(Photography by Clara Hogan)
A Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride Shows Wine Country as Beautiful as Ever
10 December 2017
With late seasonal foliage, cozy wineries, and few crowds, winter is the perfect time to visit and show your love for Wine Country.
In the aftermath of the Northern California fires, images of the destruction have deterred visitors to the area. But locals who work in the region want the world to know that Wine Country is still open for business—and it's as gorgeous as ever.
To see for ourselves, we got a bird's eye view during a sunrise hot air balloon ride. And up high in the sky, as we soared over the valley, we could see few signs of fire damage. Instead, crimson foliage flourished on the vines, the rolling hills were lush with green thanks to a recent rainfall, and we held our breath as we took in the views all the way to San Francisco. Follow our expedition in the sky.
The journey began at 6:45am at Napa Valley Balloons. It was a calm and crisp December morning, perfect for flying, and we had the chance to see the inflation process from start to finish. To start, the crew used a powerful fan to blow air into the balloon.
Next, they turned on a burner flame to build pressure in the balloon until it eventually sat upright.
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As our balloon was being inflated, another took off in the distance.
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Eventually, we gathered into the basket and lifted off gracefully, taking in this view as we soared higher.
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Up we go! This balloon would take off shortly after ours. Our pilot, Bob Swanson, who has flown hot air balloons for 38 years, steered by, blasting the burner and gauging wind direction.
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We climbed to a peak of 2,500 feet, going as fast as 16 miles per hour, while taking in sweeping views over Napa and Sonoma. "Everyone's pleasantly surprised when they get up here," Swanson says. "They expect everything to be black."
▲The ride was quiet and serene.
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The majority of harvesting is done by December, though many vines were teeming with late blooming foliage that radiated a red hue.
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A few other balloons drifted in the distance. "During normal times, you'd see at least 10 other balloons out here. Everyone's hurting a bit—restaurants and wineries and tours—but people will come back," Swanson says. "We're all open and waiting."
▲Napa Valley Balloons stopped flights for about a week during the fires, but the company was eager to get back up in the air since October, with its changing leaves, is typically the busiest month.
▲Even areas that had burned during the fire, which Swanson pointed out, were hard to see as they had been covered by green grass thanks to recent rain.
▲After an hour flight, taking us roughly 12 miles, our pilot looked for a spot to land, eventually touching down at a winery. Each trip is different, and pilots never know exactly where the group might end up.
▲A crew follows along below to assist with the landing as needed.
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Once on the ground, there's only one natural stop after a memorable outing. Wine, of course. Cheers!
▲// A standard hot air balloon package includes pre-flight coffee, tea and pastries, one hour in the sky, and a post-flight breakfast at Domaine Chandon Winery. Tickets ($239) are available at Napa Valley Balloons.
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