Month: October 2022

The alarm goes off at 4am and we are tempted to stay in our warm bed and not take the chance on a possible launch, but we drag ourselves up and out of the room, getting to the parking lot by 4:45. Winds are mild and even in the dark, we can see it is partly cloudy; all looks good!

As we enter the field, it starts to rain…no way; there was no rain in the forecast. We duck into souvenir shops to stay dry, I am so souvenired-out by now but act interested in order to avoid being out in the rain. The flag is yellow, meaning a weather hold, but out on the field there is a lot more activity than yesterday. In front of us, 2 Dawn Patrol balloons are lit up in the dark sky, a very magical sight. Above them, a drone is circling, checking weather conditions.

We are in an open section mid- field where Rainbow Ryders, a hot air balloon ride company has a large number of balloons. All of them are being inflated at once and one by one, are being launched with passengers in their big baskets. Although the flag is still yellow, we suspect today is a go.

Suddenly all around us and all over the field, balloons are going up. What an unbelievably incredible sight. I don’t know which way to look or which way to turn as so much is happening so quickly. The soaring balloons are a sight unlike anything I have ever seen! We are in awe.

Within a few minutes, hundreds are floating in the sky, forming a colorful array that stretches for miles in the distance and ground level to high in the sky. It reminds me of Mary Poppins, Ray starts singing, ”Up, Up and Away” by the Fifth Dimension.

Many of the ”special shape” balloons are from other countries with Brazil, Belgium, UK, Canada and even Taiwan well represented. The majority of the colorful regular shaped balloons are from the US.

By 9am, several balloons are coming down in nearby fields, with chase crews going after them in pick up trucks. Occasionally, some end up on city streets and surrounding neighborhoods. We watch as one basket lands tipped over and several crew members pull it to safety. can you imagine being in the basket that lands askew?

What an exciting morning it has been! We sure are glad we didn’t stay in bed!

The 50th Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is this week. We didn’t get here in time for the opening but it was somewhat deliberate as I was trying to avoid the crowds. Turns out Monday and Tuesday are slow days, hardly any crowds at all. We don’t know what to expect and where to go despite the info on their website so we play it safe and follow their recommendation to get there by 4:30am. There is no traffic at all and we are one of the first in to the parking lot. The light mist has stopped, which is encouraging. There are several lots, all enter from the main road. We park in ”granny” in front of the museum; $20 is collected as you enter. From there, the walk is about .5 mi. to the huge grassy field. Not knowing where to go, we walk a third of the way in and stand on a slight knoll while all around us pick up trucks arrive with their gear in the truck beds or in a trailer they are towing. The field is divided into rectangles on a map with balloon operators assigned a rectangle by coordinates; we stand randomly in C 12 and watched the field fill up, wondering if there is a spectator section as it doesn’t seem safe for people to be milling around in the dark with pickups driving around, but apparently that is how it is!

We have now been standing around in the dark for about an hour and at about 6am we start to wonder, as no one is making a move toward unloading. Dawn Patrol is scheduled to start at 6, Mass Ascension at 7. I finally go up to one truck and ask, and am told they are waiting- the committee is meeting to decide on conditions; they are in a weather hold. But she says once they get the go ahead, it only takes 15 min to set up. Yesterday the launch was delayed by 90 minutes.

We learn that the weather might seem fine to us but up high, wind conditions are not good and rain/lightning is forecasted for 8am. ideal conditions are westerly light winds to pull the balloons across, then straight up, and then back, ”the box effect”.

By 7am the launch is cancelled, but conditions are good for a static display and the place comes to life. One by one, baskets are unloaded and tipped on their side. Balloons are stretched out on the ground and hooked to the baskets. We are amazed how long and big the balloons are. A fan blows air in and the balloon is slowly inflated. The big propane tank is placed inside as the basket is uprighted and its flame keeps the balloon upright.

What a magnificent sight to see them up close and we are pleased the crowds are light which allows us to walk around freely.

There are fewer balloons today; they had over 600 on the weekend but it is a thrill just the same. By 8:30, the balloons are getting deflated. It takes a crew to pull the fabric together, fold and pack it back up, and we are grateful they have taken the time to do so.

The ”pilots” come from all over the US. Some run businesses that provide hot air balloon rides, others are amateurs that do this for fun; several are sponsored by companies.

We take a walk to the concession tents but the offerings – breakfast burritos and donuts are not appealing so we head out, with plans to try again tomorrow.

“The High Toad to Taos” is the suggested route to Santa Fe, though most people take it going in the opposite direction. The low road is the highway which runs along the river. It is a rainy morning and even with gray skies, the drive is scenic. At 8,000 ft, the forest is dense with pines and tall junipers. As the road descends, the vegetation is desert-like but the terrain is that of peaks and valleys.

The Church of San Jose de Gracia in the tiny town of La Trampas was built between 1774-76.

Chimayo, situated in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, is famous for the weavings of the Ortega and Trujillo families, and there are several small and very old buildings marked “weavers”.  
Our next stop is El Santuario de Chimayo, a present-day pilgrimage site and Roman Catholic chapel.

The skies begin to clear as we enter Santa Fe. We have tickets for the Georgia O’keeffe museum, which is just delightful. Santa Fe’s historic downtown is simply beautiful, with uniform adobe buildings around a plaza and several streets beyond. It is clean and well maintained full of galleries, a few artists doing demos, and an art fair. This was what I had pictured Taos would be like. We spend a very enjoyable afternoon strolling through the art fair and high end galleries, admiring the exquisite and beautiful art, and eating french pastries in the park.

The skies darken and a huge crackle of lightning sends us back to the car and on our way to Albuquerque for the night.

At first glance, Taos appears like a town that has past its glory days. We are in search of a bakery or coffee shop and all are closed. The local barber tells us that staffing has been an issue since covid, and that the galleries don’t open until 11 or afternoon.

As we stroll, we come upon the plaza, and discover this is where the action is on a saturday. The farmers market has drawn a crowd and there is live music. Adjacent to the plaza is a modern pedestrian mall with galleries, boutique shops and cafes. We enjoy visiting the many small galleries and I am drawn to the work of a watercolor artist who runs a gallery with his work and that of a few others. Lynn McLain’s paintings resemble photographs and he spends some time explaining his technique; I am inspired to try this medium.

All in all, Taos though artsy and quaint, was not what I had expected. I had envisioned more outdoor sculptures, murals, artists at work in open studios and demonstrations. I was hoping to see art being created and not just being sold – it was a bit too commercialized for me. In retrospect, a day trip would have sufficed.