Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta 2016

Hi Blog!

We survived another Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta! We arrived at the Balloon Fiesta Park on Wednesday, September 28, 2016. Even though the Fiesta didn't start until Saturday, we were treated to a preview, as a number of commercial ride balloons launched on Thursday morning. We watched the balloons sail over our corner of the RV park while we finished our coffee walk.

We were so busy last year that we never found the time to visit the Balloon Museum. This year, we came in a day earlier so that we would have time to walk over to the museum. The Museum exhibits include artifacts and materials related to the history and science of ballooning. We spent several hours reading all the exhibits and watching all the videos. The back wall of the museum is a two-story atrium that looks out over the balloon launch field, with, in the foreground, the envelope of the balloon that in 2012 lifted Felix Baumgartner, the man who now holds the record for the highest freefall:

We spent Thursday night with our fellow Escapee Boomers watching the balloon crew safety video. After signing the crew waiver, we received our all-festival passes. On Friday, we managed to get in a bike ride before dinner at the Chinese Buffet. After dinner, it was early to bed. The fiesta started before dawn on Saturday. The first bus rumbled through the campground at 4:15 a.m.! When you know you'll be awakened before 4:30 am, you just plan to get up early and head over to catch the pre-dawn action.

Here was our first look at the Dawn Patrol getting ready to launch.

The balloon we were assigned to was called Laughy Taffy. Our first meeting with our pilot and crew chief was Saturday morning. Here is Team Laughy Taffy (from left to right) - our pilot, Steve Scheer, Kathy, Dave, Mary and Rick Sorenson, and our crew chief, Donna Scheer. In keeping with the "laughy," every launch starts with a joke. (Example:  "What type of music is scary to balloons? Pop music!")

Here you see Laughy Taffy, the teal, pink, purple and green one, taking its place in the center of this mass ascension.

Pam and Mike, our next door neighborsin the Boomer encampment (which we like to call "Boomer Pueblo"), volunteered to crew for Scorch, a giant purple dragon. He made Squirt, the shaped balloon we crewed for last year and this, look small.

Speaking of Squirt, we ran into Jean-Francois Ferland, the owner and pilot, at one of the tailgate parties. We agreed, in a moment of weakness, to help crew on Thursday and Friday nights for the evening glow events. In a glow event, at sunset, the balloons are all inflated and folks can walk around taking pictures. As the sun sets, the balloons are packed back up.  In the photo below, Kathy is demonstrating that Squirt is "THIS BIG!"

We were still packing up Squirt when the fireworks went off.

We never know what we'll see when we head over to the launch field.  One morning we experienced a fiery red sunrise:

Launching 550 balloons at one time is an awesome undertaking. Lucky for us, the launch officials ("zebras") keep us safe.  In the photo below, Kathy poses with the two zebras who were in charge of Laughy Taffy:

After the morning launch, the special shape balloons prepare for their "rodeo."  (If you look closely, you'll see Squirt in that crowd.)

After launching all week, our pilot and crew chief decided not to launch on the last day. We got to sleep in on Sunday, but we were still up early enough to see the balloons come floating in toward the landing field  How could we resist taking the photo below of Bimbo Bear floating placidly over our 5th wheel?  We decided to just let the balloons come to us.

And come they did! While Dave was busy taking photos, Kathy was running around the landing field catching balloon as they came in for a landing.

Here is one of Dave's amazing photos!

After boondocking at the Fiesta Park for 12 days, several Boomers were looking to plug in and empty tanks at nearby Enchanted Trails RV Park. You know there was bound to be a Happy Hour! Attending the Post Balloon Fiesta Boomerang:  Gretchen (Bella on her lap), Mary and Rick (in the rear), and Dee and Ron (bookending Kathy and Dave):

It is sad to say goodbye to our friends, but we know our paths will cross again soon.

Yes, we are already making plans to attend next year's Balloon Fiesta!