I love balloons....& then there was the long drive

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  Idaho Falls, Idaho
Sunday, September 26, 2010

Well we had an offer to go the Ruby Mountain Balloon
Festival this morning from our RV neighbours that we met yesterday. Yes, we excitedly accepted.  We woke up at 4:30am
and got a lift with them in their truck (Kearney and his nephew
Aaron).  This was so much better than
driving our RV there and getting lost in the process.

We rugged up like little Eskimos and were at Spring Creek by
6am.  While the pilots went to the flight
briefing we sat down to pancake stacks and scrambled eggs for breakfast with
ice covering our freezing toes.

That done...it was time to help Kearney unpack and set up
his balloon named 'Kearney’s Mistress’. 
It is named for his wife and is the only other thing he is allowed to
spend money on that is not his wife.  The first balloon of the event rose
and as per tradition, carried the American flag. 
The anthem played when this was up and the place was quiet except for singing and the fire sounds of balloons lifting.  The balloon then landed.   Where it lands first is where they put an X on the ground.  This is now the spot that
all the balloons try to get to.  Who can
get a bean bag closest to the X wins a bragging prize.  (Not us this time!)

Different companies sponsor the balloons and then they can
nominate people to go in ‘their’ balloon. 
Kearney told us that his sponsor’s people didn’t turn up this morning so
Holly and I got to have a go in the balloon first...for free!  WOW! WOW! WOW!  There were 35 balloons rising with us and
even a Smokey the Bear shaped one.  Each
balloon was brilliantly coloured and as there was barely a breeze they all
pretty much floated around the oval together. 
I didn’t know where to look!!! 

After a great time floating around we landed and Darren and
Emily got a go too.   How amazing was
this!!!  I believe we went up about 500
ft at times and it was just ‘awesome’ as my Year 3 school kids would say!

By 8am or so it was time to land the balloon and we all helped
pack up. Well I didn’t (I took photos instead)...but Kearney understood as he
has had multiple back surgeries and was wearing a special back brace.  He’s amazing. 
Holly and Emily got to jump on the chute to squish the air out of the
bag before it got packed away.

We then moved with the truck back to the oval where Kearney
told us the story of the first balloon aviators and this ended in a champagne
toast (well Apple Cider for the girls). What and experience.  Thank you Kearney!

Now our travels continue. It is now about 32C degrees at lunch time and we are on our way to Idaho Falls (about 7 hours away.)  Then it is only about 2 hours
until Yellowstone tomorrow and the huge legs of travel are behind us.  We will still be traveling a great distance
but not in as much of a hurry.  The Iron Horse RV park in Elko was terrific, though on the down side it did have HUGE ( about 40 carriages or more) transport trains going past in the night which often honked their horn for ages. 

We have now traveled through the deserts of Nevada and I’ve
discovered black is not a good colour for the dust around here.  Darren has safely taken us to the state of Idaho.  Once we have lunch it will be my turn to try and drive for a while
again.  We are both tired and need all our concentration.  The the air is very dry and our eyes sore.

Ok...I drove for a few hours and got us safely to Snake River RV Resort in Idaho Falls.   Darren thought it was very funny that I got to drive through all the sections of road works which meant I had to squish on one lane sections of road with barricades either side of us.  Thank goodness it was hot so that the sweat of fear would dry before anyone noticed.  Ha ha. 
This RV resort was easy to find and we are loving a night with full hook-ups
and proper TV for a few hours.
We are all enjoying ‘The Amazing Race" on TV,   We now
have a really good appreciation of driving in different lands and unknown locations!  In the full hook-up section we are located closer to the road than the dry camping ground but it is worth it.  Great internet connection here and we are going to make the most of the facilities (such as washing) before we go dry camping tomorrow at Yellowstone.  The dry camp area of the park is lovely (beautiful grass and trees and a great kids playground). 
It's been a very big day. Time to go to bed.

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Post your own travel photos for friends and family More Pictures

Dawn breakfast	Holly getting icy knees unstrapping the balloon	Nearly time to go up	Darren holding for the inflating
Balloons everywhere	Colours	More balloons...yes I was snap happy	The first balloon with the American flag!
We are inside the balloon	Landing time. Swapping passengers.	Up up and away	Beautiful
Amazing	It's us!	Like a bird	Surrounded by balloons
So many brilliant colours	Champagne breakfast	Stretching the legs after a long day	Snake River Resort play ground

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