International Balloon Festival - Albuquerque, NM

We registered at the Balloon Festival campground on Thursday afternoon and then picked Marilou up at the airport early evening. Our camp site is in the "standard" lot - no water, electric or sewer but plenty of dirt and other RV's! It is directly across the road from the launch grounds so the balloons float right over us. The volunteers do a great job and the whole system is very well organized - they have been doing it for many years. This year's theme is "Enchanted Sunrise."

We rode the tram up to the top of Sandia Peak on Friday morning for a spectacular view of the city and surrounding area. It was sunny and in the sixties in Albuquerque and 38 degrees with a 25 mile an hour wind on the top of the mountain!

Us girls went to an Arts and Crafts fair on Friday afternoon and saw some amazing art, jewelry, pottery and clothing - of course, some of it had our names on it! Roger is so glad to have Judy and Marilou with us - gets him off " shopping duty."

The shuttle bus to takes us across the street to the Balloon Park. The "Dawn Patrol" was scheduled to go up at 5:45am on Saturday - this is a group of experienced balloonists that check to wind speeds and directions. Next comes the "Morning Glow" - the balloons are inflated and "glow" in the dark while remaining on the ground. These events are followed by the "Mass Ascension" - all the balloons ascend in waves - as they are given the "OK" from the "Zebras" - the officials wearing black and white striped jackets. Unfortunately, the mass ascension was cancelled on Saturday because the winds were not favorable. A few balloons went up but we were tired, cold and disappointed!!

Not much happens during the day - the main events are early morning and dusk.  The evening events - the "Twilight Twinkle Glow" and "Afterglow Fireworks" display were fun but the mornings are when the real action takes place.