40th Annual Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta - Travel Day - October 6th 2011

We're off to the Albuquerque, NM 40th Annual Balloon Fiesta. It'll be about a 530 mile drive. Since there are 6 of us traveling, we're taking my minivan. (L-R: Uncle Carlos Ruiz, Auntie Debra Ruiz, Me, Mommy, Daddy, and my cousin from Germany, Jannik Dresselhaus)

Daddy is our Pilot.

Auntie Debra is our Entertainment Director. Using her IPad, she started tracing the Isenhour Family Tree back to the early 1700's in Germany. Mommy's family immigrated to the U.S. in 1741 to Pennsylvania before relocating to Catawba County, NC (where they've pretty much stayed ever since). Family members have fought in the American Revolution and the Civil War.

Jannik listened to his IPod and worked on his computer some of the time.

Mommy helped Auntie Debra with the Family Tree while I slept.

And slept . . .

And so did Uncle Carlos (Daddy's co-pilot) . . . 

It's a good thing we have GPS!

We took a short break in Winslow, AZ at the Meteor Crater exit. There are early settler ruins over Jannik's left shoulder.

Here's a much closer photo of the ruins.

Then we stopped in Holbrook, AZ. It was originally a frontier town established in 1881.  Holbrook is close to the Petrified National Forest and is home to the Wigwam Motel.

The Wigwam Motel is a motel of individual concrete tepees.

And is now listed on the National Historic Register.

And if you are an animated movie fan - you'll probably recognize the Wigwam Motel as the inspiration for the Cozy Cone Motel owned by Sally Carrera (Porche) in the movie Cars. Sally was also the local attorney in Radiator Springs (alias Peach Springs, AZ that we visited on June 3rd). 

Daddy & I sat on the Route 66 bench outside of one of the tepees.

Here we all are getting "Cozy at the Cone!"

Here's Jannik on historic Route 66.

Auntie Debra discovered a shopping opportunity.

She found a beautiful glass shard that she'll place in the pond at their house.

Ever the science teacher, Mommy migrated over to the petrified wood.

Look at THESE dinosaurs!  Looks like these two fellas are about to fight.

Talking about having your head in the clouds!

"He's got the whole world in his hands . . ."

Can you BELIEVE I'm having to wear this sombrero?

"Badges?! We don't need no stinkin' badges!"

Finally made it to New Mexico (and Albuquerque).  Time for dinner and bed.  I get to sleep-in, but everyone else is going to have to get up at 3:00am to see the morning ascension of the balloons.

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