Category: New Mexico

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta – Sunday October 09 2016

This is the last morning of balloons and we leave to head north and then east, I think.
Maps of today’s drive.  We are at Cochiti COE Campground south of Santa Fe.
Drove through the campground to find a site and then dumped the holding tanks, after 9 days they were full.
We are in site 7, power but no water.
We went to another site to get water.  I have been carrying an extra water hose since we got this motor home, today was the first time I have used it.  All the water was up on the hill above the sites on the inside of the loop.
Almost made it, needed several more feet.

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta – Wednesday October 5, 2016

More balloons:

I started out by editing my pictures down to 50 pictures I wanted to post however I’m only going to show seven.  I might post them when we get a wifi connection.
Before sunrise 12 balloons are inflated and lite by the burners.  When the winds are good they will lift off.

One of the challenges of these night pictures is focusing in the dark.

Most mornings Yoda and Darth Vader came our way.
We picked up an extra traveler at Bluewater Lake State Park, he just decided to leave.

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta – Tuesday October 4, 2016

Again this morning balloons came our way.  They didn’t start up until after 7:30 a.m. because of the wind at upper elevation.
Each morning one or two of the first balloons show the flag.
The “Orlando Balloon Rides” balloon had two people from our group on it.   Thirteen people on this balloon.
These two balloons are at the same distance the Orlando balloon is one of the biggest balloons of the day.
One of the cool balloons landing.
Looking up into a balloon.
Some came in real close.
Looking up into a balloon.
Sunday evening the Balloon Event people came and asked if we would allow this guy from Canada park in our reserved area because the park was full and he know we had a couple of no shows.  Last night way after dark we saw him down by the back of his Airstream trailer dumping his grey water out onto the ground.  We have lost our belief in the common good and do what is best for just us, what an a-hole.

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta – Sunday October 2, 2016

This morning we stayed in the RV camp to watch the balloons.  It worked out really great because all the balloons came our way and may went right over the camp.  Also, many balloons landed in an open area right in front of us.  Deciding which pictures to post has been a challenge.

Here are some balloons:

These balloons are from a set of balloons sent up just so they can be lite up in the morning before dawn.
Here they are opening the top of the balloon to let the hot air out.
In the evening we went to the launch field to be part of the balloon evening glow:
Asking some people’s kids not to touch to balloons is a waste of time.  The pilots are let people damage a lot of their equipment.

The balloons air filled with air, tied down to the ground and then lite up in the dark of the night.
The glow was followed by some great fireworks, this has been quiet the experience.

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta – Saturday October 1, 2016

We got up at 5:00 a.m. to get the bus to go and watch the Dawn Patrol and the first Mass Balloon Ascension for 2016.  It is dark here in the morning and we really didn’t know where were going other than north.

The bus picked us up just 5 motor homes from our sight and dropped us off 50 feet from the launch field gate.   The RV parking field is right across the street from the festival area they have bus lanes so getting to the park and return is rather quick.  I understand to walk from where we are is a mile or a mile and a half depending on who you talk to.  I’ll look on a map and figure it out or walk it later in the week.  Oh, by the way all questions have at least two answers, depending on who you talk too.

We were on the balloon field from 5:45 to 9:30 and only got to see a few of the balloons.  You get to stand on the launch field right next to and between the balloons.  It is really neat event and we are glad we came.
Street maps of the festival area.
You can see where we walked.
Stayed on one spot and watched balloons going up around us.
This is where we are parked.

This is a great location, we seem to have more space then many other areas of the RV park.

Here are some of the balloons lit up in the morning.
Group of balloon pictures from the launch field.
Here is the campsite Richard and I set up between our motor homes.

 

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta – Friday September 30, 2016

Today was our arrival at the balloon festival.  As we drove into town this morning you could see balloons flying across the valley.

Campsite pictures, site 3894C

Saturday we will be going to the Dawn Patrol (balloons lit just at dawn) and mass Ascension  of all 600 balloons.  We I say going l mean going a mile north to the field where the balloons are assembled and lift off.  Our current understanding is we will be able to see a lot of the events from where we are parked.