Hot Air Balloon Festival - Pahrump, Nevada
by Bessie Young
Spontaneous Adventures are the best types of adventures
This weekend I decided to go adventuring into the desert. I found out that in Nevada there is a little town called Pahrump that has a hot air balloon festival! The festival has hot air balloon rides, a Ferris Wheel, and then in the evening they have an amazing hot air balloon light show that is timed to music.
Driving to Pahrump took approximately 6 and a half hours. I decided to go down Hwy 99, then up over Hwy 58, along Hwy 15, and then take Hwy 178 into Pahrump, Nevada. This route made it to where there would be ample places to stop and take breaks, fill up on gas, and allow the best scenery of the desert.
I had booked a little cabin at the Preferred RV resort. It was such a cute little cabin and totally worth it as it was about half the price of any hotel room. This little cabin was equipped with a bed, bathroom, kitchen and living room. It had a TV, pots and pans for cooking, along with a coffee pot! The cabin was pet friendly which is a must for me as we all know I can't go anywhere without Yota.
The Festival
The balloon festival lasted all weekend. In the morning they had a little take off session for the balloons. Then in the afternoon there were different types of vendors, carnival rides, and hot air balloon rides. Around 6:30 the balloon light show started, on both Friday and Saturday, and lasted until about 6:50pm. People began gathering around the field at about 5pm. This festival was definitely a happening place. I got there around 5 for the light show to claim my spot. The good spots filled up fast around the field, so I was happy that I got there so early.
To find out more about the festivities check out their site here.
It was a little cold that evening. I had on a warm jacket, long sleeves, jeans, and boots. Even with all that, my toes were still super cold. If you do plan on heading out to this balloon festival make sure to pack an easy to carry chair, like this one, and some warm clothes.
All in all, this balloon festival was alot of fun. The timing was a little off as the flyer said the light show started at 6, but it really started at 6:30. There were two balloons that you could ride in. The balloons were tethered to the ground and the tickets were $10 each. If you wanted to get up close and personal to the balloons you could pay a VIP field entrance fee of $30. This allowed you to get much closer to the balloons during the light show. If not, you needed to stay behind a fence (which is what I did).
For me, it was all about the picture opportunity and the light show. The pictures turned out fantastic!
I hope you all enjoyed this post!
Wishing you nothing but fun adventures,
Bessie
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Wondering what gear I used? Check it out here:
Kit Used:
Camera Sony A7Rii: http://amzn.to/1taGpAu
Wide angle lens Sony 16-35mm lens: http://amzn.to/1UBjBDW
Standard lens Sony Master 24-70mm lens f2.8: http://amzn.to/2l6tTSA
Vanguard Tripod: http://amzn.to/2aoI5ku
Editing & Processing:
Adobe Lightroom: http://amzn.to/1WB7Jnc
Adobe Photoshop : http://amzn.to/1WB7YPh