Up, Up, & Away In My Beautiful Balloon

I’ve been nagging my hubby to write a post on our balloon ride that was my birthday/anniversary surprise back in October and he finally did it! It was very cool and unexpected and even though he’s kind of factual about the whole thing it was a very sweet and romantic gesture particularly considering that this is the same guy who gave me corn dogs for Christmas one  year. It’s the best kind of gift for an author, a new experience I can write about.

Colleen

 

Oh, He Floats Through the Air…!

 

One of the most memorable events of the year 2014 that I had the pleasure to experience was a hot-air balloon flight across Interstate-5 in NW Salem, Oregon. A flight that lasted merely one hour was actually a four-hour experience. First, we witnessed the unfolding of the balloon as it was laid out in a field. A regular fan blew air into the balloon, but when the heat was turned on, the balloon shifted upward until it stood upright. This preparation process took about 20-30 minutes. We boarded the balloon’s basket, our guide unleashed the cords, and we soared into the brisk October morning sky.

 

 

 

A balloon’s flight is completely at the mercy of the existing wind conditions. We traveled eastward at a docile two miles an hour at an altitude of approximately 750 feet. You can view the progress of our specific flight in our guide’s website: Balloon Flying Service of Oregon and clicking on the hyperlinked words in his narrative.

The pictures don’t really do the entire experience justice. Actually flying and soaring above the landscape along gentle winds was pretty exhilarating. I could feel the warmth of the flames roaring into the balloon. I could feel the surging-upward-sagging downward-then-surging-upward pattern of the balloon.  Drivers on the I-5 were probably stunned to see a large vessel crisscrossing the highway at such a close range.

The guide stated that he never knows where his balloon is going to land. When he found a clearing, he barked into his walkie-talkie to his team below to prepare for landing. As the hot air fizzled outward, the balloon lowered into a neighborhood, then the guide threw ropes to his employees below and they pulled us to ground level. Then we witnessed the entire disassembling process as we assisted with rolling up the canvas/tarp and stuffing it into a large bag. Again, this took about 30-45 minutes.

His van transported us back to the take-off site and we enjoyed a light brunch complete with one’s choice of champagne or Martinelli’s. Doubtless, this was a most appropriate event to celebrate our 20-year anniversary. I don’t know if I’ll ever ride a hot-air balloon again, but it is certainly one less event to check off of my bucket list (yes, even at the tender age of 43!).

 

Brad