Welcome back to the third season of LAND OF THE ZIA!
Man, I have been busy looking into various adventures for this upcoming season. Scouring the internet and travel guides etc. I sure hope some of you can join me LIVE. If not you can bet I will post them here for everyone to see.
Winter is fast approaching the southwest so my post may be few and far between.
The Original Farmers Almanac predicts a colder winter but not as wet. We'll see.
It's October and that means Fiesta del Globo [Balloon Fiesta]. Tag along won't you...
Going to a mass ascension means getting up EARLY. Most days i have to be at work by four am so this is not so bad.
i do recommend getting there early. I was at the balloon fiesta park and ride by 3:45 am and was the first one in line.
Park and ride is really the ONLY way to go -- drive and you will find yourself in a looooooooooooong line not to mention having to find parking, etc etc. Trust me, take the park and ride, its free!!! With-in 45 minutes the bus was full and we were on our way.
Now even though you will see some cool pictures posted here, they simply do not do justice to BEING there. I would need to be a poet to just scratch the surface the emotions you get seeing these giant balloons rise before your eyes.
The experience of getting there in the chilly morning, blurry eyed and sleepy with thousands of other people, eating a green chilibreakfast burrito, seeing the first rays of sunlight coming over the Sandia Mountains and hearing the 'wooosh' of helium inflating balloons is something that stays with you.
Not to mention witnessing weather man Steve Stucker in his 'balloon fiesta pin' jacket and hat.... lol
The first balloons up are the Dawn Patrol. They record and report weather conditions especially wind speed. Balloons will not go up if the wind is over 10 mph.
The dawn cometh.
Thanks again for returning and i look forward to your comments!
i'm out.
2 comments:
Thanks so much for the wonderful pictures and you are absolutly right that being there is THE way to do it! I remember those mornings well.
The sad thing, Wendy is that this year I heard there were about 300 less balloons then last year.
Normally you will get several waves of balloons going up, one after the other, not this year.
There was one big wave and that was it...I looked around and the field was practically empty.
Sign of these hard economic times I guess. At least the green chili breakfast burritos are still there..mmmmm
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