Some gifts come in a box. Mom’s came with a wicker basket, a propane burner, and a view of mid-Missouri from high above the treetops.
Don surprised her with a sunset hot air balloon ride, and she’s still talking about it.
A Memory From When We Were Little
This one is a little personal for me. When my sister and I were small and we lived in Kansas, hot air balloons used to float over our house all the time. You could hear them before you saw them (the burners are loud!), and we’d all run outside to wave. So seeing Mom finally up in the basket herself, waving down at the people below, felt like a full-circle moment.
Getting Ready to Fly
Mom and Don met the crew at a park in town, where they got to watch the balloon being unrolled and inflated.
Their pilot was Jan of Balloon Stormers, a family-run balloon company in Columbia, Missouri. Jan has been flying for 54 years. The balloon they rode in was one of the company’s smaller ones, which made it feel like a private flight.
The Flight
They were up in the air for about 45 to 50 minutes, drifting wherever the wind wanted to take them. That’s the thing about hot air balloons: there’s no steering wheel. The pilot controls how high you go, and the wind decides the rest.
From the basket, Mom watched the landscape roll by: thick patches of trees, winding neighborhood streets, a cabin tucked beside a lake, and the Columbia skyline off in the distance.
Mom’s Favorite Shot
When they floated over a pond, Mom leaned over the edge of the basket and caught the balloon’s reflection in the water. Look closely: that’s the colorful balloon mirrored in the pond, with the edge of the wicker basket in the foreground. It’s her favorite picture from the whole ride, and I can see why.
Along the way, people on the ground kept stopping to wave. Hot air balloons have a way of pulling everyone outside, just like they did for us when we were kids.
Landing at Sunset
As the sun started to set, Jan brought the balloon down near a field on a quiet street. Then the crew got to work deflating the balloon and packing everything back up, with the sky going gold behind them.
The Champagne Tradition
After landing, the crew popped a bottle of champagne, and Mom learned why. Ballooning started in France, and the early balloons would come down in farmers’ fields wherever the wind took them. Understandably, a farmer who had a strange flying contraption land in his crops wasn’t always happy about it. So balloonists started carrying champagne to share, which made for a much friendlier welcome.
The tradition stuck, and the post-flight toast is still part of the experience today. Mom kept the cork as a souvenir.
They also went home with a Christmas ornament for their tree, a sweet little reminder of the day every holiday season.
Tips for Booking a Hot Air Balloon Ride
- Book a sunrise or sunset flight. That’s when the air is calmest, and the light is gorgeous.
- Stay flexible. Balloon flights depend completely on the weather, so rides can be rescheduled if it’s too windy or rainy.
- Dress in layers and wear closed-toe shoes. You’ll be standing the whole time, and landing spots can be grassy or uneven.
- Keep your phone on a strap. Leaning over the basket for photos is half the fun, but hold on tight!
- Ask about the champagne toast. It’s one of the best parts.
For current pricing and availability, check with Balloon Stormers directly.
Was It Worth the Detour?
Without a doubt. A hot air balloon ride is one of those bucket-list experiences that’s even better than you imagine. If you’ve got a big birthday, anniversary, or “just because” coming up, this is a gift nobody forgets.
Would you ever go up in a hot air balloon? Tell us in the comments!
Special thanks to Jan at Balloon Stormers for sharing her photos with us.
Pin It for Later
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