We had a GREAT party!!
Plan now to come next
year!!
Visit beautiful downtown Ridgecrest,
the Indian
Wells Valley,
and the 2nd annual Balloon Festival
south of Inyokern, CA
Balloons have to launch really early in the morning- the air is usually still and cool - that gives a better differential between the cool dense air outside and the thin hot air inside the balloon...
Saturday's event was a "hare and hound" race,
so the Navy balloon took off first.
Then came more, and more
and more and more
until the sky was filled with colorful balloons!!
You could see them from all over the valley!
And they came down all over the valley!!
At dusk, we gathered again
and the pilots blew up their balloons
for a "balloon glow"
- when it's dark outside, the propane fire
lights up the whole inside of the balloon
and they GLOW!! What a wonderful show!!
Sunday's events were finally called off due to winds above
what is safe for balloons -
the Army balloon launched to test the winds,
as did the black POW-MIA balloon;
then the two Navy balloons went up and parachutists
jumped
from them.
It was wonderful!!! We'll do it again next year!!!!
This page created by Janet
Westbrook
11/9/97