These giant baubles lit up Forest Park during the Balloon Glow this past weekend.
This weekend featured the annual Balloon Glow on Friday night and the Balloon Race on Saturday afternoon. People turned out in great numbers to see the colorful display.
Robin and JC wander the rows of balloons brightening the park.
Balloon themes rank from colorful and comical designs, to patriotic themes, and corporate logos.
A perfect night for a Balloon Glow.
It’s Saturday afternoon and there’s blue skies and gentle winds. The race is on!
Ballooning Here and There
Seven years ago when my kids asked where I wanted to go for my birthday, I said Istanbul. Well, I got far more than I asked for. One of the most unique and memorable travel experiences of my life was viewing the weird-looking landscape of Cappadocia, Turkey, in a hot air balloon. I had been up a few times before in the states, but nothing compared to this.
Getting into the Basket
It took at “village” to get me hoisted into the wicker basket for my first balloon ride, that took off from the Capitol grounds in Jefferson City.
Cappadocia, Turkey. It was not a pretty sight watching me get into this balloon either. But I reminded myself it was 5:30 a.m. and I wasn’t up to full strength yet.
I finally made it into the wicker basket, though my awkward boarding greatly amused the other passengers, including JC, Robin and Tom. (There’s something about the wicker basket that reminds me of the one we used to haul wet clothes to the backyard clothes line when I was a kid.)
A hundred balloons launch each day in Cappadocia for a sunrise view of the strange rock formations.
Gentle breezes make it possible to balloon all year round. Our pilot was so precise, he landed the craft on the back of a pickup truck, saving time in loading.
The first thing I notice after getting into a balloon basket—after collecting myself—is just how quiet and peaceful it is floating through the air. The only sound comes from the balloon being fired up to gain altitude.
I think i’d prefer seeing the world with the breeze in my hair to seeing it from inside a rocket ship. What a glorious vantage point.