Take to the Air

Hot Air Balloon Rides

Summer fun does not need to be grounded on the land. The trouble with the world is that it moves way too fast. Slow down and go up, up and away on a beautiful hot air balloon ride. High 5 Ballooning in Derry (pictured) offers trips over the Merrimack River Valley in a near-silent journey punctuated only by the occasional firing of its gas jet. On a clear day, you can see the Boston skyline and the White Mountains as you travel any way the wind blows. You don’t even have to hop in and out of the gondola. High 5 claims to have the only hot air balloons in New England with doors on the baskets.

Hang Gliding

Or, if you like, let your thoughts take wing and enjoy a tandem hang glider flight at Morningside Flight Park in Charlestown. Tandem gliders have wheels and are towed into the air by airplane and launched at about 2,000 feet above the Connecticut River Valley. The flight park also offers hang gliding lessons for a thrill that can last a lifetime.

Soaring

How about a bird’s-eye view from a graceful sailplane soaring about the mountains hawk-style with the music of the wind under your wings? Franconia Soaring Association offers scenic flights over the Presidential Range on weekends. Their gliders have been known to ride the thermals as high as 35,000 feet.