This past weekend was our long awaited trip to Albuquerque for the Balloon Fiesta. I lived in Albuquerque for a few years as a kid and I always loved seeing all those balloons in the sky as we drove to school in the morning. I have wanted to take J.R. for years. This spring we were discussing this event with Pam and she wanted to go. We decided that we should all make the trip this year.
We had a few set backs as we attempted to leave town. However, we finally made our way to Phoenix. Once there we met my grandparents for dinner. The next morning we had a nice leisurely breakfast with my grandparents before making our way to Albuquerque.
My grandpa was nice enough to tell us about a scenic route we could take. We were so glad he did because the drive was really pretty and very interesting as the landscape was continually changing. From desert, to mountains, to forest, we saw just about everything.
We arrived in Albuquerque in time for dinner. We tracked down my families favorite Mexican restaurant and it did not disappoint. Oh, how I missed Mexican food in New Mexico! It has so much more flavor than the stuff you find here in California.
The next morning we work up bright and early, way before even the thought of a the crack of dawn. We had a nice breakfast then made our way across the street to the park and ride. We discovered later this was most definitely the way to go, as the line to get into the parking lot was close to an hour wait.
As we drove to the park there were flashes of lightening. It was very cool to see, but it also made us nervous. We thought the balloons may not actually go up. It began to sprinkle a bit as we walked around. Thankfully, it quickly stopped. We found a picnic table to sit at while we waited. Ironically, everyone sitting at our table was also from California. In fact, one couple lives 20 minutes away. What a small world, especially considering the thousands of people there.
We sat there and watched the sunrise. It was amazingly beautiful with the clouds. About that time, a few balloons began to blow up and eventually take off. It was quite the sight. I am amazed every time I see it. This particular day of the fiesta was special shapes. Because of this the majority of the balloons were special shapes, those are always so much fun. Unfortunately, not very many balloons took off that morning. However, it was amazing to see all those balloons in that area.
That afternoon we drove to Old Town Santa Fe for the afternoon. We found another fantastic Mexican food place to have lunch. We then walked around for a bit before heading back to Albuquerque for the Balloon Glow. The Balloon Glow was amazing. It is truly remarkable to walk through all these balloons as they light up.
The next morning we didn't' get up quite as early, which was a nice break. We drove down by the park to find ourselves a good spot to watch the balloons all take off. We found a good spot in the parking lot of an office building and set up there.
It was cold. And it felt colder the longer we sat there. It really wasn't too cold, honestly. However, we were sitting in the shade and it was windy. So I was freezing. the view was spectacular despite my frozen states. It was amazing to see all those balloons many of which soared right over us.
After the last balloon was up we made our way back to the hotel for some breakfast. I wanted to drive by my old house and show J.R. where I lived so we found our way over to Albuquerque. (The fiesta is actually in Rio Rancho.) The only thing different about the house was the landscaping. (The owner replaced the grass with rocks as well as took out the huge apricot tress in the background.) After my little trip down memory lane we met Karen and her family for lunch. I hadn't seen Karen in over 18 years. It was so nice to catch up with her and meet her family. Her daughter, is 3 and so adorable.
After, we went to Old Town Albuquerque and explored a bit before we set out for our final trip to the balloon fiesta. We decided to watch the balloon glow from the parking lot above the field. We had no idea it would take about an hour to simply park the car. We stood there waiting as the sun went down. Waiting for the balloons to inflate. Unfortunately, because of the wind only 9 balloons ever inflated and the event was called off. As we made our way to the car fireworks began to explode overhead. We spent the rest of the evening in our room relaxing before our long drive home the next day.
Sunday morning, we woke up early and were making our way out of town by 4:00am. I took the first shift and managed to get us to Flagstaff for a little breakfast. We were all surprised how quickly we got home. We were all dreading a long day on the road but it wasn't too bad.
We all had a really great time. It was a very busy couple of days, as we attempted to jam as much in as we possibly could. We were all exhausted but had a fantastic time.
