Our Balloon Ride — Up With 10 Passengers, Down with 6…What’s Up (or Down) With That?
All my life I’ve looked forward to someday going up in a hot air balloon. I think it all may have started with my early obsession with the Wizard of Oz. 
When we were kids, there were no videos and when this movie came on TV once a year, it was a big deal. We carefully laid out blankets in front of the black and white TV (we knew that OZ was in color but it didn’t matter to us), popped popcorn, and nothing could drag us away.
Last year, I bought a prepaid discounted balloon ride package from Zozi (a now-defunct company like Groupon) and intented to use it last summer. When our grandson got very sick, we completely put this out of our minds.
Finally, a couple of Saturdays ago, John and I finally found ourselves stepping into a big wicker basket ready to go up in a multi-colored balloon, lifted up by nothing more than hot air, to float where ever the breeze happened to blow us.
On that early morning, after a week of sky-cleaning Santa Ana winds, we met at the Perris Airport at 6 am. We got into a big Ford passenger van and were driven south and east to McCall Road where, in a large undeveloped field, four large balloons, some from Perris, others up from Temecula, were being laid out on huge tarps to begin the inflation process.
The ride was relaxing and everything I’d hoped it would be. We were fortunate enough to have 4 parachutists with us…2 with “flying Squirrel” suits and two that went straight down. The two with the winged suits really soared down and out quite a way north from the balloon. It really looks like they were flying and they really took their time before they pulled their chutes.
I whole-heartedly recommend a ballon ride to anyone! John is afraid of heights and gets scared on a Ferris wheel, but, he didn’t get a bit nervous on our high flying adventure. It really feels and is safe and is a great way to spend an early, clear morning.
