CREDIT RIVER PROBUS CLUB NEW MEXICO – FEATURING

CREDIT RIVER PROBUS CLUB
NEW MEXICO – FEATURING ALBUQUERQUE AND SANTA FE
October 2 – 8, 2015 (7 DAYS – 6 NIGHTS)
Some of New Mexico’s most unique events involve its undeniable culture, such as Santa Fe's Indian and Spanish Markets,
Native American dances at the pueblos, and the many fiestas held on town plazas throughout the state. Of course, one of
PRICE PER PERSON, CANADIAN DOLLARS
our most picturesque events, the Albuquerque
International Balloon Fiesta, fills the sky with unforgettable beauty each
TWO TO ROOM,
October. Find your
next great adventure now
SINGLE
PRICE PER PERSON, CANADIAN DOLLARS
TWO TO ROOM: $2989.00
SINGLE: $3689.00
Day One: Friday, October 2, 2015
In flight/ Albuquerque
We gather at Pearson International Airport this morning for our flight with American Airlines from Toronto to Chicago and
then Chicago to Albuquerque. Upon arrival we will be met by our deluxe coach and guide as we transfer to the Albuquerque
Hotel Old Town, New Mexico’s landmark hotel. You will be delighted with the distinctive blend of historic grandeur and
contemporary comfort. We enjoy luxurious accommodation and amenities including an on-site restaurant and bars, Olympicsize outdoor swimming pool, romantic wedding chapel and indoor and outdoor event space. After allowing time to get settled,
the adventure begins with a late afternoon tour of the charming streets of Old Town, constructed around a central plaza which
features historic buildings dating back to the 1700’s. We return to our hotel for a welcome dinner at Garduno’s Restaurant and
Cantina, located in our hotel.
Meals: Welcome dinner
Accommodation: Albuquerque Hotel Old Town
Day Two: Saturday, October 3, 2015
Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta & Pueblo Cultural Centre
For more than three decades, guests from all over the world come to Albuquerque to celebrate ballooning at the Albuquerque
International Balloon Fiesta. This is the biggest and best gathering of balloons anywhere on this planet – and best of all, you
can be part of it! For nine days every October, the crisp, clear
desert skies are painted with a kaleidoscope of color as
hundreds of balloons lift off. The event is unique in that you
can wander around on the field to see the balloons and to
talk to the pilots. Morning: We marvel at the mass
ascension when hundreds of balloons take flight at 7:15 am,
the most spectacular display of sound and colour in aviation.
Our guide is very familiar with the Balloon Fiesta and will
provide you with lots of information on this event. We
return to our hotel mid-morning. Free time to relax and
explore Old Town, located right out the door of our hotel.
Afternoon & evening: We depart again at 2:30 pm to travel
out to the Pueblo Cultural Centre. Their mission statement is to
preserve and perpetuate Pueblo culture and to advance understanding by presenting with dignity and respect, the
accomplishments and evolving history of the Pueblo people of New Mexico. They provide us with a gateway of understanding
to the 19 pueblos of New Mexico. We return at night to experience the Twilight Twinkle glow when all the balloons fire their
burners and light up at the same time which is perhaps the most spectacular single moment in all of Balloon Fiesta. This is
followed by New Mexico’s most spectacular fireworks display. For these two features of the International Balloon Fiesta, we
will have a specialized entrance to the Gondola Club which will include “box seats” that offer the best food, view and access to
the park. We have private parking, hospitality tent with breakfast and dinner buffet, open bar and access to private bathrooms.
Also by taking this specialized entrance, there are areas that are covered and heated.
Note that flights for balloons are subject to weather considerations.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner with open bar
Accommodation: Albuquerque Hotel Old Town
Day Three: Sunday, October 4, 2015
Albuquerque to Santa Fe
Following breakfast at our hotel, relax on our deluxe coach as we have a short one hour drive to Santa Fe, the oldest state
capital in the United States. American Indians inhabited New Mexico long before Spanish contact in the 1500s, and their
timeless cultures, traditions, arts and beliefs continue to enrich the state today. There are 19 pueblos located around the state,
including the Eight Northern Indian Pueblos north of Santa Fe. They have so many accolades but here are a few:
USA Today Travel and 10 Best Voted Santa Fe as the Best U.S. City for Shopping
Readers of a 2013 Conde Nast Poll rank Santa Fe the second best city to visit in the country
According to Liveability.com Santa Fe is a top ten foodie city in the nation
We know our Farmers' Market is the best so does Sherman's Travels. They rank us as one of nine top farmers
markets in the country
With new brews popping up all over town, it's no wonder Travel + Leisure rates Santa Fe as one of America's best
beer towns
The Today Show calls out Santa Fe as one of top five places for empty nesters to travel
Upon arrival in Santa Fe we will be dropped off at the main Plaza and enjoy a 2-hour walking tour of downtown historic Santa
Fe including entrance to the O’Keeffe Museum and the Loretto Chapel. We end our tour at Santa Fe’s only Native American
owned hotel, The Hotel Santa Fe, Hacienda and Spa where we spend the next four nights. We are located in Historic
Downtown Santa Fe and in the heart of the new Guadalupe Railyard District with museums, galleries, shops and restaurants just
outside our door. Free time for lunch and now that you have some knowledge of the city, enjoy the balance of your day in this
centre for arts and culture. Santa Fe has earned a stellar reputation with foodlovers with more than 200 restaurant choices ranging from their local New
Mexican flavours to creative southwestern cuisine. Enjoy the unique style
of this colourful city. Dinner Included at our hotel this evening.
Meals: Breakfast and welcome dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Santa Fe
Day Four: Monday, October 5, 2015
Day trip to Taos
Breakfast at our hotel. Today we take a full day tour to charming Taos. This
historic town was one of the most important artist colonies in America during the
first half of the 20th century. On the way we will pass through extraordinary
landscape of northern New Mexico. Our first stop is the Taos Pueblo. Situated
in the valley of a small tributary of the Rio Grande, this adobe settlement –
consisting of dwellings and ceremonial buildings – represents the culture of the
Pueblo Indians of Arizona and New Mexico. Taos Pueblo is the only living
Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and
a
National Historic Landmark. The multi-storied adobe buildings have been continuously inhabited for over 1000 years. Our next
stop is the Millicent Rogers Museum. A special highlight of the museum is the magnificent turquoise jewellery collected and
owned by fashionista Millicent Rogers for whom the museum is named. We have a delightful lunch included in Taos and free
time to do some souvenir shopping. We return to Santa Fe in the later afternoon. Dinner on your own this evening. .
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Accommodation: Hotel Santa Fe
Day Five: Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Farmer’s Market & Chimayo Dinner Tour
Breakfast at our hotel. We are located in Historic Downtown Santa Fe adjacent to the Guadalupe Railyard District with
museums, galleries, shops and restaurants right outside our door. We have a free morning to explore the Farmer’s Market in the
Railyard District. At 2 pm we once again join our knowledgeable guide as we travel the “High Road” to Chimayo. We will
stop at the San Ildefonso Pueblo, one of the best known New Mexico Pueblos because of the famous black-on-black
pottery which originated there and which was revived in the nineteen-twenties. At the Visitor’s Centre, we have a
pottery demonstration. Some pieces from this Pueblo are contained at the Smithsonian Museum. We continue on to
Rancho de Chimayo Restaurant is one of the most visited dining establishments and is continually listed as a top 100 restaurants
in the United States. This century old adobe home with white-washed walls, cozy dining rooms and lush terraced patios has
become one of New Mexico’s more popular places to dine. It is known for its unique native New Mexico cuisine prepared with
locally grown products from recipes that have been in the family for generations. Following dinner we return to Santa Fe about
8:00 pm.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Santa Fe
Day Six: Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Bandelier National Monument & Farewell dinner
Breakfast at our hotel. Following breakfast we once again join our guide and coach as we travel to Bandelier National
Monument, descending into a canyon filled with the ruins of the Anasazi Indians, colloquially
“the Ancient Ones”. Excavated over 90 years ago, these ruins were once home to over 20
people, ancestors of today’s Pueblo Indians. We walk through pueblo ruins and kivas in the
valley floor and work our way up the cliff face where cliff dwelling room blocks have been
restored with ladders to allow access to dwelling units. We visit the Poeh Museum in
Pojoaque. This small museum features a permanent exhibit called “Emergency”, which is a
great diorama that you walk through that traces the Pueblo Indians from their arrival, 12,000
years ago to the present. Lunch at Gabriel’s on our way back to the city. The personal
attention to service and food is what makes Gabriel's special. Little touches add so much to
your dining experience, such as fresh guacamole made at your table, margaritas made with freshly squeezed limes and gold
tequila, and handmade corn tortillas. We return to Santa Fe in the mid-afternoon for some free time to enjoy the facilities of
our hotel. We depart by coach for the site of our farewell dinner, the Santa Fe School of Cooking. As always their classes are
entertaining, educational, delicious, and taught by some of the best chefs in Santa Fe. A thoroughly enjoyable evening.
Meals; Breakfast lunch and farewell dinner.
Accommodation: Hotel Santa Fe
Day Seven: Thursday, October 8, 2015
Santa Fe to Albuquerque and in flight.
Breakfast at our hotel. We will be saying farewell at noon as we travel back to Albuquerque for our flight home. At the present
time the flight will leave mid-afternoon and travel via Chicago with arrival back into Toronto in the evening.
INCLUDED IN THE TOUR COST:
 Round trip flight from Toronto to Albuquerque
 Deluxe coach, professional guides for all touring, bottle water on the coach
 All gratuities
 Albuquerque Hotel for 2 nights, Hotel Santa Fe for 4 nights
 Full hot breakfast daily, welcome dinner at Hotel Albuquerque with beverages
 Balloon Fiesta Gondola Club including admission to the park, hot breakfast buffet and hot dinner buffet, limited bar,
private toilets, covered/heated seating area, private parking and excellent private viewing area of the field
 Mass Ascension and Twinkle Glow with fireworks
 Admission to the Indian Pueblo Centre
 Driving tour of Old town Albuquerque
 Historic Walking tour of Santa Fe followed by welcome dinner at Hotel Santa Fe
 Entrance to O’Keeffe Museum and Loretto chapel
 Full Day Taos tour with lunch. Entrance to Millicent Rogers Museum and Taos Pueblo
 Chimayo Dinner Tour with visit to San Ildefonso Pueblo and dinner at Rancho de Chimayo Restaurant
 Tour of Bandelier National Monument with lunch at Gabriel’s
 Farewell dinner and cooking class at Santa Fe School of cooking with beverages
*Note you must have a valid passport to travel on this tour. It must be valid for 6 months after your return date.
NOT INCLUDED IN THE TOUR COST:
 Airport departure taxes – currently $175.00 per person
 Optional travel insurance – quotations on the booking form
DEPOSIT AND CANCELLATION:
Deposit:
 Deposit of $300 at the time of booking plus optional travel
insurance
 Additional deposit of $700 January 22 ,2015
 Final payment July 22, 2015
Cancellation:
 Between date of booking and January 21, 2015 - $150.00 per person
 Between January 22 and July 21, $500 per person
 Between July 22 and October 2, 2015 – Full tour cost
TOUR DESIGN, 1211 Denison St., Unit 26m Markham, On. L3R 4B3 Toll Free – 1-888-923-9183
TICO Reg # 50014865