The National Balloon Classic

Last weekend we took a trip to the Des Moines area to go to the zoo (see below) and to one of the coolest events I've ever been to, The National Balloon Classic.  It is held every year in Indianola, who'da thunk it!  Aria's love of hot air balloon has been established for quite awhile, way back to her hot air balloon themed third birthday.  We went to the Balloon Glow here in town, but this event was oh so super cool.  First of all, the event goes on for about eight or nine days.  It consists of hot air balloon races and shows in the morning and evening each day, along with other events.  We went on the second day for the "Mass Ascension."  Basically, we went to see them launch 80-85 hot air balloons all at once.  It was kind of like a fair with a ton, and I mean a ton of fair food type vendors, with just about any food you could ask for.  It also had kid activities like inflatables and such.  But mostly people set up their chairs and blankets, listened to the live band and waited for the balloons.  There was some concern about the wind that evening.  Weather conditions have to be just right for hot air balloons to go up and it was a bit windy.  However, thankfully, it eventually calmed down enough for them to launch the balloons.  I can't even describe how cool it was!  There were teams spread out all over a large field.  They started unfolding their balloons and blowing them up and eventually ascending into the sky.  They all went up at random times and our heads were just on a swivel watching them go up.  Aria was so excited and loved seeing each and every one!  I would say those 80-85 balloons were all in the air within 45 minutes of each other.  It was incredible!  Most of them just had a couple people in them, but a few were designed to give rides.  $175 per person could give you that experience.  Still not sure if I could overcome the heights factor to do it.  It would sure be pretty, though.  It was all definitely worth the trip and definitely something we will have to attend again!  Now I will start the picture barrage.  I have 86 pictures, but I won't post them all.

She was so excited about this barrel train ride.  She picked out the caboose long before we got over there and ran right over and climbed in without any help.  I felt like she aged about three years in that five minutes.

I love everything about this picture!  The clouds, Aria staring at the balloon, the angle.  So cool!

She just loved all the balloons!

The is her awesome beach ball like hot air balloon! 

This picture captures what the evening was like.  You can see 17 balloons in this picture.  This is early on in the blowing up of the balloons.  What is even more crazy, there were equally as many in the next frame to the right of this. 

Of course we had to wave to all the balloons!

We would watch them blow up and ascend and then we would turn around and watch them travel through the sky.  It was so cool!

I have several pictures like this, with a few balloons in the sky next to each other. 

These three balloons did not go into the air because it was too windy for their special shapes.  It was the purple people eater, a skunk, and an eagle.  They never really got them turned around to face us, but there were still pretty awesome!

So, the dog wasn't a fan of us being gone all day.  When we got home, this is how she greeted us at the door, with a pair of Justin's boxers around her neck.