Most of us are familiar with Hot Air Balloons from our childhood, after reading (or watching one of the many film adaptations of) Jules Verne’s “Around the World in 80 Days”. Maybe we won’t experience the same difficulties as Phileas Fogg -after all we won’t have to worry about the clock ticking- but we will definitely experience the same excitement of a Hot Air Balloon flight with the 21st century’s amenities.
Meet your traveling companions just before sunrise, get into the balloon basket and wait for your experienced F.A.A. Certified Pilot to take care of the rest. The launching varies, as it depends on the direction of the wind, but is always within a 15 mi/24 km radius of Traverse City.
The balloon flies as high as 2000-3000 ft/610-914 m or more. You will be able to see East and West Grand Traverse Bay, the Chain-o-lakes, as well as the alluring northern Michigan landscapes. A small camera or hand-held video camera may come in handy to capture the amazing scenery, while you’re in flight. Upon landing, the experience ends with the traditional Champagne Celebration.
Monument Valley is a famous region of the Colorado Plateau. It is situated on the Arizona-Utah state line close to Four Corners area. Monument Valley has been an inspiring place for a lot of actors, as many movies have been shot here.
Methven is a small town in Canterbury region in the South Island. It is only 1.5 hrs drive at the west of Christchurch, the second largest city of New Zealand and is situated close to Mount Hutt, in the heart of Southern Alps.
Queenstown is considered by many sportsmen as the capital of extreme sports and adventure activities. It is situated in Otago region, in the South Island, New Zealand.
"Jackson, Mississippi: City with Soul" is the current motto for the notorious capital of the U.S. state of Mississippi, which sits atop the Jackson Volcano. Located at the southern border of the Mississippi Delta, Jackson is the capital as well as the largest city in the Mississippi state. The total area of 277 km²/106.95 mi² was inhabited by the Choctaw Nation for thousands of years before European encounter.
Little Rock is the capital of Arkansas and it is situated on the south bank of the Arkansas River. It has its name taken from the French explorer Benard de LaHarpe in 1721. It is a historic city with many museums, such as the Central High Museum, Children’s Museum and Discovery Museum. It also features awesome restaurants and exciting nightlife and offers many recreational activities to visitors.
Located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, St. Ignace is the connecting node between the Upper and Lower Peninsula at the northern end of the Mackinac Bridge. Saint Ignace is the second-oldest city founded by Europeans in Michigan and the third oldest continuously inhabited city in the U.S. It is inhabited by Native Americans, Europeans and is rich in history. With its pristine beaches, water filled activities, entertainment, history and annual events, St. Ignace is a great vacation destination for all.
St. Ignace is the connecting node between the Upper and Lower Peninsula at the northern end of the Mackinac Bridge, in Mackinac County. It is the second-oldest city founded by Europeans in Michigan and the third oldest continuously inhabited city in the U.S. It is inhabited by Native Americans, Europeans and is rich in history. With its pristine beaches, water filled activities, entertainment, history and annual events, St. Ignace is a great vacation destination for all.
Lake Huron, the second largest of the Great Lakes and the third largest fresh water lake of the world, accommodates many shipwrecks. Large number of ships have sunk in the Straits of Mackinac, many of them not yet found. One of the shipwrecks that has been discovered is William Young.
Grand Traverse Bay is a 32 mi/ 51km long and a 10 mi/ 16 km wide bay, divided in two parts by the old Mission Peninsula. The Grand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserve, founded in 2005, holds the wrecks of many ships lost in the area the previous years.
Lake Huron is the third largest freshwater lake on Earth. Its lake shore is 3827 mi/ 6159 km long and the average depth is 195 ft/ 59.4 m. Lake Huron and Lake Michigan have the same surface elevation and are technically a single lake. The Straits of Mackinac connects Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Many ships have sunk in the Straits, due to storms over the past years, some of them yet to be found. The Straits of Mackinac Underwater Preserve tries to preserve Michigan’s shipwrecks. The preserve contains more than thirteen recognized shipwrecks. One of them is the Martin Stalker.
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the third largest fresh water lake on Earth. Lake Huron is separated from Lake Michigan by the 5 mi / 8 km wide Straits of Mackinac. The Straits of Mackinac Underwater Preserve shelters many shipwrecks. Among them is the William H. Barnum.
Chicago is the seat of Cook County, Illinois, USA. It is the third most populous city in the US and the most populous city in both the American Midwest and Illinois. Nicknamed as The Second City or Windy City, Chicago is situated on the southeastern shores of Lake Michigan, in the northeastern Illinois.
Lake Huron is the second-largest of the Great Lakes and the third largest fresh water lake on Earth, with more than a thousand wrecks being recorded. At least eleven of these shipwrecks are contained in the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve. 3 mi/4.8 km east of Mackinac Bridge lies what's left of the Cedarville. Being in a very good condition, because of its close proximity to the surface, the shipwreck has much to explore.
Joliet is a city situated in both Will and Kendall Counties of Illinois, USA. The city is at 40 miles/64 km in the southwest of Chicago and is the county seat of Will County.
