With a metropolitan area population of more than six million people sprawled over 134 square miles, the area is the largest in the southeast. Famous for its super-busy airport, the HQ of CNN, the HQ of Coca-Cola, and its four professional sports teams, the city itself is only about 460,000 people. Their baseball team, the Braves won the World Series in 2021. It hosts the Carter Presidential Library among its attractions that include the Fox Theater, the High Art Museum, and several attractions in the former location of the 1996 Olympics Park.
Carter Library © John Suddath
Fox Theatre © John Suddath
Balloons lift off for a race across the Rio Grande Valley © John Suddath
New Orleans has Mardi Gras, Rio de Janeiro has Carnivale, and Washington, DC has the Folk Life Festival. Albuquerque’s annual event, The Balloon Fiesta®, also draws hundreds of thousands of visitors from all across the world. The festival is festive without being too boisterous, and it is very family friendly for children and adults alike. We didn’t observe a lot of internal security, but we saw no drunks or unruly behavior that is common to some of these other large festivals. It is held the 1st week in October and lasts 10 days and has been going on since 1972. Because of the spectacular opportunities for color and action, it is particularly attractive to photographers. That year was a “good” year with 500+ balloons and more than 800,000 visitors that provide a $100-million boost to the local economy. The previous year had more bad weather that reduced turnout, and the prior year had one fatality that put a damper on things.
A Century of Change Compressed into a few days
Our recent trip to West Virginia and Pittsburgh, PA was a voyage in time as well as a cursory view of the scenic attractions. We started at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center at the overlook of the US Hwy 19 bridge across the New River Gorge National River Park in West Virginia. The bridge over the New River Gorge was built 30+ years ago and spans almost 900 feet above the river. It is closed each year for an annual festival that draws thousands to the area.
The center shows a short film and has displays tracing the history of 19th Century coal mining operations and towns along the New River. Coal at that time was the primary source of heating fuel and industrial energy. Coke was shipped by rail to Pittsburgh to help make steel, and coal was shipped down river to eventually wind up in New Orleans for shipment abroad.
New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia is 900 ft. above the river. © John Suddath