Day 1 Kearney, NE

We board our deluxe motorcoach this morning to begin our journey to Colorado. We spend the day getting acquainted with our fellow travelers as we make our way to Kearney, NE for our overnight. Tonight, we’ll get together as a group and have a pizza party at our hotel. (D)

Day 2 Colorado Springs, CO

We’ll begin our day at the Great Platte River Road Archway. We’ll do a tour and included lunch here. From Oregon Trail era to today, the Archway’s historical exhibit brings the story of the Great Platte River Road to life. Tonight we stay in Colorado Springs. (B, L)

Day 3 Albuquerque, NM

This morning we will tour Garden of the Gods. A guide will board our coach and give us a tour of the Park. View 300’ towering sandstone rock formations against the snow-capped Pikes Peak and brilliant blue skies. Lunch on your own will be in Manitou Springs before departing for Albuquerque, NM. We’ll check-in to our hotel about dinner time. There are restaurants nearby our hotel. (B)

Day 4 Albuquerque, NM

Bright and early, 5 AM! We will head to the Balloon Fiesta Park for Mass Ascension in the Gondola Club. A delicious meal is included here this morning. Hundreds of balloons will be taking flight and you will be awestruck by the spectacular beauty of hot air balloons filling the big blue New Mexico sky. Imagine 54 football fields all put together, that is the size of the Balloon Fiesta Park’s launch field. The whole park is the “playing field.” Balloons launch in two waves and the launch directors, also known as zebras because of their black-and-white-striped outfits, serve as traffic cops, coordinating the launch so balloons leave the field in a safe and coordinated manner. After this awe-inspiring show we’ll visit the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center to learn about the Pueblo culture from ancient times to the present. Then we’ll head back to our hotel to rest up for this evenings event at the Balloon Fiesta. Tonight, we attending Night Magic Glow in the Gondola Club, invented in Albuquerque in 1979, when local pilots inflated balloons on Christmas Eve night as a thank you to local residents. The sight of balloons lit from within at night like giant holiday ornaments is breathtaking. The Balloon Glow is followed by New Mexico’s most spectacular fireworks displays. (B, D)

Day 5 Santa Fe, NM

We make our way to Santa Fe today, traveling along the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway. We’ll make a stop in the Madrid Ghost Town, an old abandoned mining town that dates back to the early 1800’s. There will be time to shop and have lunch on your own here. We’ll travel as far as Santa Fe today. On arrival, we’ll visit the Loretto Chapel (if available) then check-in to our accommodations for the evening. (B)

Day 6 Colorado Springs, CO

We begin this morning driving north towards Colorado Springs again taking in wonderful scenery as we drive. We’ll stop at El Santuario de Chimayo, a Roman Catholic church famous for the story of its founding. After lunch we will visit Taos Pueblo, a village that is one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in North America. It’s home to nearly 4,500 people. We’ll arrive in Colorado Springs for our overnight. (B)

Day 7 Kearney, NE

Today we start out at the US Air Force Academy, to learn about cadet life here. We’ll travel across Colorado today and in to Nebraska to Kearney. (B)

Day 8 Home

We’ll travel back home today treasuring the memories of our fun adventure to the awe inspiring Balloon Fiesta and Colorado. A stop will be made for an included lunch along the way. (B, L)