We seriously had 4 days' worth of adventures on the 4th of July. This is the place to be. They really do it right here.
The first adventure: The Provo Hot Air Balloon Fest
This was an early morning thing, but we thought it would be worth it. How often do you get to be up close and personal with hot air balloons? So we all woke up at 6am, ate a little something, then drove to our friend's house who lives close to where the balloons were launching. We met up with our friends Curt and Holly and walked to the field by the hospital where the balloon launch was being held. It started at 6:30 and we got there at 6:40. This is what we saw...
A field of partially inflated balloons.
6:42
6:43
Jack and Eliza weren't quite sure what to make of all of this - enormous balloons and tons of people at a seriously early time of day - so Cat and I explored for a few minutes. We ended up by the piggy bank balloon right as they decided to depart. That fire is hot!
6:46
6:48
6:52
And the piggy bank takes the lead!
6:54
So the launching all happened pretty quickly, and we thought that was the end of the event.
But NO! There's MORE! From the event website:
Keeping in the tradition of the Balloon Fest, pilots will again participate in the Hare and the Hound competition where “hound” balloons try to drop bean bags onto a target laid out by the “hare.” They can obtain additional points through jousting as they attempt to pop large balloons with sharp sticks 200 to 300 feet above the ground. Top pilots from around the nation come to compete in this unique and difficult event.
Trying to joust.
We sat around the field where one of the Hare and the Hound targets was laid out.
A couple of balloons came to drop bean bags but none of them hit the target.
In the meantime, this enormous Coca-Cola balloon was pretty entertaining.
We saw a few balloons touch down nearby and it looked like they'd landed on the street,
but we didn't hear cars honking, so maybe not?
The Balloon Fest was SO cool, and a fun and festive way to kick off our Fourth.
Stay tuned for Part 2... I know you're on the edge of your seats.
I loooove Balloon festivals. They are so cool. And did I read correctly? Did you say: "This is the place" ? :) :) :)
ReplyDeleteJust Beautiful so early in the morning!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun day! Tucker still talks about the balloons & how much fun we had that morning. It was definitely worth it! And so fun to hang out with you guys for the first time! :)
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