A hot air balloon experience is something you should not miss. The early morning check-in and contential catered breakfast are good. Watching the balloons inflate as you get ready to take off is exciting. The ride is extremely smooth and our pilot, Ken, was the best. After landing you are driven back to the meeting place for a champaign fully catered breakfast and done by 10am just in time for all the Napa wineries to open.

While the experience was good and very worthwhile overall, there are a few things the company doesn't list on their website which may be helpful. Definitely wear a hat - especially if you're tall. The burner gets very hot and not all that heat goes straight up. If the marine layer (fog) rolls into the Napa Valley, the company will shuttle you to Yolo County about 45 minutes away. Yolo County is mostly agricultural and not as scenic as the Napa Valley. To their credit, the pilots do advise you of this before the flight and you may cancel without charge. Your flight is about one hour (which feels like five minutes), but be prepared to spend two hours in a van. About an hour of travel time to and from the landing sites, and another hour waiting your turn. Each balloon takes two groups per day. While the first group goes up, the other group stays in the "chase van" for an hour and then everybody switches. Now the first group has to wait in the van while the other group flies. It's the most efficient for the company but can be boring for the customer. My suggestion is to talk to the scheduler to see if you can get in that first group because there's a chance you may be driven straight back after your flight depending on the circumstances of the day. If you're in the second group then you're stuck no matter what.

The company offers a $10 photo from a digital camera mounted outside the balloon that's taken in flight. It's the best ten bucks I ever spent. The pilot emailed the photos within hours which were some of the best shots of our vacation.

One last thing: Getting into and out of the basket can be challenging even for able bodied adults. There are no ladders or step stools - just two footholds in the side of the basket which does move as the pilot tries his best to keep the balloon steady. To be blunt, if you're overweight, elderly, or have limited mobility you may have difficultly getting in and out.

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