It is a fantastic event. The colors are unbelievable.  The size of the balloons is amazing.  The special shapes wake the inner child and amaze the engineering mind as to how they design make and fly those things.   Stay a few days if you go, it is surprising how exciting it is to watch a launch even the second or third time.  It doesn’t get old.  Stay on property, you avoid the traffic and can even enjoy some activities from camp.  Get on the launch field at least once though to get a feel for the size and just get lost in the sensory overload.

They claim over 570 balloons this year. Spectators go right out among the balloons while they are inflating and taking off.  Go if you can one day.

It poured overnight with plenty of thunder and lightening. Given the iffy weather conditions, we decide to go with our rooftop watching again today.  Dawn Patrol is cancelled because of continued threatening weather in the area.  7AM comes and goes, no mass ascension.  8AM comes and goes, still none.  The skies clear a bit and familiar looking forms began to appear on the launch field.  The launch is a go and hundreds of balloons take to the skies one more time.  Rain on the horizon and fits of wind keep many of them close to home.  A number actually land right among the RVs here at the south end of the grounds.

Bimbo carried the flag for the National Anthem

The sky is filled with colorful dots that move in a mesmerizing pattern. Winds bring many of them right toward us as we lounge on our roof.  I wouldn’t say that this is a better way to watch a mass ascension than on the filed but it is a very cool way to do it!

The weather is not exactly cooperating. Green flag for the evening Glowdeo (special shapes inflated, tethered but after dark so they glow like the dawn patrol) has been delayed 1 ½ hours because of ground level winds.  It is still very windy but a dozen or so balloons begin to inflate.  The giant shapes bob and fold back on themselves as they are buffeted by the wind.  With so few on the field, they look even more gigantic.  Right in front of us the butterfly fills and rises; what a beautiful sight.  That was some very impressive handling by her pilot.

The show is short lived though as even the most intrepid of the pilots has to call it quits and settle their charge back to the ground.

Tonight we watch fireworks and laser show from the launch field and call it a day.

We caught the laser show again this morning and a slightly smaller but equally impressive Dawn Patrol but the real attraction for today is the Special Shapes Rodeo. Today all the non-standard shape balloons are to be out, even more than were mixed in yesterday.  I can’t wait.

We do have to wait a bit though. First all the bucket listers; some 60+ today then a few more standard balloons take flight as we wait for the call on weather that will decide if the larger, more unwieldy, special shapes can in fact inflate.  Yes, looks good.  The cold air fans are working hard and all manner of odd shape and color begin to come to life.  One stands, it’s a dragon or dinosaur of some sort.  Many more are taking form all around us.  Then it hits; a microburst of wind.  Handlers scramble to control the half-inflated forms that make gigantic sails.  Spectators, passerby, and even police grab ropes and hang on.  It is a bit of chaos but it looks like everyone is successful in getting their charges under control.  Crews start through prep again, closing vent flaps and aligning ropes as they ready to try again if the controller gives the go ahead.  We wait.  The word is “no lift off but they will inflate and hold on the ground”.

Even grounded they are amazing. Fantastic colors and shapes all jumble together.  Tweety Bird peeks out from behind Humpty Dumpty.  Hey, Sylvester is here too.  There is Darth and Yoda along with fanciful sea creatures, bugs, birds, and the huge lovable cow.  I know I can’t name them all and I don’t think I can name a favorite.  Even pictures don’t do the experience justice.  Wow!

The wind begins to build and show time is over. The wonderful creatures just sort of melt to the ground as handlers release the vents.

We watched tonight’s laser show and fireworks from the roof of the motorhome. Not bad for a show that is about a mile away.  Tomorrow we will check them out from a bit closer at the launch field.  It has been another great day.  

Huge patches of colorful fabric stretch across the entire launch field. There are hundreds of balloons here in various stages of inflation and we are right out among them.  First into the air are 50+ bucket listers (the balloon ride guys who take up as many as 10-12 riders in huge baskets suspended under standard lightbulb shaped balloons).  In the bright morning sky it is a fantastic kaleidoscope of colors.  Lions, chickens, a huge cow, the Bimbo bear, a lady bug, fish, a fire hydrant……..shapes begin to appear mixed in with more standard balloons.  It is almost overwhelming in shear number and size of the craft.  It takes an hour to get them all off the ground and with perfect wind conditions the “Albuquerque box” brings many of them back around the field for as many as 4 passes.  A shape we know for a fact is over 50 feet tall looks tiny high in the distance.  Colors seem to glow with the reflected sun.  It is mesmerizing to watch and we stay until the very end.  The greatest accomplishment; a pilot takes off, flies the box air currents and returns to the field to land in the very same spot he launched from.  We saw some guys come pretty darn close!

We cruise the craft and merchandise booths then head home. It is only 11:30 AM but we are pooped.  What a great day.

The alarm buzzes. It is still dark and feeling pretty darn cool.  I slip out from under the covers and start the coffee.  At 5:01 (quiet hours end at 5) the generator purrs to life and the bagel toast goes down.  We stumble around getting dressed in the half-light.  This is day one of the Balloon Fiesta for us and The Dawn patrol lifts off at 6AM.  We are going to be there!

Perfect, the shuttle bus pulls up just as we step out of the door. A quick ride and we step off onto the launch field and join the many other sleepy eyed folks scanning the food stands for a warm cup of coffee.  Balloons are already stretched out all over the field but there is plenty of time, its 5:40.  We stake out a spot and wait.  Geeze, my toes are cold!  The laser show begins.  Lights pierce the still dark sky as light beams dance to an odd hodgepodge of tunes.  The lasers go dark; an announcer’s voice that we can’t always quite understand floats out toward us.

Then we see it, fabric just in front of us begins to billow as balloon inflation starts. It is the Dawn Patrol; 13 balloons with the dual duties of “awe the crowd” and “test out the wind currents” for the pilots of the mass ascension.

Short test bursts from burners light up the sky as cool-air inflation fans roar and balloons fill until they pop upright into a row of huge lightbulb shapes. Balloons glow softly as pilots add heat.  One by one they lift off.  With a bit of adjustment to the burners, the flames go brilliant yellow setting the stripes, checks, and patterns aglow in a choreographed dance.  Great job guys with phase one, the crowd is awestruck.  They continue to rise and map out currents for the hundreds of balloons to follow.

A bit of surprising good fortune. As we were arriving at the Balloon Fiesta it appeared we might be too low on fuel to run the generator.  It won’t run if you are below ¼ of a tank so you can’t run yourself out at a campground.  So, we stopped at a station a few miles short of our exit.  It had the convenience of a slave pump, woho.  We have tanks on both sides and a slave pump allows you to fill both tanks at one time.  As we pulled in diesel was priced at $2.099/gallon about 9 cents better than we had seen anywhere else.  We pumped our 85 gallons and as we were leaving we noticed the price had gone up to $2.149.  Cool!

Creative folks of every flavor ply their trade in this part of New Mexico.  Studio/galleries appear in simple, private homes in tiny little burgs all along the byway.  Larger towns are crowded with galleries and artist coops.  Work is from the whimsical to the refined and from the tiny to the colossal.  Pottery formed from native soils and shaped by ancient techniques can be found next to collages incorporating modern day discarded items like beer cans and bottle tops. Taos streets are dotted with cafes and coffee shops and restaurants.  One could spend days.  We settled for a couple hours of looking and a stop at Michael’s Bakery and Café (a repeat from our last pass through here. Kent got a huge cream puff (again)).

I finally tried a biscochito, the New Mexico State cookie.  It is a lot like a snickerdoodle with anise seed added.  I must admit I was pleasantly surprised, I am not typically a fan of anise but this was quite yummy.

We check out the colors as we drive The High Road to Taos-Scenic Byway.

The slopes are blanketed with the lush, deep green of high country pines. Yellow swatches; sometimes entire peaks, sometimes streaks, sometimes little brush strokes provide contrast across the landscape.  Oaks add rich orange and red highlights.  Valleys are turning too as cottonwoods put on their Autumn cloaks that contrast with low lying shrubs and still verdant fields.  I am not sure how these folks make a living here but they have certainly picked a beautiful place to try.