Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

We've never been to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, so we booked a campsite on the grounds for 3 nights to check it out.

On our way in we detoured up to Placitas and hiked the Strip Mine Trail, which led to a pretty little rainbow valley with a great view of the Sandia Mountains. 

Rainbow Valley, Placitas, NM

Rainbow Valley, Placitas, NM

From our campsite at the Fiesta, it was less than 1/2-mile walk onto the festival grounds. Since dogs can't go into the launch area, we chose to stay just outside the gate on the first morning so Bebop could hang with us. The drone show at 5:45am was impressive. It was followed by a glow with about a dozen balloons, then a pre-dawn launch of that dozen. As dawn began to illuminate the grounds, the balloons began launching. And they just kept launching for at least the next 90 minutes. Hundreds of balloons floating in the morning sky.

So Many Balloons

On the second morning, we let Bebop sleep in and entered the festival grounds to stand down among the balloons as they launched. We watched the drone show again, and I got a few video clips this time: https://youtu.be/rcFS6_4EXmU. 

Drone Show

We watched the pre-dawn patrol launch from so close we could feel the warmth of the flames. They took off just over our heads.  I added a launch clip to the drone video.

Pre-dawn glow and launch

We stayed on the field and walked among the balloons as they launched, then headed back to the camper van for some rest, and maybe a nap.

Up close with the balloon launch

For our final morning the conditions were pristine. Almost no air movement meant the balloons just hovered in the sky. They even drifted toward our campground and landed all around us.

Launch, some interesting balloons, and they are coming toward us.

I think each balloon uses about 50 gallons of propane. For hundreds of balloons, that's a lot of propane. It would make Hank Hill proud, I tell you what.

Hank Hill selling propane and propane accessories.

- Paul