Hot air balloons rising in dawn light at the International Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque, New Mexico USA
There are plenty of good reasons to head to New Mexico this time of year. The fall color in the canyons of the Sangre de Christo Mountains is spectacular, and the light along the high road to Taos has a special quality found nowhere else. But equally mesmerizing are the skies over Albuquerque where hundreds of hot air balloons rise in unison in the dawn light.
This week marks the 42nd annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta – an event that everyone should experience at least once in their life. The mass ascension is a kaleidoscope of color as pilots from all over the world guide their giant orbs upward into the air currents known as the Albuquerque Box. What might seem like a helpless craft floating at the whim of the wind can actually be steered in any direction by skilled pilots who raise or lower the balloon to catch the right currents.
Whether you take a ride for a bird’s-eye view or simply wander amid the controlled chaos of preparation on the ground, this is a spectacle you won’t soon forget. Oh, and don’t forget the camera!
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