DailySusan Humor Blog

UP, UP AND AWAY

Someone I know and love went to that exotic vacation paradise, Indianola, Iowa, this week to attend the National Balloon Classic and have her first ride in a hot-air balloon.

I had a maiden great-great aunt whose passion was going on a senior-citizen bus tour to the Tulip Festival in Pella, Iowa, every spring. We thought Aunt Nell’s annual adventure was the epitome of a nerd vacation. But balloons over Indianola sounded even worse than tulips in Pella.

Come to find out, Indianola’s balloon event ranks right up there with the New Mexico balloon lifts as a world-class showing of that special and beautiful hobby. It’s a hotbed of hot air! As Ron Burgundy (movie Anchorman) would say, it’s kind of a big deal.

See www.nationalballoonclassic.com

But I’m stuck at home, and probably won’t even get a souvenir T-shirt out of the deal because I made fun of the excursion. All I can do is the next-best thing: a VIRTUAL balloon ride. Try it with this game. It’s kind of fun:

http://ferryhalim.com/orisinal/g2/clouds.htm