Fall in Austin is a beautiful season. The humidity and heat have died down a bit and the days are still long. In such a warm climate, the trees rarely lose their leaves but the ones that do provide firework explosions of bright reds and oranges in the green hill country. Early in the morning, when it is coolest, mist rises off of the lake in the center of downtown and fogs up the first few blocks of downtown. Fall [...]

Kentucky: home of bluegrass music, the south’s best bar-b-que, Wildcat basketball, and the country’s fifth largest Balloon festival.  The Bluegrass Balloon Festival, which started in 1999, grew from a charity Balloon glow that hosted a few dozen Balloons into a multiple day festival that regularly sees over one hundred balloon teams, one hundred and twenty thousand visitors, and is one of the can’t-miss events every year in Kentucky. Over the course of the festival, visitors can see mass ascensions, balloon [...]

Visiting Alabama this year? If so, and if you’re trip is over Memorial day weekend, try to swing by Decatur, Alabama for the annual Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Classic.  This yearly festival is one of the oldest and largest hot air balloon races in the nation. Held on the thirty five acre grounds of Point Mallard Park, this festival boasts a yearly attendance of 60 pilots and their teams, all competing in races, balloon landings, and key grabs.  In addition [...]

Some balloon pilots enjoy flying because it relaxes them.  Some fly because they love the feeling of being above it all.  And some fly for the adrenaline rush. For the latter type of pilot, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta offers something that most hot air balloon gatherings don’t: competitive ballooning events.  In one event, pilot’s must maneuver their balloon low to the ground for a mile and attempt to grab a small key chain tied with ribbon to the top [...]

Every fall, for two weeks at the beginning of October, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is held in the cultural capital of New Mexico.  The activities available to visitors during this time are nearly endless but one thing I encourage any traveler to add to their list is attending the Special Shapes Rodeo. Three times a week during the Festival, the balloon grounds are open only to special shapes balloons.  This means that non-traditional, themed balloons are the only ones [...]

The Albuquerque International Balloon Festival is any hot-air enthusiast’s mecca.  Located in the heart of the Albuquerque metropolitan area, the balloon field is three square miles dedicated to hot air ballooning. Located to the south of the field is the Ben Abruzzo Balloon Museum.  Architecturally, this site is amazing.  Built to recreate the design and feeling of an inflating hot-air balloon, the museum is a stunning steel and glass destination for any hot air fan.   During the Balloon Fiesta, [...]