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.
In Cappadocia Region, in Central Anatolia, in Turkey, a small town, Göreme is famous for its incredible rock - volcanic formations and the numerous colorful air balloons crossing the sky over the city.
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.
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.
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.
Teotihuacan was a pre-Colombian Mesoamerican city, located in the valley of Mexico. It is at about 50 km/31 mi in the northeast of Mexico City. This archaeological site is situated in San Juan Teotihuacán municipality in the State of México.
There’s not much to say about the capital of Sweden, Stockholm that has not already been said. One of the most vibrant and energetic capitals of Europe, Stockholm is a city that never sleeps.
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.
Grand Traverse Bay is a 51 km/ 32 mi long, 16 km/ 10 mi wide bay of Lake Michigan. The Grand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserves accommodates many shipwrecks. One of the wrecks located in the Grand Traverse Preserve is that of the A. J. Rogers.
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 Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes and the only one placed entirely within the United States. It has the same surface elevation as Lake Huron and it is the second largest of Great Lakes. The Straits of Mackinac join Lake Michigan with Lake Huron, sometimes called the Michigan-Huron. The Straits of Mackinac Underwater Preserve holds numerous shipwrecks, one of them being the Maitland.
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.
Τhe Little Sturgeon River, part of the Sturgeon River, is a 12.3 mi/ 19.8 km long river that runs at the outlet of Corey Lake, north from the small town of Wolverine to empty into east of the outlet of Burt Lake. The Sturgeon River is considered to be the faster river in Cheboygan County and is known for carrying more water by volume than any river in the state of Michigan.
Lake Michigan is the second largest Great Lake by volume and the only one located entirely in the United States. The lake’s shoreline is more than 1600 mi/2575 km and the average depth is 195 ft/59.4 m. Lake Michigan and Lake Huron have the same surface elevation and are technically a single lake. They are actually connected by the Straits of Mackinac, where many ships have foundered due to heavy storms. The Straits of Mackinac Underwater Preserve, located at the northern edge of Lakes Michigan and Huron, tries to preserve Michigan’s shipwrecks for next generations. One of the shipwrecks found is Colonel Ellsworth.
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.
