If there was a rating higher than Excellent, then this attraction would be it. What an amazing experience, from the first phone call until the final glass of champagne.
We had seen California Dreamin balloons in Albuquerque, at the Balloon Fiesta. When planning a vacation to the San Diego area, I found a review on TripAdvisor, and then decided to book a sunrise balloon ride as a birthday surprise for a friend.
We arrived at La Vindemia winery at 5:00 AM in the dark. There were 8 people on our balloon ride, plus the pilot Jeff. The sun was rising as we cruised through the country side looking for the best place to launch the balloon, based on wind conditions. Jeff found the perfect spot, and the crew inflated the balloon.
We all climbed aboard, and started the flight with champagne and orange juice. Perfect! As I looked down I could see that we had left the ground and were floating, as if in a bubble. It was magical. The scenery was stunning. We could see lots of wineries, ranches, citrus trees, a few other balloons, valleys and hills, fog and sunshine.
At one point Jeff lowered the balloon into a valley, and we skimmed across the tree tops. We could hear a stream running through the valley. It was so peaceful. In fact the only noise we ever heard was a dog barking in the valley, and the sound of the heaters inflating the balloon.
Jeff was a superb pilot, and easily floated us through the country side. After an hour or so of magic, we landed in a field. We were immediately offered more champagne and orange juice, while the crew packed up the balloon.
We were driven back to the winery for a gourmet breakfast that was superb. The view from the winery was breath-taking. The florentine cups with whipped chocolate in the bottom, plus fresh pineapple, peaches and strawberries, and whipped cream were to die for. Three of the girls on our trip were having birthdays, so we were treated to chocolate birthday cake for breakfast. One couple was celebrating their first anniversary as well. More champagne and orange juice to end the morning!
It was truly a magical experience, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants an extraordinary memory.