Up, up....and AWAY!

If there was ever something to get done soon on my Bucket List (among many items), it would be a hot-air balloon ride. I got to check that one off the Bucket List on Wednesday, October 3 with a sunset balloon ride over Del Mar, California with Magical Adventures Balloon Rides company.  It was a gorgeous afternoon when we met the rest of the group....in our group, there were four, but in total, nine plus the pilot.

We were taken to an open field where two other companies were also launching their balloons that afternoon, then given a safety briefing about the ride, plus how to enter the basket and the position we take in the balloon when it's landing.  All very interesting...and exciting! If you've never seen a hot-air balloon getting inflated, it's quite a laborious procedure that requires about three people for each balloon.  Maybe we lucked out, but it wasn't that cold that day, and with the "hot air" in the balloon, you didn't even need a jacket.

When it was time to launch, it was quite a rush - both literally, and of the adrenaline variety.  Once the balloon was inflated, our pilot instructed us to hop in the basket before the balloon wanted to take off on its own.  No sooner, you're suddenly being lifted off your feet and into the skies.  WOW!  What a feeling!  We got up to about 3,000 feet and it is so peaceful, it's incredible.  As you ascend into the heavens, it gets quiet and suddenly, you are SOARING!  The ride lasts about an hour in the air and depending on the winds, the experienced pilot will choose a field several miles away to land.  All the while we were in the air, the pilot kept in radio contact with two guys on the ground to gauge the flight and the ride...throughout the entire experience, we all felt very, very safe.

One last impression of our incredible flight....yes, that's right, our University of Hawai‘i flag affixed on the basket, flying high over Del Mar, California. What an amazing experience...highly recommended, and something you will never forget.