Yesterday, when I posted a few words and pictures about my daughter’s wedding this past weekend, I teased a bit, by mentioning “inflatables” in the title line. I hoped you would come back today to see the second part of my two day adventure in the state of Nevada - The Reno Hot Air Balloon Races.
After the wedding on Saturday, I was exhausted. When my daughter, granddaughter and I, returned from Verdi to our room at the Renaissance in Reno, a few miles away, I hoped to find a pillow, and bury my face in it. So, after a few appetizers and a nice fruity drink in the hotel’s lounge, we were off to bed. I slept soundly until an alarm sounded at 4:30 am. It was time to rise and begin the second great adventure of the weekend.
The Reno Hot Air Balloon Races are a must-see experience for those who haven’t experienced them before. Especially, the segment of the event called, “Dawn Patrol and Lift Off.” We took Uber from the hotel to the edge of Rancho San Rafael Park, where we exited the car, and began walking a dirt path at the outer boundaries of the park, in near darkness. As we walked, we became part of a larger human stream of thousands trekking in close unison, headed in the same direction, in quest of the balloons.
Out of the darkness of the pre-dawn morning light, refrains from the movie, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” were closely accompanied by the glow and twinkle choreographed across the darkened sky. I was awe struck. I tried to capture it to camera pixels, but wasn’t very successful. However, I have posted a link to a good YouTube video by Jordan Herbert below.
Later as the morning sun began to rise, I snapped the following pictures.
Video of Reno Hot Air Balloon Races 2017 Dawn Patrol "Lift Off" - by Jordan Herbert
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