Hot Air Ballooning

As I mentioned before, Jeromy gave me a gift certificate for a hot air balloon ride for Christmas 2013. On the Sunday of our Colorado vacation, we put that gift certificate into action for the best morning I've ever had.

When we drove up (at 5:45 in the morning!), we saw a beautiful setup. In a valley between mountain ranges, a long table had been set up for breakfast. The sun rising over the mountain tops, the cloud-free sky, and the mountains on the horizon really set the scene for the amazing experience.

After chatting with the hilarious greeter of the company, we were able to watch them blow up the balloons. The process was really cool. The balloons were hooked up to the front of a truck via cable to keep the balloon from floating away. We got into the wicker basket attached to the balloon with 3 other couples and our pilot. It was a cool 50 degrees when we took off, and we took off from an elevation of 9,000 feet above sea level (!!!). 

When we took off, it was such a surreal experience! The balloon floats with the wind, so it felt like we were floating the entire time. (I said it feels like Charlie in the glass elevator from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.) The views were stunning. The picture above is a picture of the Continental Divide. 

There was another balloon in the air with us, and it led to some great pictures. I mean, look at that sky!

Jeromy used my gift certificate paper to create a paper airplane. We sent it down when we were 3,000 feet above the ground (or 12,000 feet above sea level!). It soared for a while before landing on the ground.

 

After an hour of traveling over five miles in the balloon we landed safely. I cannot say enough about the professionalism of the company we used! They landed the balloon so smoothly and softly. Then, after landing and packing up the balloon, we headed back to the launch site for some home cooked eggs, bacon, and French toast, with mimosas on the side! The whole morning was wonderful, and I couldn't have asked for a more awesome experience.