2021 Albuquerque Day 02

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Wednesday, October 6, 2021

So we get up this morning shortly after 3:30AM. We get dressed and head for the Fiesta Grounds. Following the instructions that Amanda gave us yesterday, we find front row parking and no parking fee! We go in to the Fiesta Grounds and hang out watching as people arrive.

Armed with a cup of coffee, we chat with other balloon revelers about the days coming events. It is sprinkling but most people say it will stop.

Shortly, a half dozen balloons inflate and the “Dawn Patrol” and “Krispy Kreme Morning Glow” begins! The balloons light up in the dark as the crews fire the burners into them. Our cameras are happy as we take night photos of glowing balloons!

The announcers narrate everything going on over the PA system and we are right in the middle of the glowing balloons. But the balloons do not fly into the skies as we anticipated because the officials have not put up the green flag. Instead, the yellow flag is flying, indicating it is not safe yet to fly. So the balloons are deflated and we head off in search of breakfast burritos and more coffee.

The sun is coming up and before we know it, the officials have put up the green flag and balloons start inflating all over the field! Soon, balloons are soaring aloft and the sky fills with colorful and fancy balloons of all sorts of shapes and sizes!

We watch round balloons, oval balloons, character balloons and more soar across the sky! There are way too many to count! Somewhere in the range of 4-500 balloons in the air! So our cameras take in all the excitement and we walk about shooting all sorts of balloons!

Our feet tire and we buy a couple more souvenirs and head for our car. On the way out of the balloon park, we pass by the Albuquerque Police Dept., displaying some of their custom cars!

Back at our condo, we both take naps for a few hours. Later in the afternoon, we get up and head back to the balloon grounds and visit the highly recommended Balloon Museum. Highly recommended and a huge let down! I guess we’re just not into the history of ballooning!

So we look for dinner and find “505 Central Food Hall” in downtown Albuquerque where there are a dozen restaurants and a bar in an indoor hall and we find a poke bowl and a seared tuna sandwich along with an IPA and Watermelon Cider for Elee. All in all, a decent meal.

Now it’s back to our condo for the night and we’ll go to bed early. See you all tomorrow!