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Well, last year we found ourselves motivated and excited to attend the Adirondack Hot Air Balloon Festival, and it was fantastic!
What better way to celebrate the start to fall than to see these spectacular balloons take to the sky?!
Read on to see pictures of this fun festival and the books we chose to go along with it!
Despite the fact that we went to the morning launch and it was super early, (not even light out when we first arrived), we're sooo glad we went!
Seeing the balloons launch at sunrise made for some great photo ops!
Here you'll find some of our favorite snapshots of the festival and also some book picks we thought of that center around these fun flyers!
If you ever decide to go, make sure you get there early-it's a very popular attraction!
They also have vendors and a craft fair a little bit away from the balloons, so bring some spending money if you'd like to get something to remember the festival by!
They also offer rides in a tethered balloon that floats approximately 50 feet off the ground. A great way to see if flying's your thing!
Even if it isn't, you're not a million miles high, so there's not a huge gap between you and solid ground!
This year, it was pretty chilly, so we made sure to bring some warmer jackets.
Some people had on hats and gloves to stay cozy while waiting to see the first balloons in the sky.
Okay, I really want to read this one-a sheep who wants to fly-it's on our balloon inspired TBR list!
Hearing and seeing all the sights and sounds up close and personal was a highlight!
It takes about 10 minutes for the balloons to fill and take to the skies!
We got to the festival with plenty of time, and took a good look around before it began.
My mom brought her Fujifilm x100f digital camera in addition to her phone to capture the balloons, and I brought my Instax Mini for a retro flair!
The launch took place over about an hour, during which 80+ balloons took flight, each and every one showcasing a different design!
We did a fair amount of walking back and forth across the balloon-filled field; we wanted to see as many of the balloons as possible!
The hot air balloons were eclectic! Some were more traditional, featuring a rainbow of colors, and then there were the 'special edition balloons'- including a cowboy, koala, and lion!
(Below) A Caldacott Honor Book, Hot Air chronicles the 'mostly true story' of the first ever hot air balloon ride!
I used up the film I'd brought for my Instax camera, and then moved on to snapping with the Pixel.
With so many balloons, how could we not take as many pics as our cameras could hold?!
This book looks so good! We haven't read The Twenty-One Balloons yet, but we're going to have to get our hands on a copy!
My mom's top faves included the tulip balloon, one with a dog trotting along the side, and a color-blocked balloon.
When I asked him, my dad said he liked the cowboy balloon best, no competition!
Each year is different, so you'll always be happily surprised!
This is a perfect outing to begin your autumn. Whether you live close or further away, I guarantee you'd enjoy making the trip!
(Below) Lighter than Air is a gorgeous picture book that tells the tale of Sophie Blanchard, the first woman pilot!
This was the 47th annual Adirondack Hot Air Balloon Festival .
This is a free event, however, they do accept and appreciate donations.
The Adirondack Hot Air Balloon Festival has become well-known for all of the breathtaking balloons featured!
Not every shot we snapped was a success...the front of the balloon pictured had a very sweet pink pig on it. Unfortunately, the pig never felt the need to pose. Oh well!
The other designs I liked were a couple of the more classic color block floaters, as well as the balloon featured in the best Instax pic I took, with the reds and oranges!
Such a memorable trip...can you guess what's on our autumn bucket list of things to do now?!
This Young Adult book is fantastic! Enchanteé is well-written and a super compelling read!
I finished all 451 pages in three days and there's a hot air balloon wonderfully woven into the storyline!
There were so many beautiful patterns and colors, it was hard to pick a favorite! My personal favorites of the many balloons we saw? The unicorn balloon definitely took the #1 spot!
This was apparently the debut year of the unicorn, who looked quite lovely in the almost-autumn sunshine!
Post launch, we walked around some more to peruse the vendors' wares and booths and got ourselves a couple of cute balloon-themed souvenirs! A fun day to kick off the start of fall!
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