Fall Trip Part 3 - Santa Fe & Albuquerque - Fav Photos 2014

Fall Trip Part 3 - Santa Fe & Albuquerque

This album contains the third part of the fall road trip adventure, of my five member family group
of Iplehouse dolls; JIDs Owen and Leona, KID Peach, and BIDs Efreet and Bonnie

the Road to Taos

As we left Colorado and entered New Mexico, the landscape became much drier. On the road to Taos, we stopped to look
at the Rio Grande River Gorge. Owen and Efreet went out on the bridge to take a better look....

Taos is well known as an 'artist colony', having attracted many artists since the late nineteenth century. Famed American artist, Georgia O'Keefe spent many summers there, at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu near Taos, painting the New Mexico landscape. Bonnie, who is into art in a big way, insisted on visiting Ghost Ranch.....

Leona and Efreet went with Bonnie, to hike around the Ranch, and see some of the sights....

Santa Fe

The next day was spent in Santa Fe. We love Santa Fe. It's so different than other major cities. There are no high-rises or office towers. Buildings can only be five storeys tall and must be in the historic adobe design. There's a great little parking lot right downtown in the Historic district, across from La Fonda Hotel, and a mere block away from Saint Francis Cathedral. The lot has
spaces for RVs, and it's the perfect 'home base' for a day exploring Historic downtown Santa Fe.

Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

On the north side of the Cathedral there's a lovely park shaded by age old trees.....

"Okay, enough sight-seeing already. Let's go shopping!"

They had a great time out and about, exploring downtown Santa Fe.

The first place they went was The Plaza, which has been the central heart of the city for almost 400 years.
The Palace of the Governors, which is the oldest continually used public building in the USA, hosts an
Indian Market, where native craftspeople come to sell their wares....

They bought Bonnie a little native baby doll....

Leona loved all the colourful wares....

Peach bought herself a pretty Navajo pot....

Santa Fe is such a beautiful city! Many of the old adobe buildings downtown house
exclusive shops and art galleries. The girls really enjoyed looking around

Bonnie loved all the colourful wares at a Mexican Importer...

....and enjoying a much-deserved ice cream after a long day shopping and sight-seeing....

the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

The first morning it was very overcast, and there was a yellow flag flying, which meant the ascension was on hold as officials were waiting to see if the conditions would become favourable. The kids looked out from the RV, and there were quite a few balloons inflating on the field already. It was going to be extremely crowded, with thousands of people, so Peach, Owen and Leona decided it would be best for the little ones to go with us, while they would watch from the RV in the parking lot.

The weather was expected to be very iffy the next few days, because of the remnants of a hurricane,
but after waiting a bit, conditions improved and the green flag went up. It was a 'GO'!

Efreet can't believe the crowds, or the number of balloons inflating! Where to look? Where to go?

Up, up, and away....balloons start lifting off....

The Thursday morning in Albuquerque was the 'Special Shapes Rodeo'. It had rained overnight, and the sky was partly clear.
Efreet and Bonnie came out with us again, as the others watched from the RV.

The first row of balloons was already inflating as we got out there....