Land of Enchantment

Caravan Leaders:  Kim & Shelly Pollock and Joe & Connie Monk

September 23, 2008 thru October 12, 2008

Come join us in the Land of Enchantment for our second, improved Scenic, Cultural, Historic and Adventure tour of our 47th state, New Mexico . We will be starting our adventure in Santa Fe.  Santa Fe, along with Taos, have evolved to become the second largest art market in the US - only New York City sells more artwork than these two cities.  We have several tours and events planned for our stay in Santa Fe. We will have a trolley tour, will be visiting several museums and will have optional tours of the Shidoni Bronze Foundry and Sculpture Gardens and Tent Rocks National Park. We will be driving over beautiful mountain back roads to the site of the Bandalier Cliff Dwellings. These historic and well preserved cliff dwellings are unique in the southwest for their setting and beauty.  On to Taos, an ancient pueblo over 1000 years old.   While there, we will tour the celebrate San Geronimo Feast Day at the Taos Pueblo, have a walking tour of the city and will leave you with plenty of time to shop and tour this magical art community. We will then motor on to Chama for a full day ride on the historic Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad - the longest and highest narrow gauge railroad in the country.   Traversing over more beautiful mountain roads will take us to the Chaco Canyon ruins - the ancient center of the ancestral Puebloan culture.  On to Gallup for several days of adventure and quality shopping.  It has been said that 90% of all Navajo crafts (rugs, jewelry, etc) passes through Gallup on its way to the other markets.  It is a town of over one hundred trading posts and pawn shops where most of the Native American cottage craftsmen sell and trade their wares.  The next few days will find us in the El Morro National Monument.  We will tour the monument, spend an afternoon at the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary and then head to the town of Zuni, home of the Zuni Pueblo.  While there, we will have a private tour of their famous church, which has been recently renovated.  We will also be privileged to visit the homes of a local award-winning potter and a talented silversmith.  They will demonstrate for us their crafts and will answer any questions we might have.  On the way to Albuquerque, we will have a individualized guided tour of the oldest, continually inhabited city in North America - Acoma Pueblo (Sky City). 

We will land in Albuquerque just in time for the would famous Albuquerque Balloon Festival.  We will spend four days in Balloon Park witnessing the most photographed event in the world - the Albuquerque Balloon Festival.  If you have not seen this spectacular event, you are in for a real treat. Where else in the world can you find 60,000 people out on a grassy field at 6 am in the morning long before sun rise eating breakfast burritos and drinking steaming hot coffee?  Only at the Balloon Fiesta! 

During the days when the balloons are not rising, we will take a couple of side trips to further explore the surrounding areas.  One day, we will take the world's longest tramway to the top of 10,300 foot Sandia Peak for lunch and a spectacular view of the 11,000 square mile panorama stretching before us.  If you are not yet convinced that this is a trip of a lifetime, check out our planned route for the adventure.