Albuquerque, NM

 

This one was a fun new technique I learned with layering paint.  It was a fun abstract to do.

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® Powered by ExxonMobil, the world’s largest hot air balloon festival, takes place each October, when you’ll see hundreds of balloons in the sky at a time.

This magical hot air balloon festival is considered to be the most photographed event in the world, drawing a huge international crowd of balloonists and spectators. 

The one-of-a-kind character of Albuquerque is the result of many different forces, perhaps none as important as the centuries of history that have shaped the city. Starting with the Native Americans who have lived here for thousands of years, and continuing through Albuquerque's official founding in 1706, the city has grown into a multicultural metropolis of nearly a million people. While the modern city of Albuquerque is a center of high-tech industry and research, it retains vital connections to the past, such as the ancient rock carvings at Petroglyph National Monument, the historic Old Town Plaza and the trail of vintage neon signs along Route 66.

HOW ALBUQUERQUE GOT ITS NAME

The first Spanish explorers arrived in Albuquerque in approximately 1540 under General Francisco de Coronado. Later expeditions brought settlers deep into New Mexico’s river valleys. In 1706, a group of colonists were granted permission by King Philip of Spain to establish a new villa (city) on the banks of the Rio Grande (which means big or great river). The colonists chose a spot at the foot of the mountains where the river made a wide curve, providing good irrigation for crops and a source of wood from the bosque (the cottonwoods, willows and olive trees that grow along the river). The site also provided protection from, and trade with, the Native Americans in the area. The colony’s governor, Francisco Cuervo y Valdés, penned a letter to the Duke of Alburquerque back in Spain to report their newly founded villa, named La Villa de Alburquerque in honor of the duke. Over the centuries, the first “r” was dropped, leaving Albuquerque spelled as it is today.