Albuquerque | Sunrise in a Hot Air Balloon!

While Breaking Bad put ABQ on the map, soaring in a hot air balloon at dawn is the real must-do experience! Why Albuquerque? Ballooning capital of the world 🏆: Its high desert climate (stable winds + open skies) makes it perfect for flights. Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (October): *500+ balloons* fill the sky—pure magic! ✨ My Sunrise Flight with Rainbow Ryders 💰 $179/person ⏰ Pre-dawn meetup → Safety briefing → Bus to launch site. 🎈 10 people per balloon (fun fact: Mostly retirees on our flight—so us "youngsters" got to help inflate the balloon!). 🚐 Adventure landing: Chase crew follows via radio to pick us up—where we’d land? Nobody knew! 🍾 Champagne Tradition! After landing, we toasted with bubbly—a centuries-old balloonist ritual celebrating safe returns. (Early flights were risky—surviving deserved cheers!). #NewMexico #Albuquerque #HotAirBalloon #SunriseGoals #BucketList