Hot Air Ballooning

Hot Air Ballooning

Albuquerque is blessed with a high altitude, mild climate, and steady but manageable winds, making it an ideal destination for ballooning. A wind pattern famously known as the "Albuquerque Box," created by the city's location against the Sandia Mountains, makes Albuquerque a particularly great place to fly.

If you've never been ballooning, you may have a notion that it's an inherently bumpy experience, where changes in altitude replicate the queasiness-inducing feeling of being in a tiny propeller plane. Rest assured, the experience is far calmer than you'd ever imagine. The balloons are flown by licensed pilots (don't call them operators) who deftly switch propane-fueled flames on and off, climbing and descending to find winds blowing the way they want to go -- thus, there's no real "steering" involved, which makes the pilots' control that much more admirable. The norm is for pilots to land balloons wherever the wind dictates -- thus creating the need for "chase vehicles" that pick you up and return you to your departure point -- but particularly skilled pilots can use conditions created by the "Box" to land precisely where you started. But even without this "door-to-door" service, many visitors rank a balloon ride soaring over the Rio Grande Valley as their most memorable experience while in town.

There are several reliable companies around metro Albuquerque that offer tours. A ride will set you back about $160-$180 per person. One of the best outfitters in town is Rainbow Ryders (505/823-1111 or 800/725-2477. www.rainbowryders.com), an official Ride Concession for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Part of the fun is helping to inflate and, later on, pack away the balloon. And if you thought it best not to breakfast prior to your flight, a continental breakfast and champagne toast await your return.