East Coast Balloon Adventures

The winds have welcomed you with softness
The sun has blessed you with its warm hands
You’ve flow so high and so well you’ve joined God in laughter
And set you gently back into the loving arms of Mother Earth.
~ The Balloonists Prayer

Our family just had an adventure of a life time – we went hot air ballooning with the East Coast Balloon Adventures.

Ever since I was about 35 years old, I had said that I wanted to go on a hot air balloon ride over the Valley for my 40th birthday. This year, when I finally turned 40, I didn’t think we would be able to do, however, my husband surprised me with a trip as my present! He had been saving up for it for the last few years!

Although we have been married for almost 15 years, I had no idea he was afraid of heights, so the ride was just for me and Daniel (9) and Thomas (8). (I still think he would have been just fine!)

We had to reschedule about 3 times because of weather. It was always raining, or the wind was blowing in the wrong direction (you don’t want to end up over the Bay of Fundy!) or it was blowing too strong.

We got the call on Friday that we would be going out on Saturday morning. Early. We were to meet at the Big Stop at 5am! This is because the early morning winds are the lightest. The great thing is, too, we got to see an incredible sunrise!

We met Seth, Katherine, Brad and Andrew in the parking lot who were all bright and chipper at such an early hour!
The first thing was to release a helium balloon.

We watched which way the balloon floated, so they could determine which direction we would be flying. Based on that, they have several agreements with different land owners (mostly farmers) to launch from their land.

Half-way to the proposed launch site, we stopped again to test the wind direction. We ended up in Woodville.

Setting up the balloon is like watching a well-oiled machine. The crew worked diligently to set up the basket, lay out the balloon, fill it up with air, and get it upright.

When fully inflated, the balloon stands almost 7 stories tall!

Daniel made an incredible video of the entire process. Please take a moment to watch it!

We then got airborne, and it was a trip of a lifetime! We floated down the Valley from Woodville, over Centreville, and eventually landed in Upper Canard – very close to the Yoga Barn!

Actually, as it turns out, Jenny from the Yoga Barn was on her lawn taking pictures of us going over her house! Here are the pictures from her angle!

We floated quite low to the ground at first, so stay hugged up against the North Mountain. We got incredible views of the farms below, waved at golfers and farms, and tooting cars!

We saw the reflection of the balloon when we went over ponds.

We saw the shadow of the balloon on the fields behind us.

From the top, we also saw an Eagle’s nest!

As we got closer to the basin, we soared at 1030 feet and were higher than the North Mountain. We got incredible views of the New Brunswick shore and Isle Haute in the Bay of Fundy.

We saw Cape Split from the most incredible angle.

We saw the Minas basin opening up in front of us! The views were spectacular every which way you looked!

In total, we were in the air for about an hour.

When we landed, the wind took us right over on our side (as we were warned that might happen) and it added to our adventure!

We ended the morning with a story of the first hot air balloon ride (watch Daniel’s video) and a champagne toast to celebrate the ride!

This is going to be one family adventure we will not soon forget!

Book Your Flight

You have to book early – by May if you want to get a ride. Rides are only on Saturdays and Sundays and there are often cancellations because of the weather. Don’t be disappointed and book early!

How long is the flight?

Plan on being with us for up to 4 hours from start to finish. The flight portion lasts approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the wind speed and direction.

How far do you travel?

Because your balloon flight relies 100% on the wind, no two flights are the same, but most flights travel between approximately 3 and 20 kilometers.

How many people go into the basket?

Our balloon holds a maximum of 4 passengers, plus the pilot.

What about children?

Around the age of 8 years, children are tall enough to see over the side of the basket and have the attention span to enjoy an hour or more flight in an open basket. Sometimes young children are sensitive to the sound of the burners, but most quickly become interested in how the balloon works. They enjoy looking for wildlife and generally enjoy the inflation and pack up almost as much as the flight itself. Very small children and infants should wait until they are old enough to appreciate the ballooning experience and are at least able to see over the balloon basket without assistance and with ease.

We had to make sure Thomas was tall enough to see over the edge of the basket. He is 54” and he was the perfect age and height to take.

Do you have gift certificates?

Gift certificates are available and are ideal for birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, weddings, and any other special occasion. It is truly a gift that the recipient will never forget.