11 DAYS • 14 MEALS

Days One and Two – Our Journey Begins
Get ready as we take off for one of the most breathtaking spectacles these United States has to offer. Enjoy a get acquainted dinner in Missouri before moving on to Oklahoma City. (Dinner and breakfast)

Day Three – Oklahoma City to Albuquerque
We travel across the Texas Panhandle today and arrive in New Mexico. Each October, the skies of New Mexico are painted with hundreds of balloons as they lift off from Albuquerque’s Fiesta Park. This evening we gather with our fellow traveling companions for dinner at our hotel. Then settle in for four nights in the heart of Albuquerque.
(Breakfast and dinner)

Day Four – Balloon Fiesta and City Touring
It’s an early start today as we depart for the Fiesta Grounds and the Opening Ceremonies. Founded in 1972, the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta began with 13 balloons and has grown to more than 700 from all over the world. We view the “mass ascension” of these specially-shaped balloons as they lift off at sunrise. This afternoon, a local guide joins us for a narrated tour of Albuquerque including Old Town. (Breakfast)

Day Five – The Balloon Glow
This morning is free to enjoy Old Town Albuquerque on your own. The serene village has been the focal point of community life since 1706. Tonight, get ready for a real treat at the Balloon Glow event. Just before dusk, the burners of nearly 500 balloons are ignited and the evening sky fills with a kaleidoscope of brilliant, luminous color. Top off the evening with a vivid fireworks display. (Breakfast)

Day Six – Acoma Sky City
and Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway
Set atop a mesa 350 feet above the desert floor is one of the oldest continuously occupied settlements in the United States, Acoma Sky City. A local guide shows us the still occupied homes. We visit Saint Stephen’s mission church, a national historic landmark. We make our way back to Albuquerque for a thrilling ride aboard the world’s longest aerial tramway. On Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway you will be transported above the deep canyons and breathtaking terrains for an incredible view of the Rio Grande Valley. Keep an eye out for the mule deer, eagles and black bear that inhabit the area.
(Breakfast and dinner)

Day Seven – Santa Fe
Upon our arrival in Santa Fe, a local guide takes us on a historic walking tour including the Governor’s Plaza, San Miguel Mission and Loretto Chapel with its mysterious and free-standing spiral staircase. (Breakfast)

Day Eight – Bandelier National Monument
Today we travel into the Jemez Mountains to Bandelier National Monument. Bandelier’s human history extends back for over 10,000 years when nomadic hunter-gatherers followed migrating wildlife across the mesas and canyons. The ancestors of modern Pueblo people built thriving communities in this area called Bandelier about 600 years ago. Several thousand of these ancestral Pueblo dwellings are found among the pink mesas and sheer-walled canyons. (Breakfast)

Day Nine – Taos and Denver
Heading north today we arrive in Taos. Established by the Spanish in the 1770s, Taos has a rich cultural heritage. We visit Taos Pueblo, an ancient community continuously inhabited for over one thousand years. Long before Columbus arrived in America the Taos Indians inhabited their valley. Today, Taos Pueblo is a U.S. National Historic Landmark and is an architectural wonder with its multi-storied residential complex of reddish-brown adobe dominating the landscape. Later, we continue to Colorado and the “Mile High” city of Denver. (Breakfast)

Days Ten and Eleven – Lincoln and Home
Say goodbye to Colorado and the Rocky Mountains as we travel east into Nebraska for our farewell dinner. Continuing across Iowa, we arrive home with memories of Albuquerque and the world famous Balloon Fiesta.
(2 Breakfasts and dinner)