20th Anniversary Dream Trip Contest

Great Travel Moment

The best feature (for me) of the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta may well have been that visitors are allowed to wander among the balloons and crews with free rein. Were it not for that, the assault on one's senses would not be so close and personal, as intense. I walked right up to this balloon's pilot as he prepared to fire more heat into the envelope. Steadying for my photograph, I looked up in surprise to see what at first appeared to be my shadow inside his balloon! How could that be? Then it occurred to me that a crew member had walked up behind the balloon, and the bright morning sun had silhouetted his crooked shadow on the nylon. Our 2000-mile drive to the event paid off with numerous little experiences like this.