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New Mexico

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, Santa Fe Art and Culture

Program No. 15464RJ

See hot air balloons decorate the sky at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, learn about the history of the Pueblo peoples and discover Santa Fe.

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Festivals, Misc.Regional Studies Native American Studies

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6 days

5 nights

11 meals

4B 2L 5D

Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner

Albuquerque

New Mexico History, Old Town, About Hot-Air Ballooning

Albuquerque

Balloon Mass Ascension and Evening Glow, Pueblo Cultural Ctr

Albuquerque

Balloon Flight, Mass Ascension, Free Time, Balloon Glow

Albuquerque

Visit Santa Fe, Museum Hill, Santa Fe Plaza, Free Time

Albuquerque

Program Concludes

Albuquerque

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At a Glance

Turn your eyes skyward to New Mexico’s multi-colored tapestry of hot-air balloons at the region’s world-renowned Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Trace Native American life back hundreds of years and learn how Puebloans have managed to retain their lands and traditions for centuries. Enjoy a one of a kind experience learning about New Mexico and the world's premier ballooning event.

Activity Level

Keep the Pace

Walking up to two miles over varied terrain. Standing for up to three hours. Elevations of 5,300-7,000 feet. Must be able to climb into/out of the balloon basket (approximately 4 feet tall) for the balloon ride. Some days will include very early departure times for the mass accessions at Balloon Fiesta Park.

Best of all, you’ll…

Experience Balloon Fiesta up close — from inflating the balloons to taking a breathtaking balloon flight of your own.
Enjoy Santa Fe, from its abundant culture to its Native American and Spanish history.
Learn about the history and science behind hot air ballooning from a local pilot and expert.

General Notes

Small group assignments will be made approximately one month prior to the program start date. If you are traveling with companions who are not your roommate and you would like to be grouped together, please list their names on your “Personal Information & Preferences” in your Road Scholar “My Account” page.” Approximately two weeks prior to the program departure you will receive an email with your group assignment and Group Leader information.

Featured Expert

All trip experts

Don Boyer

Don Boyer is a balloon pilot and currently an assistant chief flight instructor for the FAA-certified Airborne Heat Flight School. He took his first balloon flight in 1985 at the age of 32, later acquiring his own balloon system and private and commercial pilot certifications. In 1994, Don became a contract pilot for the renowned World Balloon Corporation in Albuquerque. He recently retired as the safety director for LRC Trucking, Inc., where he managed driver safety programs and federal and state DOT/OSHA compliance.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Christopher Gibson View biography

Christopher Gibson is an award-winning artist, writer, and arts educator who makes his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His work includes the Cuentos del Camino series on lower Cerrillos Road in Santa Fe and mixed-media installations at numerous museums in New Mexico and California. Over the years, he has written several articles on Hispanic arts and culture for the magazines "Tradición Revista" and "Imagen."

Don Boyer View biography

Elena Junes View biography

Elena Ortiz-Junes is a native New Mexican and member of the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo. She has worked for many years as a study leader and group leader for numerous organizations and universities, providing a unique perspective on the region and its rich cultural tapestry. She is a writer and founding board member of Red Media, an indigenous owned and operated media project that highlights Native writers. Elena is also a board member of the University of New Mexico’s Alfonso Ortiz Center for Intercultural Studies.

Vannetta Perry View biography

Dr. Vannetta Perry is a retired educator and lifelong resident of New Mexico who is deeply rooted in the southwest. Her family homesteaded and ranched in Southwestern New Mexico and farmed in West Texas. As an educator, Dr. Perry worked in the university setting, teaching biology and directing science outreach programs. Her love for travel was sparked when she led research studies in developing countries. Since retiring, Dr. Perry has continued to share her love of travel and education as a travel director and leader.

Colleen Patrick View biography

A native of Colorado and a relative newcomer to New Mexico, Colleen Patrick has spent a lifetime visiting and learning about Pueblo culture, pottery and the movement of Native Americans and Spaniards throughout New Mexico. Colleen has been in the travel business since 2006, but has been a traveler since her childhood. She learned to appreciate new cultures and new places as a child and has loved sharing new places and cultures with guests for many years.

Sherry Moon View biography

Sherry Moon is a certified interpreter for the profession of heritage interpretation and an experienced group leader. She has a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications and has taught communication and art. For nearly 20 years, she has been a group leader specializing in the Southwest and Alaska/Yukon. As president of the Rocky Mountain Guides Association, she is regarded as a local expert. Her interests include the arts, history, heritage, geology, reading, outdoor activities, and socializing with friends.

Suggested Reading List (10 books)

Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop

You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.

Search for a Title

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, Santa Fe Art and Culture

Program Number: 15464

Georgia O'Keeffe: A Life

by Robinson, Roxana

Albuquerque in Our Time: 30 Voices, 300 Years

by Hughes, Debra

Albuquerque, New Mexico, a city astride a great river, celebrated its tricentennial in 2006. This book pays homage to the city with a rich medley of narratives by its most colorful residents: well-loved town characters, writers, journalists, politicians, civic and business leaders who have helped shape Albuquerque's character and guided its growth.

Ballooning: A History, 1782-1900

by S. L. Kotar & J. E. Gessler

This book chronicles development and advances in hot air ballooning.

Through the Eye of the Deer: An Anthology of Native American Women Writers

by Dunn, Carolyn, & Comfort, Carol

An Indigenous People's History of the United States

by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

From the perspective of Indigenous People, this book demonstrates how policy against Native people was designed to displace and eliminate them and how they fought back, resisting the expansion of the West.

The Spell of New Mexico

by Hillerman, Tony (Editor)

A gathering of essays that evoke the unique and mysterious appeal New Mexico has had for some of the twentieth century's best-known writers. included are selections by Mary Austin, Oliver La Farge, Conrad Richter, D.H. Lawrence, C.G. Jung, Winfield Townley Scott, John DeWitt McKee, Ernie Pyle, Harvey Fergusson, and Lawrence Clark Powell. Hillerman's preface and introduction are choice specimens of his incisive humor and his own deep love of the state.

Foods of the Southwest Indian Nations: Traditional and Contemporary Native American Recipes

by Dr. Lois Ellen Frank

In this gloriously photographed book, renowned photographer and Native American–food expert Dr. Lois Ellen Frank, herself part Kiowa, presents more than 80 recipes that are rich in natural flavors and perfectly in tune with today's healthy eating habits. Frank spent four years visiting reservations in the Southwest, documenting time-honored techniques and recipes. With the help of culinary adviser and Navajo Nation tribesman Walter Whitewater, a chef in Santa Fe, Frank has adapted the traditional recipes to modern palates and kitchens. Inside you'll find such dishes as Stuffed Tempura Chiles with Fiery Bean Sauce, Zuni Sunflower Cakes, and Prickly Pear Ice. With its wealth of information, this book makes it easy to prepare and celebrate authentic Native American cooking.

New Mexico, A History

by Joseph P. Sanchez

This book traces the history of New Mexico from the earliest inhabitants through the centennial of becoming a state in 2012. It delves in to the interactions of the indigenous people, immigrants and settlers and their descendants.

Santa Fe, Its 400th Year: Exploring the Past, Defining the Future

by Dean, Rob

This fresh presentation, 400 years after the Spanish founded Santa Fe in 1610, presents the full art of Santa Fe's story that sifts through its long, complex, thrilling history. It illuminates Santa Fe's enduring promise to cling to roots that are bottomless and to leap into a future that is boundless. Many illustrations, timelines, index, and detailed biographies.

Forgotten Albuquerque, NM: Images of America

by Bannerman, Ty

In 1706, Spanish colonists founded the Villa de Albuquerque on the banks of the Rio Grande. Three hundred years later, that once quiet farming community has grown to become Albuquerque, the largest city in New Mexico. Using over 200 vintage images from public archives and individual collections, author Ty Bannerman explores the city's many guises over time, from its prehistory as a thriving province of the Pueblo peoples to its post-World-War-II population boom.

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Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, Santa Fe Art and Culture

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At a Glance

Best of all, you’ll…

General Notes

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