A fun variation: a 360 degree timelapse video, that you can drag around to look in any direction.
Recorded from my head-mounted 360 camera during our hot air balloon ride at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
(Note, it’s a bit shaky at first, but gets better once in the air; the head mount probably wasn’t the best position for the camera.)
A timelapse video from my head-mounted 360 camera during our hot air balloon ride at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
(Note, it’s a bit shaky at first, but gets better once in the air; the head mount probably wasn’t the best position for the camera.)
Check out the next video, that you can drag to look in any direction.
Last year we had a reservation for a ride in a balloon, but it was cancelled due to rain. A big reason for coming to the fiesta again this year was to have another chance for a balloon flight.
This time, the weather was perfect, and we got to experience the ride. And it was indeed a very special experience.
We signed up for the VIP Ryders Club package, which included a shorter line, a breakfast, and some swag:
A boarding pass:
Heading to the balloon:
Our balloon:
Jenn helped hold up the balloon envelope while they used fans to start inflating it:
Hot air inflation:
Raising the balloon:
Getting into the basket:
Burners:
Selfie in the basket. I wore my 360 camera on my head; stay tuned for a timelapse video of our flight:
Liftoff:
Aerial views:
The north RV lot; you can see our coach next to the power pole near the center of the picture:
Another angle of the north RV lot and our coach:
Coming in for a landing:
Deflating the envelope:
Exiting the basket:
Bubbly celebration:
We landed very near the field; the van could have taken us back, but we opted to walk; the blue dot on this map screenshot is where we landed, and our coach was just above the middle of the word “Presbyterian”:
This ride was a magical, once-in-a-lifetime experience. We’re super glad that it worked out to do it this year.
A timelapse of Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta drone show and fireworks.
Not every day during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has an evening session, basically around the weekends. The balloons don’t fly in evenings, but they still inflate for an evening glow.
The crowd on the concourse by the food and swag stalls:
We went to Macology for dinner:
They produce interesting variations on mac & cheese:
One of the vendors was Lectric Ebikes; we had Lectric bikes, but Jenn didn’t find hers comfortable, so we sold it. She is interested in getting a Lectric trike instead, so was pleased to be able to see and try one:
Jenn on the Lectric trike:
Back to balloons:
Fireworks:
Sand sculpture of balloons, in progress:
Long line for dinner:
I had a meat pie, Jenn had a zydeco bowl:
And some Dole soft serve for dessert:
Alpenglow:
Jenn with a collector card:
Even without flying, seeing the balloons inflated and glowing is still a magical experience.
A timelapse of Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta balloons from the launch field.
One of the best things about the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is that people can go onto the launch field, right up to the hot air balloons, and watch them being set up, inflated, and launched into the air.
Of course, perhaps about half of the people just hang around the main concourse, either because they can’t be bothered walking out there, or they don’t realize they can (despite lots of others doing so). But it really is a magical experience to walk amongst the balloons.
Here are a bunch of photos of several morning sessions from this year. The morning sessions typically involve a few balloons inflating for the “morning glow”, where they light up when it’s still dark. Then a few will launch for “dawn patrol”, where the pilots can experiment with the air currents, reporting back to others on the ground. Then all the other balloons will start to inflate and launch once the sun is up.
A collector card:
The “zebras” are launch directors, telling balloons when it is safe to launch:
Mini remote-controlled balloons:
The blimp keeps an aerial eye on things:
We enjoyed having New Mexico Piñon Coffee each morning:
Tot Box potato tots, very tasty:
Arts and crafts stalls:
Another day, burritos for breakfast:
Bad coffee and decent burrito:
Pin collecting is quite popular:
Mounted police:
The crowd on the concourse:
Meat pies etc:
Beignets and tots:
National anthem while a balloon raises the flag, before the others take off:
So many balloons!
A timelapse of Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta balloons and fireworks from the campground.
We stayed in the VIP North RV Lot at Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. (Campground Reviews listing.)
Rally-style dry camping, i.e. without any power, water, or sewer hookups, in a dusty parking lot. But we weren’t there for the camping experience — we were there to attend the Balloon Fiesta.
Dates:
Weather:
Noise:
Site:
Utilities:
Internet (in usage priority order):
Amenities:
Our review on Campground Reviews:
The place to camp for Balloon Fiesta
How can you even evaluate Value/Service/Cleanliness here? The whole point is to be close to the Balloon Fiesta, and it is worth it! $135/night for dry camping in an extremely dusty parking lot would normally garner no stars, but it’s all about location, location, location, so your mileage may vary. This was our second time here. Last year we were in the West lot, and it was fine. This year we were in the North lot, and it was also fine. West has the advantage of being paved and close to the Balloon Museum, but North has the advantage of being closer to most everything on the launch field itself. My advice is to get whatever lot you can if you’re lucky enough to score a reservation.
Top tips:
– Be prepared for the fireworks if you’re in the North lot, as they go off right above you. We saw at least one dog running scared through the lot.
– Be prepared for dust. I don’t think my floors have ever been so dirty.
– As a courtesy to your neighbors (to whom you will be very close), invest in a pipe to divert your generator exhaust away from their windows/outdoor living area (what little of it there is).
– Lastly, you don’t need to come for a week. I would suggest Thur-Sun is long enough to see everything and allow for a day or two of bad weather.
We camped at Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Park in a Motorhome.
The map; we stayed in the VIP North RV Lot (on the left of this map):
An interactive map:
A screenshot of Google Maps, showing our location; it was a short walk to the northeast entrance gate:
Our site; for most of our stay we had nobody on our driver side, which was nice:
People looking at our National Park stickers:
The leveling control before starting it, showing how unlevel the site was:
To divert the generator exhaust away from the neighboring site, we used some flexible dryer vent ducting ziptied onto the exhaust pipe (though I later remembered that I got some pipe clamps to attach it):
Fireworks above our coach:
An aerial view of the VIP North RV lot, from our flight in a balloon (stay tuned for a post about that!):
You can see our coach on the end of a row, in the lower-center of this picture:
Balloons over the RV lot, and other RVs:
A rainbow:
A balloon landing nearby:
We got a bag of Pinon Coffee, and some Krispy Kreme donuts:
Arrivals:
It was certainly fun to have the balloons flying over our coach.
A timelapse of driving our RV, a Tiffin Allegro Bus motorhome, 185 miles from Tucumcari, New Mexico to Albuquerque, New Mexico for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.