Joshua Tree National Park...

This one doesn't have a whole lot to see or do, mostly just a drive through and look at the various size and type cactus.  This was one of the largest in the park, I should have had Tom stand under it so you could see how big it really is.

We stopped for a picnic then hiked around a little bit and found things to take photos of...

It had a nice visitor's center with interesting displays and gardens.

Sometimes Tom manages to get pictures at the darndest times ...

Sandia Tram, fear of heights anyone?...

There are only so many times you want to watch balloons inflate and rise, so we decided to take the Sandia Tram to the top of a mountain.  Oh, joy, what fun...

Albequerque is already way high at more than 5,000 feet elevation (higher that Stevens Pass which is higher than I 90).  We still see balloons everywhere we look.

This is the base of the mountain where the Tram starts, elevation 6559 feet.  It is October, so the air is nippy but the sun is bright.

This symbol is found all over New Mexico and I finally found the explanation for it.

This mural was painted on the wall in the boarding area when the Tram was updated and remodeled.  Waiting to board...

Now we are at the top, note the elevation now:

The boarding platform at the top:

  Another tram car coming in for unloading:

The ride itself wasn't as scary as I thought it would be, it was really pretty neat and the view was spectacular.

There was a plane crash here about 50 years ago and you can still see some of the impact, so they say.  I couldn't see anything, but some of the others did.

The sign says: Danger stay off the Tower.  Survivors will be prosecuted!

I survived the experience and even enjoyed it a lot.

Old Town Albequerque

While in Albequerque we went to the central square in Old Town for shopping and lunch.  They had entertainment scheduled so Tom and I stopped to watch Shelly Morningsong and her husband Fabian Fontenelle.  I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed the performance.

Some characters...

Here are just some of the character balloons.  Some don't fly well and are often displayed in a "Static Display" where they blow them up, but don't actually launch.