Balloon Rally - Gallup, NM - New Mexico Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

The plaque says, "In 1880, a paymaster for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, David L. Gallup, established headquarters along the construction right-of-way of the southern transcontinental route. The railroad workers began "going to Gallup" to get their pay; thus a town was born and named in 1881.

In 1926 former Gallup Mayor and then New Mexico Governor A.T. Hannett laid a ruler across a New Mexico map resulting in Route 66 running from Santa Rosa directly west through Gallup, New Mexico.

And in 1981 another form of less conventional transportation would make history. The Red Rock Balloon Rally has drawn visitors to the historic Route 66 town of Gallup New Mexico for over thirty years. Each December adventure-seeking balloonists soar above the magnificent canyons where movie producers once filmed Western epics.

Imagine witnessing nearly two hundred colorful hot air balloons dance across the red rock formations, dip up and down into the canyons, and land their baskets on top of the rocks near formations known to locals as Pyramid Rock and Church Rock. According to many balloonists, Gallup's Red Rock Park is one of the world's most beautiful places to fly. Balloons glow in the sunlight framed by the majesty of the red rocks led by Red Rock Balloon Rally's own Koshare "special shape balloon." These sights make getting up early on a frosty December morning very well worth it."

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