Albuquerque
Having headed down I84 via Santa Fe, where we stopped only for a short time in the afternoon as we found it very touristy. We stopped at the Official campground just to the East of and half a mile away from the Festival grounds. Little did we realise that first night that we would have the whole spectacular sight of the morning and evening patrols going over our heads every day but the main events passed over as well. We also had many balloons landing in the car park very close to where were parked which was very exciting. Many of the balloons were no more than 50 feet above us as we set up the easy chairs and enjoyed the sights.
The Venue
Our first early morning visit to see the balloons being inflated was a sight to behold. Just so many people busy inflating hundreds of colourful and creatively designed balloons. We were enthralled to be able to walk unrestricted through the melee of shrouds colourful nylon to the deafening sound of blasting propane burners and directives of the pilots.
The Fair
Running alongside the main balloon launching field was a very large array of stands selling everything from fast food, of course, and balloon related memorabilia, we bought a colourful windmill mounted on a long pole to display from the RV. We also bought some Indian pottery at one of the many specialist stands.
Just enjoy and revel in the photographs until you can see the event yourselves. (See Photos) Worth a second visit, try and stop us.
