Lifelong residents of Michigan, my husband and I now divide our time between the Great Lakes State and California, where we keep our eyes peeled for great travel finds. Our months spent in the San Francisco Bay Area are flooded with visitors. When we aren’t looking to amuse ourselves, we are anxious to explore ways to entertain guests. We’ve done the Napa Valley Wine Train, delved dozens of museums, luxuriated at Tahoe ski resorts, shopped every store or outlet within a hundred miles, and walked parks and historic sites too numerous to count.

To be sure, Northern California boasts hundreds of opportunities for fun and frolic. But when friends visiting from Florida suggested a balloon ride over Napa Valley, it took some convincing before this acrophobic relented. I am such a coward about heights that years ago when I climbed to the Playing Field at Chichen Itza (without once looking behind me), I nearly succumbed to a panic attack upon finally turning around and realizing how high I was. Stark terror induced me to hand my purse to a total stranger to carry down the stairs so I could use both hands to cling to the smoothly worn, unrailed steps as I crawled back to earth. I still have nightmares.

Watching the balloons inflate prior to liftoff 

The size of the balloons came as a surprise 

The view from the basket

Since ballooning relied on the skills of someone else – as compared, say, to parachuting - and since the basket placed a barrier - however illusory - between me and the drop to my death, I decided to chance it.

Let’s start with the downsides of balloon rides (besides the altitude). It isn’t an inexpensive little side trip. It runs between $230 and $250 per person, although there are internet specials. You can boost the price to over a thousand if you want to impress that special someone with a private champagne flight for two. Pretty romantic stuff.

Assuming you’ve decided it’s worth the splurge, you need a rainless day AND you must arrive at 6:30 a.m. Depending upon where you are driving from (for us it was Dublin, CA) that meant setting the alarm for the uncivilized hour of 4:30 a.m. Balloon pilots catch the morning wind patterns. Getting up in the dead of night on one occasion I could have shrugged off, but we had our scheduled ride cancelled twice because of rain and storms. The good news? That’s unusual, and third time was a charm.

Another successful launch

Drifting over the city

We started the adventure by congregating at the Napa General Store where we indulged in a light breakfast of muffins, coffee and tea. Go light on the drinks and use the restrooms because they’re the last ones you will see for a couple of hours.

We were assigned a pilot. Ours was Jonathon, a British transplant to wine country. We were driven by van to the launch site about fifteen minutes away. There it became apparent why this trip was a bit pricy; I had no idea the complexity of the operation. I was awestruck by the size of the balloons in various stages of inflation. It takes a significant crew to get them floating. Watching the contraptions expand and prepare for take-off was a fascinating part of the experience.

The dream manor I picked from the air

Once aloft someone asked Jonathon how long he’d been flying and he said “Including today, almost three weeks.” He didn’t mention until later that in an earlier life he’d been a pilot with the Royal Air Force. My confidence crashed further when he casually mentioned we had no steering capabilities. He described landing as a planned crash. We were at the whims of the breezes as to where we came down.

But the views! I had never enjoyed Napa Valley’s beauty from a bird’s perspective. Spectacular hardly does it justice. Floating above vineyards that resembled a patchwork quilt I wanted to sell my condo and buy a place in Napa. I’d probably have considered it more seriously if I had a couple of million extra dollars lying around. From high above the valley Jonathon pointed out the Mondavi compound and several other vineyards, as well as mountains, towns and other points of interest. From the air I staked my claim to a charming manor. It’s easy to dream when your head is in the clouds.

Breathing in a view of the mountains

A safe crash landing

Back on terra firma, we celebrated our successful landing with a champagne and mimosa brunch in the courtyard of the General Store. When it was time to leave I admitted it was a touristy trap I was happy to have fallen into. I didn’t expect to be nearly as impressed as I was. A balloon ride isn’t something I’d treat myself to every week, but what a marvelous special occasion.

Waiting for the crew to pack up the balloon

If you are going: The ideal months for ballooning are from April through September because there is little chance of rain. If you are going later (as we were) check out the week’s weather forecast before booking. You can always reschedule, but it’s not much fun to get up at 4:30 a.m. for a no-go. If you are staying in the Valley, you may squeeze in a few extra winks and get picked up at your hotel.

Three companies that offer balloon rides:
Balloons Above the Valley, meeting location 540 Main Street, Napa, 800.464.6824, info[at]balloonrides.com.
Napa Valley Balloons, Inc, 6795 Washington Street, Yountville, 800.253.2224, info[at]napavalleyballoons.com.
Bonaventura Balloon Company, P.O. Box 150, Oakville, CA 94562, 800.FLY.NAPA. flynapa[at]bonaventuraballoons.com.

Julie Albrecht Royce, Travel Adventures Editor, is the author of Traveling Michigan's Sunset Coast and Traveling Michigan's Thumb, both published by Thunder Bay Press. She writes a monthly column for Wandering Educators.

All photos courtesy and copyright Bob & Julie Royce