We are forecast to have a fine stretch of weather heading into and for the 4th of July Holiday. We have space available on most flights this week and for the coming weekend. Call 518-793-6342 or email phil@adirondackballoonflights.com to make a reservation.
Archive for June, 2010
Saratoga Springs
Sunday, June 27th, 2010Saratoga Springs is just a half hour south of Lake George, and a half hour north of Albany, the Capital District. Saratoga has retained it’s Victorian era charm, which was it’s early golden age. What originally attracted people to Saratoga was the horses at it’s race track, and it’s many mineral springs. Today, Saratoga is a happening place, with many fine restaurants, shopping and entertainment venues. Saratoga Performing Arts Center, or SPAC, is the area’s best know entertainment venue that draws nationally famous artists such as Yo-Yo Ma and the Philadelphia Orchestra, NYC Ballet, the Dave Mathew’s Band, and the annual Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival. Saratoga Springs is also home to Yaddo, a 400 acre artists colony founded by Wall Street financier Spencer Trask and his author wife Katrina. Since it’s inception in 1900, Yaddo has been home to 60 Pulitzer Prize winning authors and one Nobel Prize winner. Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote and David Sedaris have all been artisis-in-residence.
The Yaddo
An early spring tour around Yaddo gardens with our friends, the Leahy's.
Congress Park in center of Saratoga Springs
Spit & Spat fountain in Congress Park
Park statuary
more Park views
One of Saratoga's many mineral springs
The Bread Basket Bakery across from the Park on Spring Street - yummy!
View down Broadway/Rt 9, Saratoga's main drag
The Adelphi, the last of the old Victorian era hotels that used to line Broadway
Wifey's favorite kiddie shop on Broadway for grandson Milo - Zola Kids
Best coffee shop on Broadway - Uncommon Grounds
Two of Saratoga's institutions, Hattie's Chicken Shack and Caffe Lina, on Phila Street. Celebrity chef Bobby Flay, challenged Hattie's chef, Jason Alexander, to a fried chicken "throw-down" for Flay's Food Network TV show. Lina's coffee house was a venue that launched careers of young folk artists like Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, and Don McLean, who is said to have composed his "American Pie" while sitting at a table at the Tin & Lint Bar on Caroline Street.
The Beekman Street Art's District. Interesting off-Broadway shopping and restaurants
Saratoga has a vibrant Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings on High Rock Ave.
Another market view
Our favorite place to eat in Saratoga, Maestro's on Broadway, next to The Adelphi
Scallions on Lake Ave, next to The Parting Glass Irish Pub. Scallions is great for a lite meal
06/26/AM Hot Air Balloon Ride
Saturday, June 26th, 2010It certainly was a summer like morning for flying. It may be the only flight we get-in this weekend with the weather. Had a fun group of ladies on-board this morning that added to the flight.
Audrey & Joy
Lucy
Cheers
Summer Solstice 2010
Friday, June 25th, 2010This year on the Solstice, we were able to enjoy 2 hot air balloon flights on the longest day of the year. The actual time of the Solstice was 7:28 AM EDT. We were up flying a mother/daughter from Selkirk at the time of the morning Solstice, and for the late afternoon flight, we had a proposal/engagement on the flight, to cap-off the longest day of the year.
Tiffany & Judy, this was right around the time of the Solstice
Bryan proposing to Nicole on the late day flight
I thought it was pretty cool that we were able to share this day in a special way with others via our Peacock hot air balloon.
06/21 PM Flight
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010On last night’s flight, Bryan proposed and Nicole accepted, Congratulations!
The Proposal
Accepted
The Ring
06-21 AM Flight
Monday, June 21st, 2010After a rather not flyable weekend, Monday is working out to be a good day for hot air ballooning.
Tiffany and Judy from Selkirk flew with us on our Monday morning balloon ride
Trip to Fort Ti
Sunday, June 20th, 2010Wifey and I decided to make a trip north on a beautiful Friday and have a picnic on the grounds of Fort Ticonderoga, which overlooks Lake Champlain. Fort Ti is a place we used to bring our boys when they were young for picnics and expose them to the living history of our area. Fort Ti’s history dates back to the French and Indian Wars of 1754 to 1763 between the English and French, that in 1756, erupted into a world wide conflict known as the Seven Years War. Both the British and the French made claims on area territory in a struggle for a North American Empire. A little bit north of Ti is Crown Point State Historic Site, which holds the ruins of the largest fortification built by the British on North American soil. Both forts played a part in the American Revolution of 1775, providing canon and ordinance for General Washington’s campaign against the British in Boston. There are car ferries that provide transport across Lake Champlain to Vermont at both forts.
Entrance to Fort Ti grounds
Into the Fort
Overlooking Lake Champlain
Wifey's main attraction at Fort Ti
Wifey checking out the veggies growing in the soldiers Garrison Garden
Into the Kings Garden
The way out
The old Pavilion, built as a private residence by the Pell family in 1826, later converted to a hotel in 1839 to receive the early "heritage tourists" that travelled by steamboat to visit the ruins of Ft Ticonderoga
Park in the Village of Ticonderoga which was once the site of an early International Paper Mill
The car ferry on Lake Champlain between Ft Ti and Shoreham
That's it for this trip!