Travels with Debbie and Vince

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Albuquerque Balloon Festival - Evening Glow

On our first day at the balloon festival we got up at 4:15 a.m. to get over to the morning launch of 500 hot air balloons at 6:45a.m. To make a long story short, the winds kept gusting over the ideal wind speed of 11.5 miles per hour, sometimes up to 25 mph, so the morning flights were cancelled.
Later we found out that they cancelled it an hour and a half earlier, but they did not tell anyone, so that we would all get there and buy food and souvenirs from the vendors, then they called it!
So, we went back at night for the evening glow, at which about 100 balloons filled there balloons with hot air, glowed, but don't take off. We wish that we could show you all of the balloons, but we picked our favorites to share with you.

Sunset of the balloon fiesta

Hendrick's Gin balloon

A clock

A Fireman

POW-MIA

Ham-Let for President (Pigs do fly)

Plains Bank Buffalo

One happy bird

Two Bumblebees

A Crab? (a basketball in the net with crab-like eyes)

The most beautiful butterfly

Not Spiderman...........Spidey Pig

Friday, October 5, 2012

Tim's Place - "Breakfast, Lunch, Hugs"

We arrived in Albuquerque today for the Balloon Fiesta which starts tomorrow. After we set up camp with a few thousand other Rvers, we went to Tim's Place for lunch.
Last year we were watching the CBS Evening News and saw Steve Hartman's report about Tim Harris, a young man with Down Syndrome, whose dream it was to have his own restaurant and to be normal, just like you and I. So, we went to lunch there as soon as we set up camp. Tim is a remarkable young man. He graduated Eldorado High School in 2004. He was the Homecoming King in 2003. He received two sports letters in high school for his work with the basketball team. He is loved by all of his school mates. Tim realized his dream when his father backed him in the restaurant business. Tim's Place is open for breakfast and lunch, open 7 days a week from 6:30 to 2:30. Tim is the owner, manager and greeter. The sign out front says: "Tim's Place, breakfast, lunch, and hugs. When you enter, Tim is there to give you a big hug and a welcome. Debbie told him that we saw him on TV and that we came all the way from Florida to see him. Tim gave her a big hug and told her that he loves her! After seating us, our waiter Mario gave us menus. The place was pretty busy at 1:20 p.m. Tim came over and sat with us and told us that yesterday, October 4th, was the 2nd anniversary of this business. We congratulated him. He told us that he had gone to Florida a few years ago and went fishing in Key West on his Dad's catamaran. He said that he loved the Key Lime pie that he had there. He told us that he was getting engaged next year and that his girlfriend worked up the street at Albertson's Market. He went back to greeting other patrons, then came back and sat with us again. He saw that Debbie was using her own Splenda, instead of theirs, on the table. (it was behind the napkin holder) He laughed and said that he had a lifetime supply in the back room. He again told Debbie that he loved her and he went back to work. After lunch, as we were leaving, he came dancing back up to say goodbye to us. He told Debbie and Me that he loved us and hoped to see us again. What a guy!

Debbie gets her hug

This is what I got when I asked Tim to pose with Debbie for a picture!

Tim's motto- "I'm more like you THAN DIFFERENT."

Tim Harris speaking with Debbie at our table

In just 2 years Tim has hugged 25,225 patrons as of our visit!

They say " We are the world's Friendliest Restaurant"

Tim's 2003 Homecoming banner, crown, and jester

Tim's wall of accomplishments and honors

Tim's Basketball jacket

Almost 2:30 and closing time, Debbie gets a hug goodbye

Tim's Place-8050 Academy Rodd NE, Albuquerque, N.M.-stop by and see Tim

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Three National Monuments near Flagstaff, Arizona

Today we continued our drive to visit every National Park and National Monument we can get to. Today we started at Walnut Canyon, followed by Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monuments. They are all located east and north of Flagstaff, Arizona.

Walnut Canyon
Walnut Canyon had 276 stair to climb in each direction, therefore there was no way Debbie could do it. So, we walked to the rim of the canyon and took a long shot of just one of the dwellings built into the cliff wall. Just imagine how the native Indians made their way there.

About half way down you can see dwellings built in the canyon

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Stop number two was Sunset Crater. This crater hasn't erupted in centuries, but when it did, it spewed out a lot of lava. On our way to the crater we passed several miles of lave beds, or lava flows. Once you get near the crater you see billions smaller pieces of cinders. A black landscape covers miles of terrain.

Our first view of Sunset Crater Volcano from a distance

Part of the miles of lava flow


Miles of lava with the crater in the far distance

Wupatki National Monument
The last stop was Wupatki National Monument which consists of thousands of acres with five pueblos and one set of cliff dwellings. We visited only two of the pueblos. They are amazing. The first was Wukoki Pueblo, built out in the middle of nowhere on top of several large rocks. It was built up high so that they could see the surrounding area as if they were in a tower. It is the smallest of the pueblos, probably housing less that 50 Indians. We believe that that lived there between 1100 and 1210 and moved when their well or spring went dry. This place was awesome.

Built upon the rocks gives a great view of the surrounding landscape

The backside

Debbie squeezing through the front door

Debbie looking out a window toward the painted desert, 50+ miles away

From this citadel you can see for miles

1000 years have passed and the pueblo walls are sturdy and strong

The last stop for today was at the largest of the pueblos in Wupatki National Monument, Wupatki Pueblo. Its believed that hundred people lived here from about 1110 to 1210. This large pueblo, like many others protected its occupants from enemies and animals by entering each room from the roof via a ladder, which could be moved to stop entry. This pueblo had at least 40 resident rooms and larger meeting and community rooms.

Ceilings had wood beams with mortar


Built mostly up against and on rocks, it was a large pueblo

An artists rendering of what the pueblo looked like 1000 years ago

The large circle with an entry is believed to be a meeting area

An artists rendering of what the meeting area looked like

A view of three rooms (without the roof)

Friday, September 28, 2012

Cottonwood & Jerome, AZ.

Today we went to the towns of Cottonwood & Jerome. In Jerome, an old mining town turned artist colony and tourist town, we shopped it's many stores but only purchased a postcard. The town, as previously mentioned was a copper mining town and became infamous for it's prostitutes and ghosts. The miners worked hard and the prostitutes got all their money. They also say many ghosts still haunt the town.
In Cottonwood we did a lot of shopping, Debbie, hunting for pants, could find none, but did buy a two nice dress blouses. That evening we went out for a Chuckwagon Supper and entertainment at the Blazin' M Ranch. The ranch consists of a working ranch, a few souvenir shops, a museum, saloon, jail and combination dining room/theatre. and We took a tractor hayride around the ranch, hit all the shops, had a drink in the saloon, and took some photos. We had a great dinner, which consisted of barbecue ribs and chicken, baked potato, ranch style beans, prickly pear coleslaw, biscuit, apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream, and all the lemonade, iced tea, soda, and coffee you could drink. Then the western music started and it was outstanding. We had a great night.