Albuquerque During Balloon Fest
We are planning to end the western most part of our fall trip in Albuquerque in time to attend the Balloon Fest. We were hoping to be more casual in our reservations, but I dawned on me today that the...
Forum Discussion
We attended, for the third time, last year. For the second time no reservations. No problems in the dry camping area. As always there is a trick to the method.
The busy weekend will be the first weekend. Not sure if I would try that without reservations. Sunday, after the flights, people start to leave. From noon onwards they take checkins. Monday even more leave. By Tuesday the departure rate seems to slow some & you are left with people who are there for the duration.
Last year we arrived at about 1:00P & drove right up to the checkin hut. No line. We got a spot in the third row back from Alameda Ave. Perfect. We had balloons directly overhead by 7:15 each morning. A landing field was literally less than a minute walk away. Thursday,when the air currents were really light & the CG had thinned out even more we had on land right next to us.
JMO but the best area by far is the dry camping area. No question, the worst is any CG offsite where you have to get up extra early & shuttle or otherwise deal with traffic, which is horrendous, & parking, which means a long walk to the launch field. In the dry camping area you can sit in your own chair outside your own unit with fresh inexpensive coffee close at hand or climb ontop for for an even better view.
Sorry, but those who don't know pay the price & suffer the inconvenience of being offsite. The dry camping area has a constant stream of comp shuttle buses to the launch field or you can do the 3/4 mile walk.
The busy weekend will be the first weekend. Not sure if I would try that without reservations. Sunday, after the flights, people start to leave. From noon onwards they take checkins. Monday even more leave. By Tuesday the departure rate seems to slow some & you are left with people who are there for the duration.
Last year we arrived at about 1:00P & drove right up to the checkin hut. No line. We got a spot in the third row back from Alameda Ave. Perfect. We had balloons directly overhead by 7:15 each morning. A landing field was literally less than a minute walk away. Thursday,when the air currents were really light & the CG had thinned out even more we had on land right next to us.
JMO but the best area by far is the dry camping area. No question, the worst is any CG offsite where you have to get up extra early & shuttle or otherwise deal with traffic, which is horrendous, & parking, which means a long walk to the launch field. In the dry camping area you can sit in your own chair outside your own unit with fresh inexpensive coffee close at hand or climb ontop for for an even better view.
Sorry, but those who don't know pay the price & suffer the inconvenience of being offsite. The dry camping area has a constant stream of comp shuttle buses to the launch field or you can do the 3/4 mile walk.
