Remember that post about how difficult it is to plan a travel itinerary that includes everything fantastic within a limited timeframe? And how we had scrapped ending our trip in Albuquerque, visiting the Balloon Fiesta, because the logistics were too difficult? Well, throw that out of the suitcase, because even a “final” itinerary can change for the right reasons!
Family was the reason. It so happens that a close relative is engaged to a balloon pilot in-training, and when we first told them we may go to ABQ, their eyes lit up. But with nothing resulting from that conversation, the itinerary switch happened – until last week, when they asked when we’d be in ABQ. Long story short, we’ll now be meeting them there, and may even have some “inside access” to the balloons! Whether we take a balloon ride remains to be seen (holy $$$!), but I’m absolutely looking forward just to the viewing experience alone.
Oh, and Pro Tip: Whenever I can avoid booking nonrefundable a hotel room (as in, I don’t get gouged for doing so), I do! That’s why I had the flexibility to change the trip even though I had reserved a hotel in Phoenix.
Travel Notch 