Sail the Open Skies
Set sail high into the sky on an unforgettable hot air balloon ride in Galena, Illinois. You’ll have an eagle’s eye view of the fall palette of colors as the natural beauty of historic Jo Daviess County extends out below, and relax as your colorful balloon peacefully makes its way through the blue skies.
Hitch your ride with Galena on the Fly at the Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa, one of the Midwest’s premier family resorts. After take-off, you’ll spend a few minutes at treetop level; from there you’ll ascend to 3,000 or 4,000 feet above ground, where you’ll be able to spot three states — Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois. Flights last approximately one hour, and a ground crew is on-had to inflate and deflate the balloon — but if you’d like to give it a try, just ask your pilot. Upon landing, riders celebrate with champagne and a “first flight” certificate.
Hot air balloons take off once or twice a day, depending on weather. You can also arrange a sunrise or sunset flight for a more romantic outdoor excursion.
Interested in just watching the magnificent balloons from the ground? The Galena Halloween Balloon Glow is a hot air balloon festival that’s held along the Galena River in the downtown area on the Friday before Halloween. Balloons take off at dusk, and you can watch as they glow in the nighttime sky — creating an eerie but simply magical effect.
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