A First Balloon Ride

Here's a blog entry detailing a typical experience of a first balloon ride at a small balloon festival. The event is the High Hopes Balloon Festival in Milford, NH. Held in late June, it benefits the High Hopes charity providing special wishes to sick children.

The narrator does a great job describing what goes on throughout the flight, and every step is illustrated with clear photos. Her favorite part was the reflection of the balloon in a pond flown over.

Ironically the first photo includes her sister unpacking the balloon, and later they fly right over the sister's house. It's yellow with a large yard and picnic table. Would have made a nice place to land.

Clicking on the photos brings up a larger version. Check out the kaleidoscopic view looking up into the balloon. The pilot is Dan Morin of Manchester, NH. He and his wife Sue offer hot air balloon rides in New Hampshire year round. Here are more balloon ride stories and a list of balloon festivals around the country, organized by region.