Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
Trip Dates: October 4th, 2024 -October 8th, 2024
Bryce and I found out that the WORLD’S LARGEST hot air balloon festival was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during our anniversary. It was meant to be and we had to go! To top it off, friends of ours relocated to Albuquerque for work, giving us a free place to stay. Some more friends tagged along and it ended up being a great group experience.
Our main expenses for this trip were our flights, rental car, and food. Having friends host us was very helpful because hotels and Airbnbs raise their prices with the influx of visitors. I recommend booking early as places tend to book fast. Same goes for cars, which is definitely needed to get around in Albuquerque.
While in Albuquerque we went to Santa Fe (1 hour away) and Taos (2.5 hours away). Both are cute towns with shops and mountain views. Plus we were able to find a few hikes in each of the areas we visited.
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta:
You can buy tickets online starting in April and they have different tiers. We bought the cheapest option which was $15.
Get there early! We chose to go to the morning session because you get to see the drone show, balloon glow, and launch. That being said, we woke up at 4am to get there at 5am and there was already traffic!
Dress in layers. I was cold until the sun came up and then I got very hot.
The festival was so fun! You will be amazed by of all the colors and different shapes of the balloons.
Breweries:
Flock of Moons Brewing Company
Bosque Brewing Co.
Bow and Arrow Brewing Co.
La Cumbre Brewing Co.
We got to take our friends’ dog, Daisy, to all the breweries!
Food:
Sushi Freak- Do yourself a favor and get the sushi burrito!
Catalyst Coffee
Rumor Pizza
Bosque Brewing Co. - Not only do that have beer, they also have great food!
Hikes:
Spence Hot Springs Trail- 0.70 miles. It’s a small “pool” so going early is probably best. The water was about bath tub temperature, but felt very nice and had a pretty view. We stopped here going to Santa Fe.
The Slide Trail- 2.7 miles. It’s a wide dirt road and you hike to the Rio Grande George. We hiked this trail leaving Taos.
Our trip was short, but we had oh so much fun! Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is a must see at least once in your life!
