Albuquerque Aloft 2015 (Balloon Fiesta)

Last week my mom and I got the girls up early for something special. Actually, scratch that—I have a toddler and a baby, so they got us up early, of course. Our exciting adventure for the morning was going to Albuquerque Aloft—an event that’s part of the Balloon Fiesta.

During Albuquerque Aloft, pilots take their balloons to elementary schools around the city and they inflate them, then they either tether or lift off from the schools. This is such a great experience for the kids, because they get an up close and personal look at balloons! When you go to the actual fiesta there are thousands of people around, so for little ones to see them this close—without massive crowds around you—is just really, really cool.

This year, like last year, we went to my old elementary school—which was surreal to be there with both of my kids. The girls were excited to see the balloons take shape right before their eyes. Although, it turns out that this year Julia is pretty terrified of the burners the balloons use—she clung to me and cried in my arms because she was so scared. On the bright side—as long as we were a decent distance from the burners, she was totally fine.

I absolutely love Albuquerque Aloft. It’s so cool to see kids of all ages out enjoying the morning. The school’s booster club was out selling donuts, muffins, bagels, coffee, and hot chocolate, and families brought blankets and chairs to enjoy the balloons.

Up, Up, and Away

After the balloons inflated, we waited around to see if they’d lift off, but the ones at our location stayed put. One pilot said he regretted his decision to not fly, but when he made his decision earlier he didn’t like the conditions in the sky. Bummer, dude.

Since it was still early in the morning, and there were plenty of balloons in the air, we decided to go balloon chasing. Check back on Monday for our adventure in chasing balloons!