Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

At six in the morning the New Mexico desert sky is still deep blue, and hundreds of balloons on the grass roar with flame and slowly swell, then lift off one after another, painting the whole sky in colour. This is the largest balloon gathering in the world. You can walk right onto the launch field, stand beside a balloon and feel the heat of the burner, and watch Darth Vader and a dairy cow float overhead.