Route 66 Part 3: New Mexico & The Balloon Fiesta — A Sky Full of Light

Route 66 Part 3: New Mexico & The Balloon Fiesta — A Sky Full of Light

 

📍 Part 3 — New Mexico & Balloon Fiesta

  • Main Highlights: Night Glow, Fireworks, Morning Mass Ascension
  • Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
  • Mood: Emotional, grateful, unforgettable
  • Theme: A sky filled with color, and a heart filled with wonder

New Mexico & The Balloon Fiesta — A Sky Full of Light

Route 66 Day 3 — Albuquerque, New Mexico


Hot air balloon lighting up during the Balloon Fiesta Night Glow in Albuquerque, surrounded by crowds under the desert night sky.

Night Glow — when fire and color breathe into the darkness.

We arrived in New Mexico without realizing that this place would hold one of the most breathtaking moments of our entire Route 66 journey. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta was something I had only seen in photographs — but being there felt like stepping into another world.

We were unbelievably lucky. Our travel dates aligned perfectly with the Fiesta schedule — a coincidence that felt like a small gift from the universe.

The Night Glow — Lanterns of Fire and Silence

At night, the entire field came alive. Balloons stood anchored like giant sleeping creatures, and when the burners roared, their bodies lit up from within — fiery orange, deep red, warm yellow. The desert air was freezing, but every wave of heat from the balloons swept across us like a heartbeat.

Fireworks and drones painted the sky with light. For a moment, time felt suspended — as if everyone there shared the same dream.

Returning Before Dawn — Waiting for the First Light

We returned before dawn for the mass ascension. Parking was crowded, and the walk was long and freezing. Desert mornings were sharper than we imagined — the air cutting and quiet.

Holding hot coffee between our hands, we waited as the darkness slowly lifted into pale blue.


Morning Mass Ascension — a sky becoming a moving painting.

Hundreds of colorful hot air balloons rising into a clear blue New Mexico sky during the Balloon Fiesta morning mass ascension.

Then it began — one balloon, then another, and then hundreds. The sky transformed into a vast canvas of color and movement. Stripes, shapes, special balloons, bold patterns — each one rising with its own rhythm and heartbeat.

My chest felt full. It was a moment when wonder returned. And I remember thinking:

“We did the right thing. We chose this journey. We chose to be here.”

This was our first time in New Mexico, and it welcomed us with a sky full of blessings.

“Sometimes, a single morning can change how you see the rest of your life.”
← Day 2: Missouri → Kansas → Oklahoma | Back to Route 66 Series | Day 4: Desert Roads & Western Skies →

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