Saturday morning we started our day at 4:30 AM. The bus picked us up at our hotel at 5:40 and we were at the balloon fiesta park at 6:20. The dawn patrol was being launched as our bus pulled into the parking lot. We managed to get some poor quality photos through the bus window.
The dawn patrol is a group of 12 or so balloons launched at dawn to check the wind direction and speed.
At 7 AM they start the mass ascension where over six hundred balloons are launched in three waves.
First wave of balloons starting to inflate. This is still part of the first wave.
As you can see balloons as far as the eye can see with more being readied for flight.
This is the definition of orderly chaos and this goes on for over two hours! To get an idea of how large these balloons are, just look at their baskets, which hold as many as 12 people! Besides the usual teardrop shaped balloons, we saw:
Dog Cow
Bird Dragon
Elephant Spider Pig
Butterfly Lady Bug
Panda Bear Smokey the Bear
Fish Bumble Bees
Kiwi Skunk
Witch Humpty Dumpty
Darth Vader and ET even showed up!
What a great day and this fiesta goes on for nine days. Thursday and Friday are the days they have all the special shaped balloons. Wow, I wish we were staying to see that.
3 comments:
I'm putting this on my bucket list! Gorgeous!!
This really looks neat! We go to a small hot air balloon festival here in Chester County every year and we really enjoy that -- it is nothing compared to what you are seeing! Definite trip to be planned!! Looks like you are having a lot of fun!
these are great!!
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