Singer-Songwriter Greg Brown in his song "My Home in The Sky" sings --'Some say that heaven is beyond the blue but I've done some lookin and I don't think that's true. Lookin up from the land, birds and clouds floating by, I'd have to say that heaven is a thousand feet high. It's my home in the sky, my home in the sky, the hawks make the circles through which the swallows fly."
Whenever that song comes on my I-pod I will forever think of our flight with Damien and his fantastic crew. My wife and I have spent over twenty years visiting the Black Hills but this was the first from the air. We had a fantastic time and highly recommend "Black Hills Balloons" for what could be a once in a life time experience, although we are talking about a return ride.
The experience starts about 5:15 in the morning when you meet the crew, to be transported to the launch site where we watched as the crew worked as a well oiled machine getting everything unloaded and put together. I must say that the ground crew were a joy to watch as they seemed to delight in what they were doing and made a point to take photos of the passengers before we took off.
Our Pilot Damien who is also co-owner with his wife was great in explaining what he was doing along with pointing out items of interest. The thing that hits you first is how quiet it is other the occasional blast of the burner or the barking of a dog at a contraption invading his domain even if it's 500 feet above him. We spotted deer and elk along the way but the thing that thrilled me was looking down and seeing that we were just clearing the top of those beautiful Black Hills Pines.
The down side to this attraction is the price, which for a family of four would probably be cost prohibitive but with that said if you can swing it there is no doubt that the children will be talking about it for a long time. The other is that this attraction is weather dependent and "Black Hills Balloons" takes safety first so there is that possibility of canceled or delayed flights.
Thanks to Damien and his crew for a wonderful experience as it was easy to see that their "Home is in the Sky"