I never knew a morning could be so cold in a California summer.
I woke up around 5 AM this morning, and it reminded me of my high school days back in Colorado. Have you ever been able to see your breath inside your car because it’s so cold? Well, this morning – I experienced the bitter reminder of early mornings of winter in Colorado.
But it was worth it.
Today I had my first ride in a hot air balloon, and I’m not sure anything can really compare to it. We sailed above Napa Valley & it was so serene, I don’t think words can really describe it. The sun was just rising over the eastern hills, and it cast an awesome light over the vineyards and entire valley. It was an awesome sight.
I have to say though, about midway through the ride, I felt the urge to sing the “imagination-land” song. (If you know where that’s from, 10 bonus points to you!)
At the end of the ride, I stuck around to get some photos of some of the other balloons landing while my group went to the van to head back to the drop off location. I figured I would just go with the next group & hop in their van to get back.
LITTLE DID I KNOW…the next group that got out of the balloon was actually part of an entirely different tour group…and part of their package was actually to head out to a restaurant and get breakfast, along with complimentary champagne. However, I didn’t figure all of this out until after I had finished my hashbrowns & eggs, complete with my morning mimosa.
After I had finished, I asked when we were heading back to the general store. The guide gave me a look like he didn’t know what I was talking about. Long story short, one of the guys hooked it up with a ride & I got a little bonus added to my original tour.
All in all, it was a great start to the day. After having some bomb fish tacos for lunch with the family, I headed out to make my way to Lake Tahoe & meet up with fellow photographer Jay Reilly to shoot a wedding tomorrow.
Like I said in my Colorado post, that jar just can’t be full enough!
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Fun things to do in Napa Valley
My On-going Bucketlist | Tim King Blog | Tim King Photographer - [...] 56. Ride in a hot air balloon (Done Sept ’10) [...]August 2, 2011 – 1:04 am
Allison Stanley - Ah, Tim your travels are inspirational! Totally make me want to travel, especially since Napa is one of the top cities to visit on my destination list. It looks amazing there, especially from 500 ft up in the air. Seeing the sunrise over the vineyards must have been incredible!October 4, 2010 – 6:44 pm
Ashley Tillman - Oh now you’re just showing off…lolSeptember 25, 2010 – 12:16 pm
Clare - Like I said before…sooooooo jealous!! <3 your photos!September 21, 2010 – 4:24 pm
Elise Merricks - Wow Tim! So cool! SO excited for you!! <3September 11, 2010 – 7:26 pm
Ryan Cross - Hahahaha ImaginaAaAation-land!September 10, 2010 – 8:43 pm
Mike - I’ve always wondered what it would be like to go up in one of those…I’ve gotta go one of these times! Might not be able to make it up to Napa to do it, but maybe here in SD…how much does it cost?September 10, 2010 – 8:17 pm