A wonderful experience with a great crew and staff. The overall trip was great. My husband has back…read moreproblems and they were extremely helpful getting him in and out of the basket.

We had a fantastic ride 2000 feet high, with a stunning view of the sunrise over Albuquerque. A…read morevery personal experience, with a traditional post-balloon mimosa snack time and ballooning history lesson. Great crew, excellent experience!

What a wonderful experience! We took my mom to check an item off her bucket list. There was a…read morebreeze, and it took three tries to find a location that was safe. We were in the air for a good long time. The landing was pretty smooth even though Troy found himself in a stickery field. We so appreciate Troy and the whole crew for not giving up.

Rainbow Ryders provides one of the best hot air balloon ride experiences in Albuquerque…read more Reservations need to be made in advance through their website or by phone. Initially, a booking fee of $20 is charged to secure the reservation, and the final payment is collected after the balloon ride is completed. Our initial booking was canceled due to high winds, but we were able to reschedule for a later date without any hassle. Our pilot, Mr. Heff, was very knowledgeable and kept us engaged throughout the entire flight. Standing in the basket during the ride felt safe and comfortable, and the entire flight was incredibly smooth--almost like gently sailing through the sky. The views of Albuquerque and the Rio Grande River were absolutely amazing and made the experience truly memorable. After landing, there was a small celebration with champagne, which was a lovely touch. I would definitely recommend Rainbow Ryders to my friends!

I had been wanting to do a Balloon Fiesta kayak/SUP trip for awhile now. Cody, and his wife Karen,…read morewere really knowledgeable throughout this SUP trip about anything paddleboarding, about the river, how the company came to be and its name (it's "just Mountain Standard Time"), etc. He has tours almost year round from snowshoeing/ brewery, mountain biking, birding, and photography tours. Because of traffic, we left the parking lot about 6:15 am and returned just after 11. The water levels were low, but the SUP's did just fine in most areas. The cost of the trip was definitely worth it. We had about 14 in our group. And since the tour was only running the first week of balloon fiesta, it sold out less than a week after being advertised and I didn't get a chance to ask others if they wanted to go as well (but it was totally fine solo and everyone was friendly and welcoming). I didn't want to get wet, so I didn't try standing up for a first timer, but I feel like this trip gave me more courage to try standing next time and trying something new. The highlight of the trip was being able to see a few balloons splash n'dash. Also, Cody and Karen arranged a nice little setup with a paddleboard balanced on two buckets with a tablecloth over for a little breakfast of mimosas, a fire for s'mores, assorted granola bars, and hot water in a thermos for hot chocolate and coffee while we waited and watched for the balloons. I'd definitely go again (and wake up at 4 am). 2022 #41

The booking experience was easy, and instructions to meet the day of super easy. The owner is an…read moreamazing human being. This tour is so well worth it! Not to mention seeing beautiful Albuquerque from a different perspective.

Nice clean area to have a picnic and a hike. A lot cooler than Albuquerque, really enjoyed that!read more

Great mountain picnic area in the Cibola National Forest. On the back side of the Sandia Mountain…read moreRange. About 15 miles from Albuquerque and just a few miles from the Sandia ski area. Just a hop, skip and a jump from downtown. Group shelters, picnic tables, hiking trails. Great place for a group or family outdoor event in the summer or early fall. Restrooms are available. Parking fee is just $3. I recently was invited to a birthday party for a 4 year old at Doc Long's. Lots of families with 2 - 6 year old children. Each of the little ones loved the little "adventures" and trails.Their appetites seemed to increase with the cool mountain air . . . so did mine. Topped off with birthday cake and homemade apple pie. The elevation is 7,500' so be sure you bring appropriate layers. It can get chilly even in the sun during Indian Summer in the pine trees. Oh, but does it smell fresh and crisp and clean. Also check the web site for Fire Restrictions that might be in effect. Currently the restrictions have been lifted in the Cibola National Forest, so you can cook your hamburgers & hotdogs. Yum! Nothing tastes better than food cooked outdoors, paired with a hike in the woods. There are three loop trails. Hiking at its best. Take your four legged friends. They will completely enjoy a day out in such a gorgeous setting. Pine trees, of course, are still green, but everything else is turning blazing fall colors.

The Balloon Flight School was a memorable experience. The balloon ride, sure, was the main event,…read morebut actually the host was the most entertaining. With years of flight experience and compliance with the FAA, the host, AL, actually brought a flare to the overall flight which exceeded expectations. The reality is that the take off was a whirl of activity to assure proper assembly of the balloon apparatus and then we were in the basket and off into the air! Wow, nothing like being whisked off your feet. You may even enjoy the post-flight faux history lesson about Luis the IVX and the origination of balloon flight. Champagne anyone?

We did the Mayan room and it was AMAZING!! lots of steps and so cool compared to other escape rooms…read moreI've done.

Such a fun double date idea! We did Jumanji and it was super fun figuring out all the clues. The…read moregirl at the front said that Jumanji is an intermediate level room. We were able to get out. I highly recommend this as a date night, it's super fun and different from doing dinner and a movie.

Thank you to Buzz and his whole family and crew for giving us one of the best experiences of our…read morelives! I can not recommend this more. We arrived around 6:30am to set up the balloon, and the ride took about an hour. I think our balloon was also one of the most beautiful ones up in the air with a rainbow of coWhen we landed we had some bubblies and cookies and hung out with the crew. Truly an eye-opening experience - you can't go wrong with Buzz!

Amazing experience with hot air Balloonatics. Husband and I went up with them on a whim because of…read morecovid and travel restrictions and wanted to do something Iocal in Albuquerque. Buzz and his grew were great to work with, 6 riders were on our ride. One of those riders proposed while up in the air and Buzz celebrated this special occasion with an extra bottle of champagne. He truly cares and is in it not for the money, but for the passion of ballooning. Would highly recommend this business! Their heart is in the right place!

Although the Sandia Crest House is Closed, this view at the of Albuquerque and the surrounding…read moremountain ranges from the Sandia Crest located in the Sandia-Manzano Mountains is well worth the long, steep and very windy road to the summit! Be ready for strong winds or breezes, but you're going to experience a remarkable view! From this point you can actually see as far as the San Mateo, Mount Taylor, Cabezon Peak, Ortiz, Redondo Peak, San Pedro, Jemez Mountains, and an incredible view of the valley where Albuquerque rests tranquilly amidst the middle at 5,994 feet, and Sandia Crest being at 10,678 feet. A wonderful experience for a once in a lifetime bucket list view!

The Sandias are a narrow mountain range with relatively little land at the highest elevation. Be…read moreaware that the summit of the road is at about 9600 feet elevation, which may affect you even if you have previously been at high elevation. Drive up the gradual slope on the east side to the summit. As on other country roads, please pull into paved turnouts to let faster drivers pass. Near the peak, there is overflow parking to the south of the road. There is a helipad near the overflow parking. Enjoy the sharp drop to the west, with views over the Rio Grande Valley and Albuquerque! Good view of the radio masts, nicknamed the Radio Forest. We visited this attraction in mid-October. Some patches of aspen still had golden fall colors