For several years we wondered if the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta would be worth going to. We got our answer this year and it is: YES!

We had heard about large crowds, traffic issues, etc., and wasn’t sure it would be for us. However, upon renewed discussions (thanks Nancy Smith) and planning we made our reservation to attend the 53rd Annual Fiesta in early October.

This is a 10 day event that takes place at Balloon Fiesta Park located on the north edge of Albuquerque just west of I-25. There is a huge launch field surrounded by extensive grounds for vehicle parking including temporary RV camping lots.

The RV camping spots fill up quickly when the reservation window opens in January. We were able to get a 3 night stay (Monday – Thursday) in the “north VIP lot”. Don’t get too excited about the “VIP”, it’s rally style dry camping (no hookups) located next to the launch field. Staying on the grounds was definitely the way to go.

The nightly fee may seem high ($130), but it includes daily admission and of course parking. If you were to drive in for the day, it would cost between $40-$50/day for parking and admission.

With less events going on during the week, crowds weren’t bad and we really enjoyed activities that took place every morning: the drone light show, balloon dawn patrol, and the mass accession of hundreds of balloons. Plenty of merchandise and food vendors (early morning coffee/tea) were available on the fiesta “Main Street” adjacent to the launch field.

There are evening events scheduled each day except Monday – Wednesday that include the popular evening “balloon glow”. With the balloons tethered to the ground as the sun sets, the pilots ignite burners in the hot air balloons, creating a massive glow across the field. The Albuquerque International Balloon Museum is also located on the park grounds.

We learned why this is such a great location for balloonists: With the grounds situated in the Rio Grande River valley, the Sandia Mountain range to the east and the West Mesa and Petroglyph National Monument to the west it creates the “Albuquerque Box”. The wind tends to take the balloons one direction as they take off and after climbing to a higher altitude the wind is coming from the opposite direction and brings them back over the field area.

After leaving the balloon fiesta, we stayed in the area for a few more days near Cedar Crest NM. We checked out the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History (affiliated with the Smithsonian) located in Albuquerque.

It has impressive indoor and outdoor displays telling the story of nuclear science and the atomic age.

Leaving Albuquerque we took I-40 east to Amarillo and then south on Highway 287 through Wichita Falls to just north of Dallas.

Once around Dallas we connected with I-20 through Louisiana and part of Mississippi, south on Highway 84 to I-10 and back into Florida. We really enjoyed our overnight stop in at the Silver Spur RV Resort in Canton, TX.

We stayed several days at the Santa Rosa RV Resort in Navarre and visited my sister Linda. This RV Resort is very nice and was an excellent way to spend our last few nights on the road.

Short drive to our Florida property where we found everything in order after being away for a little over five months. It felt good to be back and settled for a while. We added a partial wall to one bay of the RV port to give us a little more screening and shade.

We will fly to Michigan for Christmas and plan to go south to the Jupiter FL area for a couple weeks in January. For 2026 or 2027 we are tentatively planning a trip to the Canadian Rockies in Alberta taking us to the Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper area and back to Glacier National Park. Still loving our travels, with lots of new places to visit and ones that warrant a return visit.

Make sure to scroll down to the videos after the pictures.