Chapter 16 - Up, Up, and Away in Albuerquerque

- November 11, 2022

Hi again -

On October 4, we were off to the 50th Annual Balloon Fiesta in Alburquerque, NM.

We flew into Denver and drove with family 6.5 hours southwest to Alburquerque. We flew into Denver because the flights to Alburquerque were super expensive.

We tried Turo for our rental car, which is a peer-to-peer car-sharing company. It allows car owners to make extra cash by renting out their vehicles, while providing a convenient and quick way to rent a car to those in need of transportation. It is not a ride-hailing app, but more like traditional car rental. We were happy to pick up our "own wheels"; a 2017 Dodge Durango, and with the convenience of the pickup and return processes.

We checked out Boulder, CO. It had such a great vibe!

Brady acting like Elf at the candy store.

We stopped at a scenic overlook, but I can’t remember the name. Beautiful mountains! We couldn't believe that pedal bikers were biking up this super steep and windy road.

We met up with the rest of the family in Aurora, CO.

The next day we were off to Albuquerque. We stopped in Santa Fe on the way. Nice historic area with many shopping and dining options. We arrived about 6 pm so a lot of the stores were closed. It was also drizzling so we just went for a short walk.

My mother-in-law Beanie found a fun sombrero at a Mexican store.

Corp's cousin Mandi and her boyfriend David bought some fun ponchos there too.

We heard over and over that we experienced the worst weather they have ever had for the balloon fiesta. It was in the mid-50s, cold, and windy. When I packed the day before, the weather forecast said temps in the low 70s. We definitely did not have warm enough clothes.

We visited Tinkertown Museum, which was a unique roadside stop that had a little of everything.

Beanie and I in front of a car covered in quarters.

Yee-haw!

From left to right: Corp, Corp's aunt Cathy, Mandi and David, and me.

We were off to our first balloon activity; the night glow. Unfortunately, it got canceled due to bad weather.

But, before it was cancelled we saw some great sky divers.

When we are walking around the fiesta grounds, we came across some chainsaw professionals and loved a few of the items they were creating/selling.

Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy.

I loved these carved pine trees! I am for sure going to make these and sell them during the holidays next year.

We were able to get in one morning assent. We had to get up at 4:30 p.m. to see it, but it was definitely worth it.

First, 7 balloons went up before sunset.

It was pretty chilly that morning. We were wrapped in comforters/blankets we brought from the Airbnb.

I don't think anyone was happy with my wanting this pic.

We were not sure what to expect next, but all of a sudden balloons started filling up and the excitement started.

We saw 500+ balloons go up in less than one hour. It was so beautiful and peaceful. I just kept telling myself this is the one and only time I will have a morning experiencing like this and I took it all in.

There are so many photos I was to share!