Extreme Leaf Peeping

Bored with humdrum harvest festivities? Then take leaf peeping to new heights by hopping aboard a hot air balloon to take in fall foliage from a completely new perspective. The buoyant airships launched by Worthington Ballooning reach as high in the sky as five thousand feet, allowing travelers an opportunity to view our landscape in all of its majestic grandeur.

Flights launch from sites across the region—especially popular are Cranwell Resort in Lenox, Massachusetts, and Ioka Valley Farm in Hancock, Massachusetts—at sunrise (5 to 8 a.m.) or up to two and a half hours before sunset. Flights may even be customized with the help of Paul Sena, Worthington Ballooning’s premier pilot, who has been heading off into the great blue yonder for more than twenty years.

While October and November are the busiest ballooning months, flights take place during the winter, too. These out-of-this-world getaways last about an hour and can even be launched from one’s own backyard. One thing’s for sure: if the height doesn’t weaken the knees, the views certainly will. [OCTOBER 2009]

THE GOODS

Worthington Ballooning
Worthington, Mass.
413.238.5514