The 2009 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (Oct. 4-12)

Mark and I drove to Albuquerque on Thursday, October 9, and met Tim and Kathi and Grace and Will who had flown down from Minneapolis. When we got there at 5 pm (it was an 8 hour trip we found out!) the rest were already at the Fiesta site. We tried to meet them there but the traffic was backed up just horribly. After a 45 min. wait at an exit and then being turned away and told to go to the next exit, we gave up and decided to skip that evening's activities.

The next morning we got up at 4:30 and left for the site at 5:00. We arrived in pre-dawn but there were already lots of people there. There were many tents/booths selling food and wares so it was a carnival atmosphere. If we go again we'll know to take lawn chairs. Luckily Kathi had though to stop at Target the day before and buy a quilt so we had something to sit on. We ate our breakfast while waiting for dawn when we could watch the Special Shape Rodeo. It was cold.

There were regular rounded balloons also, but the special shaped ones were fantastic. No need to say more--just look at the pictures below (except please notice the baskets--they seem very small compared to the balloons).



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