October 9-16, 2023 | Balloon Fiesta Bus Tour

New Mexico is known as the Mecca of the Southwest.  American Indian, Spanish and Anglo traditions are distinctly woven together creating a destination different than any other.  Add to that the beauty of the Balloon Fiesta, the colors of the fall and the magnificence of Southwestern Colorado and we have a tour that is truly unique. 

We’ll start with a drive into western Colorado near the scenic Black Canyon of the Gunnison.  We’ll take the spectacular narrow gauge railway from Silverton to Durango.  We’ll see Mesa Verde National Park before working our way into Santa Fe and Albuquerque where we’ll enjoy several Balloon Fiesta events, and other activities.  We’ll return via Moab with a visit to Arches National Park which is always a treat.        

This is a super getaway with unbeatable scenery, history and culture.   We’ll enjoy some excellent cuisine while staying in lovely hotels along the way.  The tour is fully escorted and includes 11 meals, great lodging, all admissions, luxury motor coach transportation and much more.  Space is limited to 44 passengers.  So come and join us to celebrate one of the great traditions of the American Southwest!

October 9:  Salt Lake to Montrose:  Today we’ll get an early start as we begin our exciting journey.   We’ll have a pick up in Weber, Salt Lake and Utah Counties as we make our way south, getting acquainted along the way.  We’ll make a lunch stop in Price before continuing on through Green River and across the border in to Colorado.  In the late afternoon, we’ll drive along highway 50 toward Montrose.  We will drive 15 miles to the south rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison for spectacular views of the canyon below.  This is a lesser known park which was recently upgraded from a state park to a National Park.  Then we’ll return to Montrose where we’ll spend the evening at the lovely Holiday Inn Express (or similar). 

October 10:  The scenery is magnificent today as we work our way into the San Juan Mountains.  Our first stop is Ouray (just 30 miles away), beginning of the Million Dollar Highway.   The views cannot be overstated.  We’ll see beautiful Box Canyon Falls before continuing into nearby Silverton where we’ll board the Narrow Gauge Railroad.  This train began operating in 1882 hauling gold and silver through the mountains.  Today’s trains are still coal-fired, steam-operated 1923 vintage locomotives in original condition.  The scenery on the 3 1/2 hour journey is spectacular, especially with the fall colors in the hills.  The train ends in Durango where we’ll spend the evening.  Tour pays for breakfast and train journey today.

October 11:  Today we’ll drive 36 miles to the west into Mesa Verde National Park, one of our country’s most interesting national parks.  Besides great scenery, this was home to the Anasazi who built and lived in defensible communities for over 700 years.  These cliff-dwellings are fascinating to see and we’ll have time to enjoy the park at a relaxed pace.  We’ll have a local guide show us the park and provide all the interesting history as we travel.  We’ll stay in Durango again this evening where we’ll enjoy dinner together as a group. Tour pays for breakfast, park admission and dinner.

October 12:  Today we’ll continue south into New Mexico.  After lunch, we’ll visit Los Alamos and the Bradbury Science Museum, a fascinating monument to the Manhattan Project and the first detonation of the Atomic Bomb.  There are interactive displays about interesting “classified” information.  From there, it’s just 33 miles into Santa Fe where we’ll relax at our hotel.  We’ll take you down to the main square for some browsing and a chance for a unique Santa Fe dinner.  Tour to pay for breakfast and museum admission today.

October 13:   Welcome to Santa Fe, the City Different.   The capital building has flown the flag of Mexico, Spain, and America.  It is the oldest continually occupied capital dating back to 1610.  A local guide will spend 2 hours with us introducing us to the interesting history and highlights of the area.  After an included lunch on the main square, we’ll take our 45 minute ride into Albuquerque.  After checking in and relaxing, we’ll have a chance to witness the first of the Balloon Fiesta events.  It’s called the Special Shape Glowdeo.  Hot-air balloons of all different shapes ascend and “glow” against the night sky creating a unique view.  Following the balloon ascension, there is an entertaining Laser Light Show that lasts about 10 minutes, followed by a spectacular fireworks display at 8:00 PM, which means we are back to the hotel by about 10:00 PM.  Tour to pay for breakfast, lunch and Balloon Launch.

 October 14:  The Balloon Fiesta dates back to 1972 when 13 balloons lifted off from downtown Albuquerque.  Nobody had any idea what it would become.  49 years later, more than 1000 balloons take to the sky in what has become a magnificent spectacle.   We’ll arise early this morning and take a short drive to the launching area.  It is a fair-like atmosphere with lots of activity going on while we await the launches (in a warm, heated tent by the way).   This morning we witness what has become, by far, the most popular event:  The Mass Ascension.  Hundreds of balloons of all different shapes and sizes take to the air.  Have your camera ready!  You just have to see it to believe it and we’ll take our time and enjoy this great American tradition that has made Albuquerque famous.  On our way back to town, we’ll stop at Sandia Mountain we’re we’ll take a tram to the top for lovely views of the entire region from over 10,000 feet.  This is the longest tram in the world (and still takes only 15 minutes) and one of the most difficult to build.  Note:  The tram doesn’t take reservations during Balloon Fiesta – if lines are too long, we’ll put the funds toward an alternate activity.)  You’ll then have some free time in Albuquerque’s charming Old Town.  Do a little shopping, get some lunch or just enjoy the atmosphere. We’ve also included admission to the interesting Balloon Fiesta Museum.  It is well worth a look and you will find it to be very educational.  After a rest at the hotel, we’ll have an early, dinner followed by an option to return to the Balloon Fiesta to see another evening display called Night Magic Glow, different from last night’s Shapes Glowdeo, but also followed by a Laser Light and Fireworks show.  Tour to pay for breakfast, dinner, tram and morning Balloon events.

October 15:  If the launch was canceled yesterday due to bad weather, we’ll have a chance to see the ascension this morning.  Otherwise, we’ll have breakfast and point our way home.  Today is mostly a drive day.  We’ll take advantage of our DVD equipment on board the coach.  Lunch will be in Gallup, then we’ll make our way north.  We’ll drive on to Moab, arriving around 5:30.  After a brief rest, we have included a final dinner this evening.  Fall is a great time to be in Moab.   Tour to pay for breakfast and dinner.

October 16:  After breakfast, we’ll drive a short distance to enjoy the views at Dead Horse Point State Park.   We then work our way back to Salt Lake, arriving by about 4:00 in the afternoon.  You’ll have a greater appreciation for this very interesting part of our country. Tour to pay for breakfast today.

Registration Information:

To make a reservation, simply fill out the attached reservation form and send it to us with a deposit of $300 per person.  When we receive your deposit, we will mail you a receipt confirming that you are registered for the tour.  A letter with instructions, hotel itinerary flight information (if applicable) and luggage tags will be sent roughly 60 days prior to departure at which time the balance will be due.  You do not need to pay the balance until after you receive that packet.  We require final payments in the form of a check.  If that is not possible, arrangements can be made to use a credit card.  Webb Tours accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. A 2% fee applies to final payments made by credit card.

Cancellation Penalties

We understand that you may need to cancel your trip for whatever reason.  If it is 60 days or more before departure, all money will be refunded.  If airline tickets are purchased prior to that time (with your permission), they become the property of the traveler and are not refundable.  All other funds will be returned if cancellation occurs outside of 60 days.  If it is within 60 days, we will charge you only what Webb Tours cannot recover.  In some cases, we can recover all of it.  In others, we cannot.  Cruise lines, airlines, hotels and other service providers require funds in advance and have their own rules about what will be refunded once paid.  We must follow their guidelines.  For airlines, specifically, tickets are generally non refundable when purchased.  However, most airlines will allow the value of the canceled tickets to be reused for future travel, though a penalty may be assessed to reuse the tickets.  If you have to cancel, Webb Tours will work with other providers to obtain as much refund as possible for our travelers.  Our travelers know us to be very fair in this regard.

Cancellation Insurance: 

Cancellation insurance is also available should you be interested.  The insurance provider that we us is Travelex Insurance.  You can learn about them at www.travelexinsurance.com.  With this insurance, most of your money will be returned to you in case you have to cancel for covered reasons (illness or death of an immediate family member) at the last minute.  The price for the insurance varies based on the price of the trip and the age of the participant (at the time the insurance is purchased). 

If you are interested in the insurance, you can purchase it through Webb Tours at any time. The insurance goes into effect once purchased.  If you have any pre-existing conditions, it is best to purchase the insurance within 14 days of making your initial deposit as that will cover an illness that may result from a pre-existing condition. If you don’t have pre-existing conditions, you can purchase the insurance any time between now and the time you make your final payment.  Insurance cannot be purchased after your final payment is made.  Webb Tours is not the insurer and acts as agent for Travelex.  To activate your insurance, we need your premium and your birth date.  Insurance also includes the following items:

Trip interruption up to 150% of the cost of the trip (if you have to leave in the middle of the trip)

• Trip delay: $750
• Missed Connection: $750
• Baggage & Personal Effects (for lost luggage): $1,000
• Baggage Delay: $200
• Emergency medical/dental expenses: $50,000
• Emergency Medical Evacuation: $500,000
• Accidental death/dismemberment during travel: $25,000

Per person prices are as follows:

Mail deposit and enclosed reservation form to:

WEBB TOURS

2378 Evergreen Avenue

Salt Lake City, UT  84109

Tel. (801) 278-3101

or Toll Free 1-800-658-8519

Or call us and register over the phone.  We hope you can join us.