Today was the looooooong move, 47 miles, to the Albuquerque
Balloon Fiesta grounds. We were told that the later you get there, the longer
the line is to get in and get parked. We decided to leave by 8:30 from Santa
Fe. Half of us departed Santa Fe Skies RV Resort around 8:00 am. I want to
share how awesome this resort is. One night while we were there, we had a pizza
party on the back deck at the clubhouse.
The owner came out and talked with us
for a long time. Her husband, and her, built this RV Park from a plot of land
that was her Grandmother’s homestead. Everything about the park was well
thought out and every time you come, you can see that they have added a bit
more. I want to tell you about their small solar farm. Why Solar? New Mexico is
one of the best states in the US for solar, on average, the area produces
viable solar energy for a little more than 6 hours a day every day.
Santa Fe Skies RV Park was built in 1998 and was
originally intended to provide 50 amp service to every site in the park. This
has allowed them to accommodate all modern RVs, however this convenience for
the campers made their annual electric bill high. When the New Mexico Power Company
asked the Public Regulatory Commission for an electric rate increase, Santa Fe
Skies decided to install a solar electric system to offset a portion of their
total electric use. The project cost was $1.34 Million. The PV array was
installed in 2010 - 2011 with a commissioning of Earth Day 2011. Annually it
produces 50-70% of the total electric used by the RV Park.
Since we are traveling with a group, we got onto
Interstate 25 S. I-25 is the most direct route from Santa Fe to Albuquerque,
New Mexico's largest city. It replaced US Route 85, which is no longer signed,
but still exists in route logs sharing the I-25 alignment. I-25 passes through
principally rural land through central New Mexico.
We passed Cochití Pueblo. It is the northern-most of
the Keres-speaking pueblos. It is home to about 1,500 people. One of its
renowned members is the late Helen Cordero, who revived the popular storyteller
figurine in 1964. The pueblo is also well known for its deep-toned ceremonial
drums, which can be heard on July 14, the pueblo’s San Buenaventura Feast Day. Cochití's
newest attraction is Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. It is a
partnership with BLM. The national monument includes a national recreational
trail. It can only be viewed by walking. It contains two segments that provide
opportunities for hiking, birdwatching, and observation of the formations. The
Cave Loop Trail is 1 mile long, rated as easy. The more difficult Canyon Trail
is a 1.5-mile, one-way trek into a narrow canyon with a steep climb to the mesa
top for excellent views of the Sangre de Cristo, Jemez, and Sandia mountains
and the Rio Grande Valley. Two of the couples toured this yesterday and said it
was excellent!
We stopped at Black Mesa Travel Center to top off
our petro and grab some coffee and famous breakfast burritos. The tribal
members of the San Felipe Pueblo run the Black Mesa Travel Center, which
includes a restaurant, convenience store, cigarette shop and gas pumps. The tribal
members wanted the travel center and the casino a name more relevant to the
pueblo. There’s a Black Mesa on pueblo land that’s very culturally significant
to the tribe. According to the US Geological Survey, there are 13 summits in
New Mexico called “Black Mesa.” The most famous is Black Mesa on San Ildefonso
Pueblo. This is the spot in which warriors from various pueblos encamped,
holding Don Diego de Vargas’ army for months in 1694 during the recon quest. The
remaining 4 caeravaners arrived. Our wagonmaster, George, figured out the order
of travel the remaining 20 miles … rig #7, #3, #5, #8, #1, #2, #6, #4. This
way, we are lined up the best way to share electric and generators, while we
dry camp.
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| photo credit: Placitas WILD |
We passed a road side sign for the Placitas Wild
Horses in Sandovol County. I had heard some reports on the news about the herds
of wild horses becoming a nuisance, but can something that majestic be a
bother? While no longer a common sight, wild horses still roam freely over
parts of the US. New Mexico has its own place, found in the north-central part
of the Land of Enchantment, where these beautiful wild herds reside throughout
the Jemez, Sandia and Manzano mountains and north to the Galisteo Basin. These
horses and their ancestors have roamed for centuries across lands belonging to
the state and federal governments, sovereign Indian lands and private land.
Other than a squirrel and a snake, there is no other life forms at Traditions! It was built in 1993, at a cost of nearly $13-million. There is a sign on the highway, of course, but who can resist a semi-ghost town, actually more like a ghost-mall. The 30 developed acres of the site, with their clusters of fanciful wind sculptures surrounded by about 160,000 square feet of retail space, first set out to be an outlet mall, then a festival marketplace. In 1996, as many as 30 stores opened, including Liz Claiborne, G.H. Bass, Levi's, Samsonite, and OshKosh B'Gosh.
Days as retail-festival-tourist attraction are over. It was hard, though, for the site's brief lifetime as New Mexico Outlet Center, even with names like Levi's, Bass, Hanes, Maidenform and Liz Claiborne, many of which still adorn the back doors of the stores. In 1999, owners are unable to sell or lease it. It is auctioned off for more than $2.5 million. In 2000, American Property Management announces it is the buyer, mentions possible uses including call center, administration location for tribes, distribution center or state government offices. In 2000, American Property, along with partners from the Budagher family, announce they will use center for NM artists and craftsmen. Renamed New Mexico Market & Cultural Center, then renamed again as ¡Traditions!
As we got closer to Albuquerque, we started to see
signs for the Balloon Fiesta!
After we exited I-25, we turned right onto Alameda and
hit the traffic back-up associated with the arrival of everyone for the Balloon
Fiesta!
We are all set up and ready to enjoy our first Balloon
Fiesta! Our common area is ready to go and very comfortable!
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