Imagine hovering thousands of feet above the ground while watching the early morning sun’s thick rays streaming through the clouds over the Sandia Mountains. This is the sight that unfolds before visitors’ eyes on a hot-air balloon ride high above Albuquerque.
Hot-air ballooning is serious business in the destination, which hosts the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta each October, and on any given day throughout the year, bright balloons color the skies above.
Groups can get in on the action by scheduling an early wake-up call to experience the thrill an aerial view will give you from a wicker basket with a balloon overhead.
Rainbow Ryders, a company that will celebrate 25 years of flying high next year, picks up riders at their hotel in the morning and drops them off after the ride.
In between, participants are bused to a field on the west side of the Rio Grande and before they know it, they are floating through the sky like a bird.
At times dropping closer to the ground, Rainbow Ryders pilots will get close enough to mesas to point out ancient hieroglyphics while jackrabbits frolic below.
An hour later it is time to come back to Earth, and after touching down, visitors are whisked away for a champagne brunch and a discussion about the origins of ballooning, complete with a presentation of a flight certificate for each participant.
“Albuquerque is the ballooning capital of the world,” says Kiersten Goddard, director of operations for Rainbow Ryders, adding that the company can take up to 100 people per morning. “This is something that is very unique to Albuquerque and really gives folks an experience of a lifetime. It’s worth getting up for.”
On terra firma, a great way to learn about hot-air ballooning is by visiting the Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum.
The 59,000-square-foot facility sits adjacent to Balloon Fiesta Park and sports floor-to-ceiling windows for perfect views of balloons as well as the Sandia Mountains.
Groups can host a variety of events in the facility, from board meetings and breakouts to social gatherings in Pugash Hall, which features a rotunda overlooking the Sandia Mountains and Balloon Fiesta Park.
For More Info
Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum 505.880.0500
www.balloonmuseum.com
Rainbow Ryders 505.823.1111
www.rainbowryders.com
