20th Anniversary Dream Trip Contest

Great Travel Moment

I had never seen a real hot air balloon up close, let alone ride in one. My very first flight - at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. Imagine the rush, surrounded by nearly 800 balloons - all skyward at the same time in a mass ascension! Colliding colors as envelopes bump into one another. Burners roaring. Exclamations of awe from every basket, as other novices take to the sky, too. Hot air balloons appeared in every direction. And after soaring for 40 minutes, I looked down at our landing site with horror - a fence enclosed yard with two Dobermans peering up at us, pacing and growling! At the last instant our ground crew pulled us clear of the fence for a perfect landing in the road. Awesome! Heartpounding! Memorable!