Balloon Fiesta

Balloon Fiesta. Even though this is my second one, it still amazes me.

Susan, the Service Adventure Director, visits our unit the first weekend of Balloon Fiesta. Saturday morning we got up around 4:45 a.m., met several friends, and left around 5:30 a.m. to make it to the park to see the balloons take off. Balloon Fiesta Park is about 15 minutes from the unit house. The first balloons of the morning lift off around 6:30 a.m. There are so many balloons taking off that even though we had to wait in traffic for about 2 hours, we still saw hundreds getting ready and taking off.

One of the things that makes Albuquerque an excellent place to hot air balloon is the location. Because of the mountains on one side and the valley on the other, when the wind conditions are right, balloons can head towards the Sandia Mountains at one altitude, drop to a lower altitude and the winds will carry them back to Fiesta Park. This was the first year I saw it and it was crazy. About an hour after the balloons left, they were returning really close to the ground. That day they did a bean bag drop - trying to hit a target as they pass. It's very bizarre to see balloons going two different directions when they look like they a few feet apart.

I volunteered at the fiesta five days this year at the Balloon Discovery Center. It's an interesting experience and I learn a lot about ballooning. Plus I get in free, get free breakfast and get to see all the balloons. Liane volunteered Sunday with me. She was going to be there Saturday night as well but the event was canceled due to inclement weather.

The entire unit got up early on Sunday morning - Liane and I to volunteer and the rest of them to visit the Discovery tent as a learning component. The unit is ready to recruit for Service Adventure in space now.

Here are some more pictures from the whole week of Balloon Fiesta.