Tramway to have lunch at the Sandiago's Restaurant at the bottom of the tram and then take the tramway up to the top of the mountain. This is the world's longest tramway [2.7 miles] and it is 10,378 ft high at the top.

Entrance to the Tramway Ride and Restaurant

Tram Car that We Took to the Top

Ski Lift and View of the East Side of the Sandia Mt