"A" = Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta
This is one of the best things we have ever done/gone to in all our travels. The Balloon Fiesta is held every October in Albuquerque, New Mexico. If you ever, EVER have a chance to go there, by all means DO IT. You will not be disappointed. We attended for three straight days, although two of those days it meant to get up in the early, ugly hours of the morning, drive 20 miles from our campground to the launching site, just so we could get a parking space. But it was well worth it so that we wouldn't have to pay to take public transportation and be at the mercy of the schedule of when the bus left the park. On the third day, we arrived in the late afternoon before the evening crowd. It worked out well. In all three days I took nearly 1,000 photos! Here are only a handful!
Yes, the people were that close to the balloons!!
Just to give you an idea how large that one balloon is.......look at the size of the pick up truck AND how tiny the people look! There are two balloons there - the "airplane" and the another balloon behind it - not sure if it was the turtle or what.
One of the MANY special-shaped balloons. Love the expression on the lady bug's face. Kind of what mine would look like if I were in that balloon!!
"A" is also for Arlee Bird
Arlee, or "Lee", is the founder of the A-Z Challenge. Thank you for this great opportunity for bloggers to get together and meet other bloggers!
These are the hosts of the challenge:
Damyanti Biswas at Amlokiblogs http://amloki.blogspot.com/
Alex J. Cavanaugh http://alexjcavanaugh.
Tina Downey at Life is Good http://kmdlifeisgood.blogspot.
DL Hammons at Cruising Altitude 2.0 http://dlcruisingaltitude.
Jeremy Hawkins at Retro-Zombie http://izombielover.blogspot.
Shannon Lawrence at The Warrior Muse http://thewarriormuse.
Matthew MacNish at The QQQE http://theqqqe.blogspot.com/
Konstanz Silverbow at No Thought 2 Small http://nothoughts2small.
Livia Peterson at Leave it to Livia http://leaveittolivia.
L. Diane Wolfe at Spunk on a Stick’s Tips http://circleoffriendsbooks.
Nicole at The Madlab Post http://www.madlabpost.com/
Arlee, or "Lee", is the founder of the A-Z Challenge. Thank you for this great opportunity for bloggers to get together and meet other bloggers!
These are the hosts of the challenge:
Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out http://tossingitout.blogspot.
Damyanti Biswas at Amlokiblogs http://amloki.blogspot.com/
Alex J. Cavanaugh http://alexjcavanaugh.
Tina Downey at Life is Good http://kmdlifeisgood.blogspot.
DL Hammons at Cruising Altitude 2.0 http://dlcruisingaltitude.
Jeremy Hawkins at Retro-Zombie http://izombielover.blogspot.
Shannon Lawrence at The Warrior Muse http://thewarriormuse.
Matthew MacNish at The QQQE http://theqqqe.blogspot.com/
Konstanz Silverbow at No Thought 2 Small http://nothoughts2small.
Stephen Tremp at Breakthrough Blogs http://stephentremp.wordpress.
Livia Peterson at Leave it to Livia http://leaveittolivia.
L. Diane Wolfe at Spunk on a Stick’s Tips http://circleoffriendsbooks.
Nicole at The Madlab Post http://www.madlabpost.com/
To view some of the over 1500 other participants in "Blogging from A-Z Challenge", please click here.
I remember going to one show as a child, but they just had the plain colorful balloons
ReplyDeleteWhat fun and great pictures.
ReplyDeleteWe.ve been thru Albuquerque at the right time of year.
Katie atBankerchick Scratchings
What a sight that must have been!
ReplyDeleteoh wow...really cool....love the hot air balloons...esp those that get so creative in how they make them....even the regular balloons....all the pretty colors...
ReplyDeleteHow fun! I adore the lady bug. Have you ever rode in one?
ReplyDeleteJamie here, Just visiting from the A to Z ChallengeBeing Positive with a Depressive Soul
ReplyDeleteWe have a balloon festival every July in Auburn, Maine, but I don't think there are that many participants. Your photos are amazing!
ReplyDeleteSince I've been to Albuquerque and seen the crysteline skies, I've wanted to see the balloon festival. Clovis, CA, had one for many years and we too would get up early to go out to see the dawn patrol. Often, during the right weather conditions, a balloon would come over our house, but as the town has built up farther and farther out, taking up open land, there is little space for them to take off and land.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and have been talking about getting an RV and doing the leisurely tour around the country thing too!
ReplyDeleteI love the balloon photos. Greenville, SC (my neighboring state) has a hot air balloon festival every year in July, but I have never gotten to ride in one! It is definitely on our list of things to do.
good luck with the challenge!
that would be a great thing to go to. I love to see those flying through the skies.
ReplyDeleteMy father knows a guy that owns his own, and told me we are going up. That should be fun, I am scared of heights and closterphobic. lol
If my father wants to do it then we will do it. =o)
The colors are brilliant against the blue sky. I have never been close to one on the ground but saw some "by accident" as they passed over our house in western TN one year.
ReplyDeleteThose balloons are gorgeous--like the Macy's Day parade but up higher.
ReplyDeleteI'm not much of a traveler, so I'll live vicariously through your A to Z posts.
Barbara
Hi, loved your blog today. Great, colourful photos. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI would really love to see this someday.
ReplyDeleteLove that last colorful shot!
Beautiful photos. And if you're too tired to post B, you can just link to A.
ReplyDeleteDo they offer balloon rides? That's my dream to do someday. More than a dream...my piggy bank is slowly filling up.
Looks like that's quite the party. Would be interesting to attend.
ReplyDeleteI always wanted to go up in a balloon and the only time I had the chance the trip was cancelled because of high winds. Love your pictures, Pat.
ReplyDeleteGreat theme idea for the challenge. While my husband and I love to go on road trips, we have never camped on one.
ReplyDeleteI've heard of this balloon festival. I would so enjoy seeing it in person.
We always meant to get there but never did....(loved New Mexico and Albuquerque, just never there at the right time). Beautiful picture! You are finding some real interesting blogging challenges these days.
ReplyDeleteUp, up and away in my beautiful balloon! That is what came to mind when I saw this post! Great photos Pat!
ReplyDeleteOur little down is holding its first hot air balloon festival at the end of this month. I'm excited to see them!