Balloon Fiesta: morning day 1

On our first morning of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, we attended a balloon glow, where they light up a bunch of hot air balloons that are tethered to the ground. Due to inclement weather, only three balloons inflated this morning. A theme that would continue, unfortunately.

The fiesta map:

Fiesta map

Vendors:

Vendors

Swag shopping:

Swag shopping

Inflating a balloon:

Inflating a balloon

Inflating a balloon

Inflating a balloon

Inflating a balloon

Inflating balloons

Balloon glows

Balloon glows

Balloon glows

Balloon glows

Balloon glows

A nice thing about the fiesta is that one can go out onto the field, right up to the balloons. They’re much bigger than they look from a distance:

Balloon glows

Balloon glows

Balloon glows

Balloon glows

Due to impending rain, they deflated the balloons:

Deflating balloon

Another balloon:

Another balloon

Folding up the balloon requires teamwork:

Folding up the balloon

More swag shopping:

Swag shopping

Vendors:

Vendors

A balloon-themed ride:

Ride

Arts & crafts:

Arts

Fiesta:

Fiesta

Balloon Fiesta: VIP West RV lot

We attended the 50th annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, our first attendance. We stayed in the VIP West RV lot, which was an easy walk to the launch field. (Campground Reviews listing.)

Dates:

  • Check in: 2022-10-04
  • Check out: 2022-10-09
  • 5 nights

Weather:

  • Some sun, but mostly cloudy and rainy
  • High temps ranging between 63-68°F, lows around 50-54°F
  • Occasional wind, some lightning

Noise:

  • Some road noise, no train noise
  • Generators from neighbors (dry camping)

Site:

  • VIP West RV lot, pull through, asphalt parking lot
  • Needed to disconnect toad; parked beside coach
  • Level
  • Small site: about 50 feet long by about 15 feet wide
  • No hookups; dry camping
  • Rally-style parking

Internet (in usage priority order):

  • T-Mobile: 100 Mbps down, 25 Mbps up, 35 ms ping
  • Verizon: 4-7 Mbps down, 7-12 Mbps up, 70 ms ping
  • AT&T: 4 Mbps down, 2 Mbps up, 80 ms ping
  • Starlink: not used
  • Campground Wi-Fi: none

Amenities:

  • Dumpsters
  • Balloon Fiesta!

Here’s our review on Campground Reviews:

Bucket List Trip Done Right

We were in VIP West, an easy walk to the Fiesta grounds. It’s dry camping in a parking lot, but you don’t go there for the camping amenities; you go for the Balloon Fiesta. Totally worth the extra money for the VIP parking as we didn’t have to worry about bikes or shuttles and could just walk right over every morning and evening, and our admission was included in the cost. This was definitely helpful as the weather this year was the worst in its 50-year history, and a lot of events were canceled. Still totally worth it for the events that did happen, though! We’re already planning to come again next year. We camped at Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Park in a Motorhome.

Here’s the fiesta map; the VIP West lot is the light blue area to the right to the launch field:

Map

The RVs are parked “rally style”, i.e. fairly tightly packed on a parking lot, with no hookups. We lucked out with a site in a rear corner, with nobody behind us, and only one neighbor, giving us a bit more space than most, albeit with a longer walk to the field:

Our site

Our site

We had a thrilling view of a parking lot, and the balloon museum:

Our site

On the first night, we had a griddle dinner at our site (not a bad view, eh?):

Griddle dinner

Watching baseball outside:

Watching baseball outside

Other RVs:

Other RVs

Other RVs

Other RVs

Other RVs

Other RVs

Other RVs

Other RVs

The balloon museum:

Balloon museum

Balloon museum

Balloon museum

Balloon museum

Balloon museum

Bike valet:

Bike valet

Drainage:

Drainage

VIP access bridge into the fiesta:

Bridge into fiesta

On a night with evening activities, a full parking lot next to our site:

Full parking lot

Full parking lot

View through our Magne Shade:

View through our Magne Shade

From in front of our coach:

From in front of our coach

Our site:

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

Travel from Taos to Albuquerque, New Mexico

We drove our coach 122 miles, about 3 hours of driving, from Taos, New Mexico to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to attend the 50th annual balloon fiesta.

The map route, heading south:

Map route

It had rained, so when we brought the slide-outs in, water poured off. I generally prefer to not be standing under that when that happens:

Water pouring off slide

Leaving the RV park:

Leaving RV park

An interesting round shave ice cart:

Shave ice cart

Adobe buildings:

Adobe buildings

Adobe buildings

NM-68

Rio Grande gorge:

Rio Grande gorge

Another circular shave ice cart:

Another shave ice cart

Mountains:

Mountains

Rockfall fences:

Rockfall fences

Old gas pumps:

Old gas pumps

Rio Grande river:

Rio Grande river

Roadworks:

Roadworks

Camel Rock:

Camel Rock

There was only one rest area on this route, but it was on the opposite side of the freeway:

Rest area on opposite side

So we exited after the rest area, and headed the other way to the rest area:

Round trip sign

Rest area

At the rest area; Paladin on the back of the passenger chair:

Rest area and Paladin

Lunch:

Lunch

Roadworks:

Roadworks

Rain:

Rain

We went past the turnoff to the balloon fiesta to go to a T/A truck stop:

T/A truck stop

A bit over half a tank of diesel:

Fuel

We also filled the DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid):

DEF

Then back towards Balloon Fiesta Park:

Balloon Fiesta Park sign

Balloon Fiesta VIP West sign:

Balloon Fiesta VIP West sign

Balloon Fiesta check in:

Balloon Fiesta check in

The truck following the coach, following a golf cart to our site:

Following coach

Santa Fe

We had some chores to do, so went to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and explored a little of the area.

The route from Taos took us along the Rio Grande River gorge:

Rio Grande River

Rio Grande gorge

Rio Grande gorge

A hot air balloonist, no doubt on their way to Albuquerque:

Balloonist

We really enjoyed how the adobe buildings blend into the landscaping:

Adobe buildings

Santa Fe sign:

Santa Fe sign

After our chores, we went to a Mexican restaurant for lunch (with a red hue due to an outdoor canopy):

Mexican food

Jenn

Cute bill folio:

Cute bill folio

We went to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, though had neglected to make a reservation, so couldn’t get in:

Georgia O'Keeffe Museum

We then headed to the Chuck Jones gallery:

Chuck Jones

But they were closed, probably because they were at the Albuquerque balloon fiesta:

Chuck Jones gallery

Chuck Jones gallery

Some interesting buildings:

Building

Building

Santa Fe Plaza:

Plaza

An interesting overpass:

Interesting overpass

We took a scenic drive back to Taos:

Scenic drive

Scenic drive

Scenic drive

Scenic drive

Scenic drive

Scenic drive

Scenic drive

Scenic drive

Scenic drive

Scenic drive

Scenic drive

Scenic drive

Taos Valley RV Park

We stayed at Taos Valley RV Park in Taos, New Mexico. (Campground Reviews listing.)

Buddy sites, but good enough for a couple of nights.

Dates:

  • Check in: 2022-10-02
  • Check out: 2022-10-04
  • 2 nights

Weather:

  • Rainy
  • High temps ranging between 61-64°F, lows around 44°F
  • Some wind

Noise:

  • No road or train noise

Site:

  • #50, pull through, gravel (too large stones for good jack stability)
  • Buddy sites (i.e. alternating directions, so doors face each other, though offset so not too bad)
  • Didn’t need to disconnect toad; parked behind coach
  • Rather unlevel
  • Medium site: about 80 feet long by about 30 feet wide
  • Full hookups:
    • 50 amp power, conveniently located
    • 60 PSI water, conveniently located
    • Good sewer connections, conveniently located (1 10-foot pipe needed)
  • Picnic table on concrete; charcoal grill on gravel

Internet (in usage priority order):

  • Starlink: 10-83 Mbps down, 3-7 Mbps up, 50 ms ping
  • Verizon: 30 Mbps down, 7 Mbps up, 80 ms ping
  • T-Mobile: 3-7 Mbps down, 2-4 Mbps up, 150 ms ping
  • AT&T: 20 Mbps down, 2 Mbps up, 80 ms ping
  • Campground Wi-Fi: not used

Amenities:

  • Garbage bins at each site
  • No pool

Here’s our review on Campground Reviews:

Charming campground in the heart of Taos

This was a nicely landscaped park close to Taos. It rained the entire time we were there, so we didn’t get to enjoy the park as much as we would’ve liked. The entire park is gravel, which is fine, but it’s the wrong type of gravel. River rock doesn’t settle and “lock” into place like coarse gravel does, so things shift underfoot and under the stabilizing jacks. With the rain, there was a lot of thick mud around. Our site wasn’t particularly level, and I think a thicker layer of coarse gravel would have helped with that and prevent the muddiness. Be aware that the pull-through sites are buddy sites. There’s a nice fence giving some separation between the two living areas, but we saw at least one person pull in facing the wrong direction, so their hookups were on the opposite side. We camped at Taos Valley RV Park & Campground in a Motorhome.

The park map:

Map

Our site:

Our site

We didn’t bother putting on the Magne Shades, since we were only there for a couple of nights:

Our site

Our site

Our site and the neighboring site; this is in a “buddy” configuration, where the sites face opposite directions, so the doors face each other. But not too bad in this case, since the sites are angled such that they are offset, and have a fence between them. Still, not our favorite configuration:

Our site and buddy site

The other neighbor had a nice Magne Shade on their windscreen:

Other sites

The sites had a picnic table and charcoal grill:

Picnic table and charcoal grill

Some stones with messages under the grill:

Stones with messages

Utilities:

Utilities

Other sites:

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

After staying a night in New Mexico, we can finally add a new state sticker to our coach; the first new state for several months:

New Mexico state sticker

In about a month we’ll be adding Texas, where we’ll be spending this winter.

Travel from Alamosa, Colorado to Taos, New Mexico

We drove our coach 97 miles, about 2 hour of driving, from Alamosa, Colorado to Taos, New Mexico.

The map route, heading south:

Map route

Goodbye sand dunes:

Sand dunes

Passing through Blanca:

Blanca

Blanca

A short skoolie:

Skoolie

San Luis:

San Luis

San Luis

Their claim to fame is the oldest continuously occupied town in Colorado, which they declare on a hillside:

San Luis

This journey was rather rainy:

Windshield wipers

Horses open range:

Horses open range

An interesting trailer:

Interesting trailer

Welcome to New Mexico:

Welcome to New Mexico

A lunch stop in a wide area on the side of the road; I look for such places when planning the trip, if I can’t find proper rest areas (I’ll do a post about trip planning sometime soonish):

Lunch stop

Lunch stop

Paladin on the back of the driver chair during the lunch stop:

Paladin

Paladin

Paladin

Onward in the rain:

Rainy

Our destination was in Taos, an interesting town with lots of adobe-style buildings, founded in 1615. We might want to explore it some more in the future:

Taos

Taos

Taos

Taos

Our destination:

Our destination

The office (looks rather KOA-like):

Office

Our tow bar, with the lights on:

Tow bar

Great Sand Dunes National Park

We visited Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado:

Sign

Mountains and sand dunes:

Mountains

The picnic area parking was full of people who had inconsiderately parked there then gone to the dunes, but we found an empty amphitheater as an alternative place to have our picnic lunch:

Amphitheater

With a better view of the dunes, anyway:

Amphitheater

The visitor center was being renovated:

Visitor center

So they had a temporary visitor center building set up:

Visitor center

Jenn enjoys collecting cancelation stamps:

Cancelation stamp

And smashed pennies (with a couple of fascinated little girls watching her):

Smashed penny

The temporary gift shop:

Visitor center

Then we headed out to the sand dunes:

Sand dunes

A selfie:

Jenn and David

We rented a couple of sand sleds from the KOA RV park:

Jenn with sand sleds

Sand dunes:

Sand dunes

Jenn:

Jenn

Sand dunes:

Sand dunes

Jenn preparing to slide:

Jenn preparing to slide

Me with a sand sled:

David with a sand sled

Jenn waxing her sand sled:

Jenn waxing sand sled

Selfie:

David

A video of Jenn sliding down a sand dune, and wiping out at the end:

Sandy Jenn:

Jenn

Jenn

Kite:

Kite

Beard in the wind:

David

Grasses and rainy mountains:

Grasses

Log and dunes:

Log

The dunes with the stream in the foreground:

Sand dunes

Impressive sand dunes, and a fun experience.