It was a picture-perfect day for a balloon race at the National Balloon Classic, in Indianola, IA yesterday!
This national balloon competition attracts over 100 balloonists from all over the country to come to compete in a week long event.
We only had to drive about 30 minutes south through the gorgeous, Iowa countryside to get there!
Uhhh, one problem…we got there about 3 hours early. Rookie mistake!
The gates opened around 3 (earlier than the 4:30 sign said) but apparently it doesn’t take 3 hours to set up a hot air balloon for a 6:30 launch time…
Just us and the crickets for…a long time. ;)
Luckily the food vendors were already there, setting up shop. Yes!
We each got what is my hands down favorite “festival” food – corn dogs.
It’s funny how in the “real world” I wouldn’t dream of eating a corn dog, but it’s clearly assumed that I will be CHOWING down on one when present at a festival or fair!
It was piping hot outside, so we set up shop underneath a shady tree and settled in for the wait.
In about three hours, the crowd went from this:
to this! It grew larger and larger with each passing minute, as the anticipation of the balloon launch grew.
To kick things off, three balloons were inflated for people who had arranged/paid ahead of time to take a ride. Don’t know how I missed that boat.
The balloons are filled with cold air to get them inflated and standing upright.
They went up fast!!
When they’re just about ready to launch, someone lets a helium-filled balloon go so the pilots can get a read on wind speed and direction. See the tiny, red balloon?
As soon as the pilots were given the signal, they turned their cold air off, and fired up the flames. The air inside the balloon has to be 100-250 degrees hotter than the air outside the balloon, to lift the basket. Let me tell you, as soon as that air gets hot enough – those babies are off like little rockets!
This is no slow and gradual ascent, it’s – one second you’re on the ground, and the next, you are 100 feet in the air! Ben was completely nauseous at this point. (He is TERRIFIED of heights. Don’t worry, he got over it!)
After the passenger balloons took off, the competitors took to the field to lay out their balloons.
So the competition part? The “balloon maestro” – the guy who’s running the competition” – gives the balloonists a task before each launch (they launch twice a day.) Depending on how well they complete the task, they get a certain number of points. Whoever has the most points at the end of the week – wins!
Yesterday they were playing a game called hare and hound. There were two balloons that launched first – the “hares” – who went out into the countryside and dropped two bullseyes on the ground.
The task for each balloonist was to launch as fast as they could, find the “hare” and drop a beanbag as close to the bullseye as possible. The closer you get, the more points you get. FUN!!!
It was seriously like MAGIC how fast these balloons filled up and took off. They were materializing out of thin air and pop, pop, popped right off the ground! (I love this picture of Father + son!)
Up into the sky they went!
Dozens of them launching into the sky about every 15 seconds or so.
They’re all named too. Apparently you name hot air balloons like you do a boat!
Can you see the guys waving?! HA!
It was truly a spectacular sight seeing them float off into the distance, racing off to catch the hares!
Scarily – the balloonists can only control up and down motion, they basically have very little say in what direction they go. It’s all up the wind at that point!
Don’t they look like little UFO’s?!
Soon, the last of the balloons started to leave the ground. It took a good 45 minutes to get all 100+ of them into the sky. Magically, none of them bumped into each other!
Gorgeous!
It was such a clear evening that you could see them from miles and miles away.
It may have been a smidge on the dorky side, and Ben and I may have been the youngest people there without kids by, oh, 30+ years, but this was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. I got some info about possibly taking a ride this week, so we’ll see where that discussion goes!!!!!!!!!!!!! UPDATED TO ADD: I GOT MY RIDE!!
After all the excitement, ( ;) ) we came home and crashed. A day spent in the sun wears a girl and a guy out! Early to bed means early to rise, though. And I’m sitting here listening to the birds and the early-morning crickets with some toast and coffee.
Oh summer,
please don’t end!
Have a great day guys!!!
~~~~~
Do you have any dorky hobbies or interests?
I say, nothing’s dorky if YOU love it!!
that is totally awesome!! I want to ride in a hot air balloon one day. Dorky? prob everything in my life. Haha.
We live by the balloon field, you are welcome anytime to sit at our house and watch them. Early morning is the best time, so peaceful!
Riding in a hot air balloon has been on my bucket list for years now! I looked into riding one this week, but I don’t think my schedule will permit it! :( I also hint to every guy that I date that I really want to do this… maybe the “right one” will follow through? HAhahahaha!
I bet my son would LOVE something like that – and I wouldn’t mind going either ; )
You should check out the Kodak International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque NM. They have it every year during the first full week of October. 500+ balloons from all over the world come to ABQ. Totally cool. They have a website. You’d love it!
What a fun event – the photos turned out beautiful, too!
Looks sooooo cool!
Beautiful pictures, especially the one with all of the balloons in the sky!
As for hobbies, I enjoy tablescaping (creating beautiful table settings); I belong to a internet blogging group and women post pics of their tablescapes. It’s really fun to see beautiful dishes and different heirlooms that have been passed down plus see all of the creative ways people decorate their tables for the holidays and every day.
The balloons make for some wonderful shots, don’t they? Looks like you had a fabulous time. Summer in Iowa… sigh.
We love taking hikes or walks on trails and just looking at stuff. I love to take pictures of trees, leaves, animals and even bugs. We love to be outside – just this weekend we attended the Cox Classic in Omaha. It was fun to just people watch. We also are big dorks that stay in and watch seasons of The Office. Love that show, even though it is not as funny as it used to be so we watch the older episodes.
Maybe you have said this before, but what kind of camera do you have? I want to get a new one for Christmas. You always take beautiful pictures.
Very fun photos! The balloons are so beautiful!
I love the pics of the balloons!!! Such fun! I’ve never been to this, but I’ve always wanted to go!
Thank you for sharing all of your beautiful pictures! The balloons are gorgeous! And, unfortunately, I have not much time for dorky hobbies, but I *am* some what of a dork in general. LoL! (I lead a pretty boring life, LoL!)