Balloon Festival and Return to Santa Fe

When our plans to visit Mexico City fell through in October (due to the earthquake), we decided to go with Plan B: return to Santa Fe and see the Balloon Festival in Albuquerque on the way. We were advised to go early, before dawn, to beat the crowds and to see the very first launchings. It was a sight to see, and I felt like a kid again, in awe at the idea of floating in the sky in a basket tied to a balloon. (The Wizard of Oz, right?) Mark and I left the festival for Santa Fe and spent the next few days enjoying the town, hiking at Bandelier, and visiting Taos Pueblo.