Albuquerque Part 2
We decided to keep East Coast hours while traveling to make things consistent with standing team meetings, and it’s been great – we get an early start and also usually finish up earlier than we’re used to, which allows for some afternoon/evening exploration! We got out for a hike on Friday after work and as we started hiking, we realized that it was only our second hike we’d ever done just the two of us. We’ve done plenty of hiking, but it had always been in larger groups, and usually with experienced hikers who knew the trail we were hiking, etc. So we had to figure out how to navigate ourselves 🙂 We did end up off the trail (we have since learned how AMAZING the AllTrails app is and helps keep you on route, haha!) but loved the trail we ended up on! Beautiful views of the valley and just so cool to be in the desert with such different plants, cacti and topography.
And finally, last but NOT least, the whole reason we booked this week in Albuquerque was to attend the Balloon Fiesta! It is the largest balloon festival in the world with over 500 balloons going up each day and over 800,000 people attending over the course of the 9 days of the fiesta. The day starts early – our alarms went off at 2:55am and we were at the parking lot for the shuttle by 4am. There is parking available at the fiesta but I read that the traffic going in can be intense – backing up for 2+ hours and we didn’t want to risk missing anything so we opted for the park n ride. When we arrived at 4am, there was already a huge line for the busses! We arrived to the festival at 5am and I was blown away at how large the facility is. It was built just for the fiesta and the shops and restaurants were endless! We brought coffee in with us and got breakfast burrito’s at Blake’s Lotaburger. They did not disappoint!
The Dawn Patrol starts at 6am, which was SO cool and one of my favorite parts of the day. They send up 10-15 balloons to test safety, wind speed, etc., but to see the balloons glowing against the still-dark night sky was breathtaking.
Mass Ascension starts at 7am – this is where they send up waves and waves of balloons for about 2 hours! I had no idea how massive hot air balloons are but you can stand right next to them on the field and they are BIG! It was such a fun atmosphere – people were clapping and cheering as the balloons went up and from 7-9am, it was constant activity – balloons being put on the field, inflated, going up and tons of balloons in the sky! There were hundreds of balloons in the sky – our favorites were the Sloth balloon, the Yoda balloon and the Pig balloon.
My phone battery died by 8:15am because I had taken so many pictures by that point 😂
It was an incredibly magical experience and something I truly hope everyone can experience at some point in their lifetime! The early morning wake-up call was 10000% worth it!
We celebrated our 2-year marriage anniversary (October 1, 2020 ❤️) while in Albuquerque! Can’t believe it’s already been 2 years and couldn’t think of a more perfect way to celebrate our love than at the magical balloon fiesta.
The prettiest anniversary flowers ❤️
