ontheroadagainrvtrip2018.blogspot.com : Day 12 - 17

Scroll down past all the balloon pictures and there are some really cool pictures of our time with Isaiah and Sabrina

DAY 1 - Thursday

We arrived in Albuquerque for the Balloon Fest.

Right away we knew the weather would be an issue.

So the trip to the Balloon Fest tonight was unfruitful.

Hopefully better the rest of the week!

Here's some picture of the Albuquerque area

Our RV Resort for six days

They have vintage trailers and cars here

ALBUQUERQUE BALLOON FESTIVAL

The schedule for the Balloon Festival.

Over 1 million people attended the 2015 Festival and it is the largest balloon event in US.

Between 500 and 600 balloons.

That's a little bigger than our favorite balloon fest in Havasu!

It is totally amazing how they get people around for this event...

they close the schools and use the buses for park and ride.

The field is the size of 54 football fields put together.

Beautiful sunset

This is the mode of transportation if you want to avoid a 2-3 hour wait to park.

There 250 school buses for the "park & ride"!

DAY 2 - Friday

Back to the nighttime balloon activities - this time no wind.

It was interesting watching the process of truck to air borne!

This was the Van Gogh balloon all the way from Holland

Tonight was special shapes balloons

The start of the night glow - they call it "glowdeo"

I was so tickled with the cow balloon - even the utters

This was Tom's favorite - the POW/MIA balloon

DAY 3 - Saturday

Saturday morning - up at 3:30 am to catch the bus at 5 am

to arrive at the morning festivities at 6 am

This was my favorite balloon

After a very cold morning - we met Isaiah and Sabrina for breakfast.

At Cracker Barrel!

We got to visit Isaiah and Sabrina in their apartment.

We are so proud of these two kids!!

I am wearing my "proud grandma" tshirt!

The kids and their baby - Tom, Tom

DAY 4 - SUNDAY

Sabrina had to work so Isaiah graciously became our tour guide.

He definitely helped me to understand things in the museum that

were way beyond my normal comprehension!

We call him our walking and talking encyclopedia!

First stop - The Nuclear Science Museum

This was the display put together by staff - all cans of food

A replica of the science lab developing the nuclear bombs.

The super secretive "Manhattan Project"

A replica of the "Gadget" - the first atomic bomb tested in July of 1945

at the Trinity site in the desert of New Mexico

It wasn't all technical - there was a really cool display of

movie posters depicting nuclear themes; this nuclear powered car;

even a DeLorean from the movie "Back to the Future".

My brother Ray worked at Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant

That's Isaiah - creating energy

I copied this information from the internet:

Little Boy was the codename for the type of atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 by the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, piloted by Colonel Paul W. Tibbets, Jr., commander of the 509th Composite Group of the United States Army Air Forces. It was the first atomic bomb to be used in warfare.

Fat Man" was the codename for the type of atomic bomb that was detonated over the Japanese city of Nagasaki by the United States on 9 August 1945. It was the second of the only two nuclear weapons ever used in warfare, the first being Little Boy, and its detonation caused the third man-made nuclear explosion.

And there was a wonderful display of planes on the grounds of the museum.

Tom was enjoying every minute of this tour!

And then we got a tour of Kirtland Air Force Base

where Isaiah is in training as a EOD Tech

"Explosive Ordinance Device"

WE ARE SO VERY PROUD OF ISAIAH!

This symbol or badge is everywhere.

I copied this from the internet also because I

couldn't remember everything Isaiah told us about this.

The Wreath Symbolic of the achievements and laurels gained minimizing accident potentials through the ingenuity and devotion to duty of its members. It is in memory of those EOD personnel who gave their lives while performing EOD duties.

The Bomb Copied from the design of the World War II Bomb Disposal Badge, the bomb represents the historic and major objective of the EOD attack, the unexploded bomb. The three fins represent the major areas of nuclear, conventional and chemical/biological interest.

Lightning Bolts Symbolize the potential destructive power of the bomb and the courage and professionalism of EOD personnel in their endeavors to reduce hazards as well as to render explosive ordnance harmless.

The Shield Represents the EOD mission - to prevent a detonation and protect the surrounding area and property to the utmost.