Last year we had a reservation for a ride in a balloon, but it was cancelled due to rain. A big reason for coming to the fiesta again this year was to have another chance for a balloon flight.

This time, the weather was perfect, and we got to experience the ride. And it was indeed a very special experience.

We signed up for the VIP Ryders Club package, which included a shorter line, a breakfast, and some swag:

A boarding pass:

Heading to the balloon:

Our balloon:

Jenn helped hold up the balloon envelope while they used fans to start inflating it:

Hot air inflation:

Raising the balloon:

Getting into the basket:

Burners:

Selfie in the basket. I wore my 360 camera on my head; stay tuned for a timelapse video of our flight:

Liftoff:

Aerial views:

The north RV lot; you can see our coach next to the power pole near the center of the picture:

Another angle of the north RV lot and our coach:

Coming in for a landing:

Deflating the envelope:

Exiting the basket:

Bubbly celebration:

We landed very near the field; the van could have taken us back, but we opted to walk; the blue dot on this map screenshot is where we landed, and our coach was just above the middle of the word “Presbyterian”:

This ride was a magical, once-in-a-lifetime experience. We’re super glad that it worked out to do it this year.