I booked the proposal package and it was perfect! Although we didn't have the best luck with the weather (low wind), the pilot was able to overcome that and provide us with an unforgettable experience with breathtaking views. The pilot is very skilled and knowledgeable, and had a ton of interesting stories about his hot air balloon experiences. His wife also came along and assisted with the proposal and took a bunch of great photos of me and my fiancée which was very appreciated. It was very apparent they enjoy what they do and that helped to add to the experience. I would highly recommended this for anyone trying to come up with a unique way to propose. read more

Sky Drifters - Hot air balloon proposal - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Rancho Murieta, California

Holy cow! Weather and I seem to be perpetually at odds but let me tell you, it was ABSOLUTELY worth the wait! I did get cancelled on a few times, I was at first annoyed, instant gratification junky, but then realized they have no control over the weather AND safety comes first. That earned my respect right there. We met at the site at 6 am, not 6:01 or 6:12, 6am or before. Temperature plays a huge role in height and duration of flight. On time and safety are expected and delivered. At 6 sharp the ride started with tip over training, safety, and a brief roll call and waiver check and explanation. Important stuff! The balloon is beautiful and the pilots wife makes sure there are plenty of pics, she's super sweet and helpful. Takeoff is a bit disorienting, part helicopter, part jump. Once you hit the sky though, it's amazing. It is such a great feeling to float. Tim has a great sense of humor and can tell a story with gusto... between bursts of fire into the balloon. I have no idea how high we were but cows were hard to make out, they were that small. The morning couldn't have been more perfect. The landing was a bit bumpy, our training came in handy. Jarring like an old truck indoors a rough road, easy. As we waited for the truck to come and get us Tim gave us a wee history lesson on ballooning, with a champagne toast. I've been smiling all day. Independent and local, experienced and a perfect way to fly. Highly recommended is an understatement. read more

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My husband and I had a wonderful experience with Sky Drifters last weekend. Tim is a very confident, experienced and skillful pilot, plus has lots of interesting stories to tell about his decades flying. His wife Erin is so sweet and made everyone on our flight feel comfortable and welcomed. We were celebrating our anniversary , and she went out of her way to honor that and took some special photos to help us commemorate the experience. The trip itself was very peaceful, and it was fun to see a variety of wildlife from high above. We highly recommend a balloon flight with Sky Drifters. read more

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I booked my flight with Sky Drifters to celebrate my girlfriends birthday and it was a great decision. Hot air ballooning is very dependent on the weather so it is important to go when conditions are ideal and be understanding if things change. My initial booking had to be canceled but rescheduling was no issue and I was able to go within the same week. It is honestly relieving to know that your pilot won't take you up unless they believe it's completely safe. Sacramento is lucky to have a ballon company that can show off the farmland and vineyards. We were able to go high in the sky and low around the beautiful watering holes and greenery. Tim and Erin are a great duo. Tim is experienced, confident and a talented pilot. Erin is so sweet and a great photographer. My girlfriend and I recommend booking with sky drifters. read more

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This was an absolutely amazing experience. It was my wife's birthday present and Tim and Erin made it an awesome one. Tim is a very competent and proficient pilot and was able to stretch the journey as far as conditions dictions would allow for that day. Erin made is a fun experience by taking some preflight pics with our phone and even shared the ones she took with her phone at the end of the trip. Most places would probably nickel and dime us for stuff like that. I really appreciate that they didn't do that. We will definitely be doing that again and suggesting that to our friends too. read more

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Fantastic Balloon ride with family. Slowly drifted across meadows, trees, farmland, beautiful estates. Saw a fox, coyote, deer and several predator type birds. Met with Tim and his crew about 5:30am. Sky Drifters owner Tim and his wife Erin went through the safety briefing with a serious approach. They were very clear as to SOP and safety operations. We watched Tim and his crew unpack the balloon and fill it up. They engaged with our 9y/o as well as the adults in a fun and informative way. Very educational for the 9y/o as well us adults. We had an amazing time. We launched when the Sun came up and the moon present as well. As we came in for our landing we skirted closer and closer to the ground until Tim put the basket down in a large field. It was amazing how Tim (he's the pilot as well) walked us through the landing and bought the basket and balloon down within feet of where he had pointed to from above. We all cheered and the Tim surprised us with a champagne celebration. There is a story about the champagne but I'll let Tim tell you should you fly with Sky Drifters. thank you Erin for the wonderful and free pictures you took of our experience. read more

My wonderful friend had a cancer and on his bucket list was a hot air Ballon ride and so I booked one with these great people and it was just awesome. There care and concern was amazing. I highly recommend them to anyone for a hot adventure and an unmatched experience. read more

What a great experience. I took my niece here for her 17th birthday with her friend. We all loved it. My niece was so excited. The owners are exceptionally nice people. Personable they make you laugh and feel comfortable, I recommend them. read more

Sky Drifters - This hot air balloon ride was so peaceful - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Rancho Murieta, California

Booked a few weeks ago knowing it's February and weather can be tricky however in this case weather was clear and I was thrilled to go. Call the day before as requested and got a recording saying the flight was a go. Called again because I really wanted a human to double confirm but got the recording again saying the same thing. Called around 4:30pm. Around 7pm got a call from the owner to cancel the flight. Said it was "too muddy" and gave an excuse about the recording not being updated. Personally I feel like they forgot or didn't have enough people to make it worth it. Okay I get it but why call so late when it's freaking mud and you know it's gonna be muddy and why not update your recording correctly? My daughter and I were devastated as I told friends and family to look for us and wave. Could have been handled way differently. No sorry or anything. This isn't something people book on a whim. It's very planned on our end as well. Said we didn't get charged and I was told to call back in a few weeks to rebook but now that I've read the other reviews and see that this has happened to others it puts even a worst taste in my mouth. Such a bummer. I'll go with another company in the spring. read more

There were some issues. I tried to call the operator after to discuss. Each time I would start the conversation with "hello Sir", and he would call me a crazy bitch and hang up. Each time I called that was his response. "Crazy bitch". He refused to apologize in writing, but he did on the phone (with the caveat that I wasn't allowed to speak during the call). One star because the balloon itself was kinda fun. read more

Sky Drifters - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Rancho Murieta, California

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If l could give zero stars l would, booked a flight for two on 03/22/24 due the unfavorable weather it was cancelled. We were given the option to reschedule or receive a refund. We opted for a refund. 2weeks later still no refund. I called and he said he change credit card merchant and it got missed but he was processing it that day. Two more weeks go by l call back he tells me l was never charged! I reminded him of our previous conversations. He told me that l would need to prove it and send a screenshot of my statement. I did a week ago he still has not issued me a refund. Today 5/20/24 l called him again and he said oh we switched back to our previous merchant and things got messy, let me look into this afternoon. This horrible customer service and really took the joy out of a birthday gift. I would not trust this company! read more

Horrible Horrible way of communicating by the owner - Tim! My husband had booked a ride for my birthday and we ended up wasting $550 because Tim would not take responsibility of his uncertainty. On top of it, he's extremely rude. They emailed us over a weekend saying they're facing some technical difficulties and asked to call them for confirmation within a short period of time. no messages, no calls. We paid HALF A GRAND for this, saved up to get a ride for my birthday!! I don't expect just an email over a wekend giving updates on technical difficulties. I expect a call or a text, it's a luxury service!! Upon confronting the owner, Tim he started giving us responses which reduced his responsibilities to zero. Please don't waste your money behind this! Tim would neither refund nor take responsibility on his actions. AVOID at all cost!! read more

What an amazing experience!! I booked a flight for me and my beautiful wife who always loves doing things more on the "extreme" side and has never had a fear of heights. Since my wife has had this on her list of things she's always wanted to do, I figured I would step out of my comfort zone and surprise her with a flight she probably thought she'd never be taking with me. I've got to say, for someone who has had an extreme fear of heights, I would do it all over - again and again! The Sky Drifters crew went above and beyond to make our time with them was one of the most safe, memorable, exciting, and comfortable experiences. The minute we arrived, we were cheerfully greeted by Erin (Tim - the Pilot's wife), she took the time to explain the entire process with us and volunteered to act as our personal photographer the entire trip! Tim is an awesome pilot, who's very knowledgeable, professional yet funny, and will treat you like family from the minute you arrive. From beginning-to-end he made every effort to ensure that we would get the most out of our time with them. I couldn't have been happier with the entire experience! We will definitely be going back and flying with them in the future. Hats off to the ground crew, who were fast, professional, and efficient. Overall, you can't go wrong with choosing Sky Drifters! Don't let your fear of heights get in the way of you missing out on such an amazingly unique experience! read more

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I had to cancel my hot air balloon trip before the 72 hour window required and it has been 3 weeks with no refund! The owner keeps giving me an excuse that the company who processes his refunds aren't calling him back. He also said he looked back on his log and realized my refund was the only one not processed by his company by mistake. Today when I called, he said "keep an eye out" and each day I call, he says I will call you tomorrow with no call and me having to chase my money back down. Still waiting on a refund which is a significant amount of money. I will be pursuing this until I get my money back. This company is not recommended! read more

Amazing experience, good communication, compassionate and responsible hosts. Pilot and team were enthusiastic and prepared, our whole flight from booking to rebooking (my schedule error) and flight went so smoothly. Great experience. I even proposed. read more

Sky Drifters - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Rancho Murieta, California

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Let me start by saying we had the best experience of our lives. Not just the balloon ride but interacting with the crew members and the pilot Tim made our journey an interesting one. Tim is a very knowledgeable guy with interesting stories. We very much enjoyed his company. Thank you Sky Drifters. My son said Hi bro read more

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My husband booked a ride with Skydrifters for our 25th anniversary and it was an amazing experience. The landscape was beautiful and the ride was so peaceful. Tim, Erin and their crew were great! They were on time, down to earth and experienced. Erin took photos of us all (including artistic ones) and no one was left out and we could just enjoy the ride. Very thoughtful. Tim shared great stories and we had a post celebration. Skydrifters is the way to go!! read more

Amazing. Just simply amazing. The whole trip took my breath away. I was so captivated by the scenery. Tim was so gracious to keep our flight on a day he considered to have unfavorable winds. Instead kept our flight at a safe height and made the most of it as he could with his expertise. Book a flight now! You won't regret it! read more

Sky Drifters - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Rancho Murieta, California

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Overall trip was fine. Tim, the pilot/owner, told us he was very experienced and the ride seemed safe and under control at all times. However, Tim talks too much about politics and it really saps the relaxation out of the experience. I don't need to hear his complaints about, taxes, representative democracy, gun control, LGBT rights, or Latin American politics. More zen, less rant would have made this a more welcoming and enjoyable experience! read more

This was one of the most memorable experiences of our lives. My boyfriend wanted to propose to me, and Tim and Erin made sure that I was completely surprised the whole time. They made sure we were comfortable and they went above and beyond what was expected. They're funny, kind, humble and very accommodating. It was an amazing day, and I 10/10 would recommend to anyone who wants to go on a ride, to go with Tim and Skydrifters. Erin also took a ton of fun and romantic photos before the ride and my fiancé and I will cherish those memories forever. read more

Sky Drifters - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Rancho Murieta, California

My friend An, now my boyfriend, decided to surprise me by asking me to be his girlfriend on this surprising hot air ballon adventure. Unfortunately, the weather was bad so we had to reschedule it to today. Erin( the pilot's wife) did a fantastic job on assisting us on rescheduling. Overall, Tim is very knowledgeable and is a funny dude. Same goes to Erin. She is super nice and very good at taking picture. ( I've attach some of the picture she took) For all my boys and girls: if u planing to have a romantic proposal--look no further, this is it!!!! Once again, Thank u Tim and Erin for your amazing work!!! read more

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Awesome experience, Erin was so sweet & great photographer! The view was beautiful & peaceful. Awesome experience overall. We had a champagne toast towards the end. read more

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Let me start by saying that this will be a long review so you get the full picture, and the ONLY reason that they're getting 2 stars instead of 1 is because the owner's wife was really sweet, even if the suggestions she provided weren't exactly appropriate for 6AM. My boyfriend booked a hot air balloon ride for me as a surprise for our 3rd anniversary. He booked it three months in advance. He had paid online in advance of the flight, and had the booking confirmation email which told him to call the day before to confirm the flight was still on. It also included what to wear, what to bring, what to expect, etc. Following the instructions included in the email, he called the day before our flight to confirm. No one answered, so he left a message with his name, the number in our party, and his phone number. We never received a call back, so we assumed everything was fine. We live in West Sacramento, so we got up around 5AM since it was a half hour drive to the location and the booking confirmation told us to arrive no later than 6AM. We arrived right on time. The owner's wife, who's name I can't remember, greeted us and had us both fill out the waiver, which we did with no problem. After we had all sat in our cars for several minutes, the owner (who's name I also don't remember) came over and abrasively told us all to gather around because "we have a problem, and it might be a big one." All the groups got out of their respective vehicles and gathered in a circle. The owner counted us up, and said, "Okay, there's 8. Great. I guess we don't have a problem." Someone corrected him that there were 9 people, and he counted 8 again. I told him there were nine people, and someone else confirmed that he had been told by the owner's wife there were going to be 9 people plus the pilot. The owner then told us he was going to read our names off a list, and to raise our hand when he called us. He went through the list and called everyone except me and my boyfriend. At the end of the name calling, he asked if he missed anyone, and I raised my hand. He then very curtly told me that he didn't have us on the list, and he couldn't take us up because it was illegal to take that many people and he had to go because we were behind schedule. He started to address the other group and I said, "But he (meaning my boyfriend) called to confirm." The owner looked at me and said "Lots of people call to confirm" and turned back to the group again. I told him that my boyfriend had also already paid for the flight and we had expected to get in the air. He then asked if we booked through AD360, which we had no idea what that was and he didn't explain. Thankfully I brought the confirmation email with us. He took one look at it and said, "Yeah, you booked through AD360 and I never got your information. This is the 3rd time this month this has happened. I'm really sorry. They're going to be fired this afternoon. I don't know what else to tell you except they're going to be fired, but we're running behind so I have to get going." Adrenaline 360 (AD360) is a 3rd party company that the Sky Drifters owner HIRED to manage his bookings. I responded AGAIN that we had already paid for the flight. He said to give him a call and he would get us a refund or put us on another flight, but didn't offer a phone number. I asked if he had a business card so we could call him. He told me AGAIN that he was running late and brushed me off to his wife. I went over to her and explained the situation and asked for a business card. She didn't have one, but gave me their 800 number to put in my phone. She looked at the calendar of available dates and offered us several, all of which were during the week. Given that both of us work during the week, we weren't able to book anything else, and the nearest weekend was several weeks out. In an effort to make our drive worth it, she suggested several things in the area to do (again, her effort is the only reason there's two stars here), but none of her suggestions were open at 6:30AM (go carts, corn on the cob, wine tasting, etc.). We decided to go home, and after discussing it decided to just get a refund and go with another company. We called after 10AM, which the owner told us to do. When my boyfriend told the owner we wanted a refund, he said "I can't help you since you didn't book through me. You have to contact AD360," and then hung up. My boyfriend then called AD360, explained what had happened, and requested a refund. He was put on a brief hold, and when the representative came back my boyfriend was told that AD360 had sent our info over to the owner BUT THAT IT WENT TO HIS SPAM FOLDER. Now why would you hire a company to manage your bookings and then not make sure that their emails go to your inbox??? He was so rude to us through the entire affair and we could not be more disappointed. Definitely disappointed given his ratings. We expected better service and definitely won't be back. read more

I can NOT say more how absolutely amazing our time with Sky Drifters was! We did not want it to end! I had been so afraid to go up because I'm terrified of heights; I'm so happy we finally got out there! Everything was fabulous from beginning to end. It was very clear that this was a well oiled team and they knew what they were doing, and more importantly, were so passionate about it! There is no better view than the one we had for an hour, definitely the best way to see our beautiful home! Tim was so knowledgeable and answered every question we didn't even think to ask and his wife was AMAZING and took so many great pictures for us! We ended the ride with the Balloonist prayer and a champagne toast and were SO sad to part ways. I would do this a million times over, GO GO GO!! read more

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It has been my moms dream to go in a hot air balloon. Why? I would never know, lol. But after reading reviews I booked Sky Drifters. The process to book online is super simple. The day of we arrived super early in fear of being left. However there was really no need to be there that early as we had to wait on the other parties and also the set up of the balloon. During the set up of the balloon it's the perfect times to get those Instagram worthy photos. If you have a fear of heights like myself it's honestly not that bad. Once you get in the air it's a smooth ride! Overall great experience my mom had a blast! Only thing she didn't like is after she was ready to go home (bad knees) but we had to wait for the after flight celebration. Which is Apple cider and the owner talking about the history of hot air balloons. So just heads up if you have something to do or ready to go you have to wait for the celebration to end and for the owners to return you to your car. read more

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Such an amazing experience!! The crew was fantastic and made me feel so safe. They truly care about the experience and made the whole day fantastic! My boyfriend and I booked the flight for our anniversary and it was a great experience that we will never forget! read more

First time riding in a hot air balloon ride and let me tell you that my experience with sky drifters was AMAZING!. Loved the whole experience from beginning to end. Tim and Erin are just a great duo . They both did amazing job and both seem passionate about their business. Love how Erin was just the great photographer and Tim being very knowledgeable pilot. Also, enjoyed how some neighbors provided Erin with pictures of the hot air balloon . Both together made this first time experience memorable. Definitely will return for another adventure! Keep up the great work =] read more

We had a great time! It wasn't a very windy day so we didn't travel far from the takeoff site, and the views were wonderful and the crew was extremely good at what they do read more

We took a ride in one of their balloons, it was wonderful, professional and I felt safe. The balloonists was informative, funny and really knew what he was doing. I would highly recommend this company for a wonderful experience. Most of all have fun!! read more

We brought 2 of our girls from our youth group. We drove 4 hours one way and it was so worth it. Tim, Erin and Briscoe did a great job!! We were blessed with great views, great trip, and good weather. We got a photographer with our package and we had no clue. Thank you Erin for capturing memories for us. What a great trio of a crew. Looking forward to our next trip. read more

Sky Drifters - Sky Drifters Hot Air Ballon - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Rancho Murieta, California

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Few days ago was my first time on hot air ballon, it was on my bucket list for many years but I had some fear about it, we booked a flight for our anniversary, as soon as we pulled up Erin met us and made us feel comfortable, took lots of pics of us very nice lady! Tim the Pilot was very knowledgeable and made us feel safe, we had a shared basket with 2 more couples we had a great time, Great experience!!! I'll never forget! Highly recommend sky drifters if you want a great experience flying a hot air ballon, also need to mention that it's all weather/ wind permitting if your flight is canceled it's for your safety don't be upset, just reschedule! read more

Sky Drifters - Us on the day we went Erin took the picture for us. - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Rancho Murieta, California

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Really awesome experience, the basket fits 8 people plus the pilot. It's such a beautiful and peaceful ride. Erin and Tim are super friendly, just a wonderful experience all around. read more

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Such an AMAAAAAZING experience! Tim, Erin, and Brisco were amazing! Such a fun and adventurous experience! Erin was a very pleasant, very friendly! Tim was very informative and made us felt very safe during the ride! If you guys are looking for an amazing hot air balloon I definitely recommend! read more

Thanks to the owner who decided to write a response to my review. "It is unfortunate that some people who purchase deals can't deal with or adhere to the limitations or didn't pay attention to the small print limitations at the bottom of the coupon." Instead of offering an apology or trying to make up for the horrible experience, he decided to reply with a backhanded insult. Love it. If all the other negative reviews don't convince you, let his response be a clear picture on his perception of "customer service." read more

Tim and Erin took me and my mom and two nieces up because my mom has always wanted to go ballooning. We had an awesome experience! Tim is an experienced and knowledgeable pilot. Erin is so sweet and took a ton of great pictures that she shared with us. I would definitely fly with them again. Such a great adventure! read more

Sky Drifters - balloon landing - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Rancho Murieta, California

Tim the owner and pilot was confident and knowledgeable on balloon flight, which I'd say is most important when trying something like this. Many of the negative reviews for the company and the inability to book or cancellations were disheartening as one would assume the pilot knows best if the weather conditions were safe, not the person booking trying to check something off their bucket list. We enjoyed the hour long flight over Sacramento and the champagne/apple cider after with the history of balloons was very interesting. Tim does make some jokes along the way and shares a similar sarcasm to me, which I enjoyed. read more

Booking an appointment is a huge mess. I booked one before and the appointment was cancelled due to weather. Understandable. I was notified via email and phone. Perfect. However, when I tried to reschedule it was very difficult to get a hold of Tim or anyone else at Sky Drifters via email or phone. Fast forward 2 years later. I went to book an appointment a month in advance using my voucher. It went through online and I received a notification that my request is being sent in for approval. A day before the ride, I call to inquire about my booking. Tim said the booking was cancelled. I did not receive any type of notification via phone or email. Thank goodness I called or else I would've driven 3 hours for nothing! Tim explains to me that the voucher is only available for sunrise and that was why my request was denied. Nowhere on my voucher says that there are time restraints. Tim tells me that it says so on the website. I look and it says group bookings are only available for sunrise in tiny print! My voucher also does not state that I would be requesting a "group booking." I have no idea what "group booking" means. Alright, brush it off! I inquire about booking an appointment for this week. On their online booking April 15, 16, and 17 have 10 slots available. April 18 has 8 slots available. Tim tells me that they are booked until April 28. (I moved to the east coast and am visiting only until April 21) Tim then tells me that the online booking system is an inaccurate representation of their bookings. He says that there are so many "factors" that go into bookings and that I cannot trust the online system and that's it. He then tells me I can pay the difference which is $500 per person if I want to book another appointment. No Way! How am I suppose to book anything if I don't know what dates are available?!?! Horrible. Horrible. Horrible. I am sad to say that there goes about $300 I spent for a livingsocial voucher that is now unusable. read more

Horrible customer service ! Tim im guessing the owner called me to cancel my ride 30 min before time and was super rude and even raised his voice at me ... I understand he can't control weather issues but that's not the way to talk to someone who is paying you 1000$ !!! I do not recommend waisting your money here to some rude owners . I suggest you guys find someone who will appreciate your money and give you an amazing experience. read more

Sky Drifters are good people. From the moment my boyfriend and I arrived to the time we left, we felt welcomed to be a part of their services. Tim, Erin and our pilot Dan are enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and a fun group to spend a few hours with. Things of note: * Be prepared to call for reservations far in advance. They run two balloons, which means limited space for passengers. * Don't doubt yourself when it feels like you're driving to the wrong place to the airport. Keep going. * Be responsible. Tim insists that you be on time for a reason. Yeah, 6 a.m. is early, but it's worth it. * Prepare yourself for a unique champagne toast after you land. I guarantee you that you've never made a toast like this. :) read more

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Like many other reviewers, we got a deal from Groupon. I picked up the deal to surprise my wife for a flight for her birthday. Dates book up, so book as early as you can! Also, there are weight restrictions, 225lbs per person. I ended up upgrading us to a private flight because I'm 240lbs and after getting in the basket, it's good that we did since it comfortably fits 4 people under 225. We live in Sacramento, so going to Rancho Murieta was surprisingly quick (got up at 4:30am, left by 5:15am, arrived before 6am). The time to be there is 6am... DO NOT BE LATE! That being said, Tim (owner) was nice enough to wait for the other couple until 6:15am, but they still didn't show even after we took off. I can't imagine how bummed I would be if we missed our flight! We launched just at sunrise (FAA requirement) and the experience was *awesome*. One thing to keep in mind is your mileage may vary depending on the weather. We had some very light winds, so about half of our flight was actually just above Consumnes River next to the airport (which was still cool!). After about 30 minutes, Tim was able to catch some wind and we headed towards the lakes (Chesbro and Clementia). If you get motion sickness, do not worry! My wife always gets motion sick and she was completely fine. There are no quick motions, the only time you feel the wind is when the balloon is not yet moving with it. The crew and captains were very friendly and we had a great time. Highly recommend. read more

Sky Drifters - lifting the balloon - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Rancho Murieta, California

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