Brian and Amanda Lain

Brian and Amanda had a nice get-away weekend in Albuquerque! The weekend included a sunrise hot air balloon ride, then a relaxing day at a Hyatt Resort outside of Albuquerque. The balloon ride was excellent, and we were even rewarded with a “Survivor’s Pin” once we landed. The weather was perfect for all of our activities, and we had an exhilarating, yet relaxing, weekend away. Until the next time…

This is us in our hot air balloon! There were nine of us altogether – 8 passengers and the pilot (the guy in red, pulling on the valves shooting up flames). The pilot has to be a certified pilot to fly a hot air balloon (don’t worry, we checked!).

Our hot air balloon, which stands 8 feet tall when fully inflated. And, the balloon fabric (nylon) weighs 500 pounds, not to mention the basket and bottles of propane!

The balloon is filled with a fan blowing cold air at first, then a burner heats up the air to make the balloon float. The temperature inside the balloon when flying is a whopping 175 degrees!

This is a picture of a fellow balloon. Four balloons went up at the same time we did, with the same company – Rainbow Ryders. The balloons go the direction the wind blows, and we got to go right over the Rio Grande!

Whatever you do, DON’T LOOK DOWN!! The balloons fly several thousand feet above the ground, which can make your stomach roll over if you look down too long!

Brian and Amanda, with the Tamaya Resort in the background. It had a golf course, a resident horse, and a nice 1-mile trail to the Rio Grande River.