Up Up & Away!!!

Up Up & Away!!!

While on a recent trip, I was able to attend the 2013 Hot Air Balloon Championship in Gonzales, Louisiana, with my Dad, two sisters, and best friend. What an experience! This was only my second balloon experience. My first Balloon Festival ever was only last year in Albuquerque.

Last year I was invited to meet up in Albuquerque with my very good friend, Jan Shriver, and we planned to attend the 2012 International Balloon Festival. There were many more balloons of many different shapes and sizes compared to those at the Championship competition in Gonzales, but needless to say, I was still impressed!

Early Morning Ascension in Albuquerque

What a site to behold! I'd never been to anything like this before - as a matter of fact, I'd never even been close to a hot air balloon and wasn't sure what to expect.

The grounds were HUGE as you can imagine for an international festival. In the picture below you can see just a small piece of the tents set up for the festival goers to enjoy with the open grounds beyond it for the ballooners. Hundreds of balloons!

2013 International Balloon Festival grounds, Albuquerque, NM

Balloons seen all through the sky from our hotel in Albuquerque

Just look up and you'd see a balloon somewhere (Albuquerque)

There were all types and shapes of balloons in Albuquerque, while there were mostly the regularly shaped ones in Gonzales - but still impressive. Both had beautifully colored ones, those advertising businesses, and specialty balloons.

A typical balloon flying in Albuquerque 

A specialty balloon - In Memory of all the POWs and MIAs (Albuquerque)

A simple shaped balloon lit up for the "Glowdeo" (Albuquerque)

In Gonzales, you saw pretty close to the same thing but the number of balloons and size of the grounds were on a much smaller scale.  As I compared the two balloon shows, I was still impressed with the smaller Championship show in Gonzales. How can you NOT be impressed when you get to walk amongst all of these huge balloons right there at ground level. They tower over you and you feel like a Liliputian in Gulliver's Travels. It is somewhat magical.

Beautiful Patriotic Constitution Balloon (Gonzales)

Eagle shaped balloon in Gonzales

Getting the air going in the Purple People Eater balloon (Gonzales)

Earlier in the day, one of the events in the Gonzales Championship was the Drop Competition. I won't pretend to remember all the particulars about it (how high you must fly, how low you can go, etc.) but the easy version is that the balloons would start at a far point, fly over the Balloon Line and come in as low and close as possible to make a drop on the big giant X on the ground. Some of them made their drop and some of them didn't. Some of the drops were close and some were not so close. It was interesting to watch. Last year's champion won again this year and held on to his title.

Setting up the "Balloon Line" for the Drop Competition (Gonzales)

OK, the line is all set up - let the competition begin!

Here they come!

Flying over the "Balloon Line" for the Drop Competition in Gonzales

X Marks The Spot! Where is the X???

Getting ready to make the drop!

The drop is over - time to deflate!

While waiting for the After Glow show, how about a tethered balloon ride?

After the competitions were over, the balloons started getting ready for their "After Glow" show. In Albuquerque it was called the "Glowdeo". Both names were fitting. All the balloons would start setting up on the field, while people strolled here and there watching. 

Walking amongst the giant balloons...

By the time they were all inflated it was dusk, and each balloon would take turns firing up their canisters, making their balloon "GLOW" .... how beautiful. At one point, they had all of the balloons glow at one time but I missed that photo opportunity. I was just starting to feel really sick.  

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Let the GLOW begin!

Glowing in the far background

Aglow...

After all the glowing was over, it was time for the fireworks! But, alas, by that time I had started home and was not able to stay for any of it. My Dad and sisters said it was a beautiful show. I'll just have to take their word for it! :)

So, who's ever gone to a Balloon Festival? Where was it? What did you think?