Day Three Hundred Fifty: Hot Air Balloon Flight

This morning, Jeff and I got to check off a bucket list item by going on a hot air balloon flight. I have always wanted to do this, and I was absolutely thrilled that we had the chance! We met the crew about 6:00 am and were airborne by 7:00. We travelled about 10 miles, reaching a speed of 17 mph, at our fastest. The trip took a little more than an hour, and then we all had celebratory mimosas upon landing. It was beautiful and peaceful and such an amazing experience!

Blowing up the balloon

Adding some heat

In the basket and ready to fly

Up with the sun

We dipped down into this
fountain, and I got soaked!

A perfect landing

Here's to another great First!

Day Three Hundred Thirty-Five: Admiral's Club

Sadly, we have come to the end of our vacation and are headed back to Dallas shortly. But, since we bought first class tickets for this overnight flight, we gained access to the Admirmal's Club, a First for all of us. Unsurprisingly, the buffet and open bar have been a hit with our crew, and everyone is supremely happy while we wait on our flight! It's fun to feel a little fancy before we jump back into the real world!

Enjoying a Mango Pisco Sour and some snacks in the Club

Day Three Hundred Seventeen: Handwitten Boarding Pass

I have flown more times than I can count, but no matter how many times a person has done it, there always seems to be room for the occasional out-of-the-ordinary occurrence. Today, we had a completely new experience when we received handwritten boarding passes due to a glitch in the system. You can imagine how long it took to do this for each person in our family! One of the things that makes travel so fun is you never know what will happen, which was pretty much how our whole day was today. You can read more about the rest of our adventures (when I get around to posting them), over on our family blog.

Day Two Hundred Eighty: First Class Flight

We have flown business class before but have never had a true first class experience until now. Jeff and I decided to spring for the upgrade for our trip out to Easter Island because it was a long flight, at 5:30 am, after a long day and night of flying and waiting around in airports. It was well worth the splurge to get to lay out flat and get several hours of quality sleep with "real comforters and pillows," which greatly impressed the kids! There were several other nice perks as well, and we had a wonderful and easy trip.

I could get used to this!

Day One Hundred Five: Traveling Thanksgiving

This was the first time we've had a flying travel day on Thanksgiving, so instead of a more traditional celebration, we celebrated at an airport and on a plane. But, we had the opportunity to upgrade to first class, so it was a pretty nice treat! And, as a bonus, our plane arrived about an hour ahead of schedule, which never happens! I'm so thankful I got to spend this day with my people doing what we love to do most!

 

Thanksgiving lunch at the airport with my greatest blessings

First Class Thanksgiving Dinner

Day Ninety-Seven: Flight to D.C.

I have traveled to Washington D.C. a couple of times in the past, but this is the first time I have made the trip by plane. (It is also the first time I've had to check a bag in quite some time. We packed in carry-ons, but the overhead bins were all full, so they forced us to check our bags at the gate.) We will be here all week seeing the sights, and I'm sure there will be many great Firsts while we're here.

Day Thirty-Eight: A Fount of Firsts

This morning, we headed into Dallas to have brunch at La Duni, a Latin cafe we had never been to. Everything was delicious, and we enjoyed the experience very much! Afterwards, we made our way over to the Perot Museum. We have been to the museum once before, but a place like that is sure to provide a first almost every time you go. The last time we went, we completely missed the Hall of Birds, so that section was totally new to us. I tried out the "soar like an eagle" exhibit, which allowed me to see the world from a bird's eye view. The Engineering and Innovation Hall is our family's favorite, and this time I tried my hand at programming a robot using a coding program. It was cool to see it "come to life" and follow my commands. The entire day was so fun, and I loved how many firsts were built into it.

La Duni

What a way to start the day!

Learning to soar

My computer program on the left, and my robot, The Rockin Crustacean, on the right

Day Fifteen: Flight to Abilene

I have been to or through Abilene, Texas hundreds of times in my life, but today was the first time I ever flew there.

Ready for take off

What a view!

Windmills and a rainbow aren't a bad welcome

Coming in for landing