Free Weekend in Colorado

We had a free weekend so I decided to drive with three friends from the Sangre Program to Colorado and enjoy the fall foliage in the mountains.  We had a great weekend, visiting Durango, Silverton, Mesa Verde, Christ in the Desert and the Ghost Ranch in NM.  I hope you enjoy the pictures.  My friends are Annie Espinosa (Texas), Young Ae Kim (Korea), and David O'Brien (Australia).  The weather was perfect and the foliage was at its peak.  Also they had had their first snowfall on the mountains.

David knows a thing about trains and was delighted to hear from the conductor that these are the same types of trains that were brought to Australia.  They were made in the home town of one of our other friends.

The second day of our free weekend we went to Mesa Verde National Park which was glorious in fall foliage and wonderful views.  We encountered all kind of wildlife along the way, but I was driving so I didn't get any pictures of the Elk, Buffalo, Coyote, Mule Deer or bears that we spotted. 

On Sunday we left Durango early so that we could make it to Christ in the Desert Monastery in Abiquiu, NM in time to meet the monks after Mass.  The Chama valley was filled with golden yellow also from the foliage of the huge cottonwood trees by the river.

International Balloon Festival, Albuquerque, NM

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a "must do." Fall in New Mexico is a time of cooler temperatures and brilliant colors. The Aspen forests in the north paint the mountainsides. Albuquerque hosts wine and arts and crafts festivals. But what most visitors look forward to in fall is the colorful International Balloon Festival.

We got up at 4:00 am. to get ready to head off to Albuquerque, NM for a once in a lifetime experience.  It was in the high 30's when we left, so we were sure to bundle up.  The fiesta takes place on a huge plain where there is plenty of parking and a lot of concessions and demonstrations.  There is really no security, so you can walk right up to the balloons and baskets and talk to their owners about the process.

Hundreds of balloonists representing one-third of the world’s countries launch their magnificent flying machines to float gently over the beautiful New Mexico landscape. The Fiesta includes such events as evening fireworks, mass ascensions, balloon glows, the Special Shapes Rodeo, and the America’s Challenge Gas Balloon Race.

 The Fiesta is a Photographer's Dream::  here are some of my many shots, from early pre-dawn "glow" to the "mass ascension" at 7:00 am.  It was truly a fantastic expeirence.

My friend, Owen Ormsby, from New Jersey.

Smokey Bear

Pepsi is one of the sponsors of the fiesta.

Who said cows can't fly?

Brazil was represented by a huge haunted house balloon which took quite a while to inflate.

A replica of the Breitling balloon, the first to circumnavigate the globe, was also represented. (silver)

Even Darth Vader from Star Wars made an appearance!

Carmen Miranda was immortalized in this colorful balloon.

What a morning!  I wish you all could have been here, especially the kids, because they would have loved it.