After returning from Maine, it was time to start planning my trip to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. I had previously booked my Road Scholar program for the Balloon Fiesta itself, but I wanted to extend my trip before returning home.
I also wanted to make a stop on the way to Albuquerque. For quite some time, I have been intrigued by the Harvey Houses established by the Fred Harvey Company and try to stay in one whenever possible. Tim and I had stayed at the LaFonda Hotel when we were in Santa Fe last Christmas, and I knew that there was a recently restored Harvey House in Las Vegas, New Mexico, the Castañeda Hotel. I checked for rooms and was surprised to find only suites were available. I went ahead and booked one.
After leaving Albuquerque, I planned to visit two National Park Service units, Valles Caldera National Preserve and Manhattan Project National Historical Park, and decided to spend a night in Los Alamo, New Mexico. For the next night, I was looking forward to staying with a friend in Santa Fe.
I also scheduled a ride on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad to end the trip, hoping that fall colors would be near their peak. The historic Chama Hotel and Shops across the street from the train station in Chama, New Mexico, seemed to be a perfect place to stay, and I made a reservation.
The stops on my trip seemed to be fully planned when I learned that the National Park Travelers Club was hosting a meet-up at Amache National Historic Site in Colorado. This club provides networking for visitors to national parks and maintains a database of passport stamps. The meet-up happened to fall just after my train ride, and although the site was far away from my route back to Loveland, I signed up to attend.
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| Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Trip Route Map |
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