Apr 15th to 22nd - Albuquerque NM / RV Rally

Apr 15th - Wed - to Albuquerque NM
Terry hooked up the truck last night so we could get an early start. We didn’t know how many others would be lining up at the dump station. Turned out just to be us so we were early to meet Terry & Judy (we traveled with them in Newfoundland and afterwards last fall). We were meeting at a casino near the rally park so we played a bit while we waited. Had breakfast with them and then all gambled a bit more waiting for their friends (2 rigs- Rick & Lorraine and Chuck) to arrive at noon.
We caravanned to the rally park (Balloon Fiesta Park) as you had to arrive together to park together. There was a solid line of rigs snaking into the parking area. We had to pull out of line to allow the owners of the one motor home in our group to unhook the tow car. The large grass parking area was marked off into rows & sites with little flags. Volunteers directed the parking procedure - rigs alternated parking from each side of the double row of sites so no one had to back in. Just pull all the way through and then the next rig pulled past before any slides were out. A little backing was required sometimes to straighten out and end up right on the flag markers. We are parked on the end of a row (right on the access road) so we ended up with a large area to park our truck and Terry & Judy’s truck.
Setting up did not take long as there is no electric & water to hook up. When we were done, we had to go to the Expo Center to register. The Balloon Fiesta Park is about 10 miles from the Expo Center. We got on a bus for the trip - about a 25 minute ride. Registration didn’t take long and we were on the bus heading back - a little slower with rush hour traffic.
It was quite cool and very windy in the afternoon so happy hour (and catching up with T & J) was inside.

Apr 16th - Thurs - RV Rally
Very cold this morning and Terry & Judy’s furnace is not working. Everyone in our group put in their 2 cents worth but nothing worked to get it going. They called a repair service that would be on site and were put on a waiting list.
Today is an early bird day with some seminars so we took the bus in again and went to a seminar on making money with your laptop while traveling - not too helpful. T & J waited for someone to repair their furnace and rode a later bus.
One of the sponsors has a number match “game” during the rally. Everyone is given a large circle with a number and you try to find someone with a matching number. There are actually 4 of the same number. When you find a match, you show up on Saturday with your matching partner(s), receive a small prize (bag or cap) and are entered into a drawing. So you are always looking for someone wearing your number.
I was just starting to make dinner when Judy came over to invite us for dinner.
Each evening there is entertainment - luckily in a tent here at the Balloon Fiesta park so we don’t have to go back to the Expo center. Tonight was a local group called La-La and the Hubcaps. A wacky group with Elvis pompadours and leather jackets. Fun but cold in the tent and very cold walking back.

Apr 17th - Fri - RV Rally
We were waiting for the park shuttle to take us to the bus this morning when it started to snow! We had a 3 bus wait (about 45 minutes) in the cold. Just as we were getting close to the Expo center, Terry H got a call from the repair guy and had to stay on the bus and return to the park. We & Judy shopped and stood in a long line for a not great hamburger for lunch. Terry returned in time to join us going through additional vendor booths. About 3 I suggested that we leave the rest of the vendors for tomorrow and join the line to catch the bus. Little did we know that the line was blocks long. We ended up waiting for 1 ½ hours. Of course it had to start raining so Judy & I found shelter while the guys held our place in line!
I cooked the pork chops that I was going to have yesterday and we got together with T & J for a combined dinner.
Tonight’s show was Neil Sedaka. Hard to believe that he has been performing for 50 years - he puts on a good show. He wrote a lot of songs for other singers and performed many that were well known. Before each show, there is a half hour of rally information and updates. We were supposed to be taking part in trying to set a record for the number of people wearing balloon hats but the hat tent blew away so that was canceled.
It is still cold but we all wore warmer parkas tonight amd weren’t so chilled when the show was over.

Apr 18th - Sat - RV Rally
Sunshine!! What a welcome difference!
We decided to drive to the Expo center today so we and Terry & Judy left just before 9. We looked for matching numbers, registered with number matches and shopped. T & J bought a bunch of stuff from Camping World and then Terry H. had to go with the delivery driver back to the RV park. Terry, Judy & I spent the time looking for a number match for me and playing bingo - free with little prizes.
When Terry returned, we got some lunch and then attended the prize drawings for the day - none of us won a thing. Stopped at an ATM and then filled up the generator gas cans on the way back.
The entertainment tonight was Rita Coolidge. Not our cup of tea so we all decided to join a lot of other people and left after about 3 songs. We went back to our place and played Mexican Train dominoes. Dolly had to go out and when I took her out I looked down the road by our rig. There were some hot air balloons doing a “night glow” where they tether the balloons and light up the “envelopes” with their burners. I called the others and we all walked the whole length of the park to watch the show. It was fascinating and I got some good pictures (which you will see when we slow down a bit!). Since we had a late lunch, we didn’t have dinner - just brownie sundaes while we were playing dominoes!

Apr 19th - Sun - RV Rally
T & J and we went out for breakfast this morning. After the GPS directed us to a restaurant that was no longer there, we ended up a Denny’s which always has a decent breakfast. Then we checked out a swap meet across the street from the Expo grounds - not great.
The sponsor special today was a casino event. The coliseum was filled with Black Jack, Craps, Let it Ride and Pai Gow poker tables. You could go to each table, receive $100 in chips and gamble. When you had enough to pay back your $100, you could then buy raffle tickets - 1 ticket for every $50. People quickly figured out that you bet the whole $100 on a hand and if you won, cash in and buy 2 tickets. Then move to the next table and do it again. Some dealers were “assisting the players” so I ended up with a lot of tickets but again did not win anything in the drawings. Good prizes - generators, GPS systems, lawn chairs, 2 week cruise, 1 week in a condo in Orlando, etc.
We stopped at a grocery store and I made seafood lasagna for us and T & J for dinner. The show tonight was the Osmond Brothers - 3 of the older brothers who have been performing for 45 years. Very enjoyable.
The weather was sunny & warm again today.

Apr 20th - Mon - RV Rally
Back to the Expo center this morning (again by truck, don’t trust the busses!). We lined up for a chance to open a “treasure” chest and found out when we got there that the prizes in the chest were pretty lame. Judy took part in decorating a sombrero, Terry M. went looking at rigs and Terry H and I went to a seminar on Picasa. It was well presented and informative. When we got back together we decided to go “offsite” for lunch and found a good buffet.
We still had some time before the sombrero judging so we went to the casino right there at the Expo center. Of course I finally had to win a bit of money and anything over $50 has to be paid by an attendant. Terry & Judy finally left for the judging while Terry & I waited for my $80.
There weren’t many people at the sombrero judging as all the vendors had closed and the rest of the stuff at the coliseum was being taken down.
No dinner tonight since we had such a large lunch - drinks & snacks sitting outside with the whole group.
We were entertained by Papa Do Run Run tonight. They did familiar songs from the 50’s & 60’s - think Beach Boys, Roy Orbison. Unfortunately the vocals were often drowned out by the instruments but the songs were well known so you knew the words anyway.

Apr 21st - Tues - to Bernalillo NM
This was one of our shortest moves ever - about 10 miles to Coronado Campground just north of Albuquerque.
Everyone figured there would be a huge traffic jam with all the RVs leaving today but some people evened out the rush by leaving at 5 am! Just after 9 we called the RV park where we were going and our spot was empty so we headed out. The city of Albuquerque did an excellent job of placing police officers to control traffic lights and keep the rigs moving onto the freeway. No sewer hookups here so we dumped our tanks at the dump station and set up. Very nice spot on the Rio Grande River (narrow, muddy stream) with a picnic table under a lovely shelter.
We went to the nearby Santa Ana Casino for a $2.99 breakfast and Terry spent the credits on his frequent player card. I had messed up printing my credits so they gave me another code to try again. When we returned, we met up with a couple from Illinois (David & Joanne) who we had spoken to a couple of times at the rally. They came over and we chatted for a couple of hours. Shortly after they left, Terry & Judy arrived. They had spent the day having some work done on their 5th wheel.
After Terry & Judy unwound with a drink, we invited Chuck to join us for leftovers for dinner.

Apr 22nd - Wed - Bernalillo
I helped Judy, Terry, Chuck & Rick get credits on their casino cards and then we all went for breakfast at the casino. I had to play my credits (and some more!) and Terry didn’t do well either. Next a trip to the laundromat (Judy also) and then a quick sandwich for lunch. T & J had brought back quite a bit of shrimp from Mexico so we all got together for deep fried shrimp for dinner. I had to introduce Judy to Big Lots so dinner ended up being a little late - but it was great. Enjoyed the buddy burner for a while and everyone headed home early.
Finally a chance to catch up on the blog while Terry naps on the couch!