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Napa Valley Drifters Hot Air Balloon
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
16 reviews for Napa Valley Drifters Hot Air Balloon
"Just some good ole boys...Never meanin no harm..." That kept going through my head all morning, watching Terry and his crew, Jeff and Al, work to make our balloon experience safe and fun. Terry pulled up to our hotel in his old pick-em-up truck at 6:00 a.m. We then swung by and picked up Jeff who was literally pluckin his geetar in his driveway, waiting for us. Then Terry took us to 7-11 for pre-flight beverages. Trust me folks, this ain't your fancy schmancy outfit and that's exactly the way I like it.
These guys are locals, born and raised (cept Al). They know all about Napa AND all about wine making too! Treating us to some very knowledgable info on the process (did you know they harvest at night? Keeps the grapes and the workers cooler). All the guys have day jobs too. They do the ballooning because they love it and this company btw was cheaper than the others. When I mentioned that fact to Terry, he actually seemed shocked. Hope I didn't ruin that low cost for the rest of you folks.
The best part, aside from the friendliness of the guys, was that me and hubby had a private trip. The basket was tiny, just big enough for Amazon me, my brawny hubby, and Terry who apologized frequently for reaching around butts and legs to turn gas levers.
We had a great sunrise trip. We were the first balloon up and got to see all the others from the air gassing up and making their ascent and we got to catch the sun rising over the hills, shining down on the beautiful reds and golds of the vineyards (did I mention that Fall in Napa is gorgeous?). One piece of advice, dress warm and wear gloves! My hands were freezing from all the picture taking I was doing. After an hour and about 4.5 miles, Terry and crew landed us safely in someones yard, successfully missing all the surrounding vineyards (balloonists are completely at the mercy of the wind and will land where they can).
Terry dropped his crew off at home so they could go on with their "day jobs", then took us to get a Chai latte, finally dropping us at our hotel and presenting us with a bottle of chilled champagne and a balloonists prayer (which was kinda erotic...all about the wind caressing and the sun kissing, etc.). Then he was headed off to his day job at a winery.
This is small town, home-grown at its finest. No big breakfasts, no in-air pix, etc. Just personal attention, great attitude, and people who love what they are doing (and have for what, 23 years?). "Makin their way...the only way they know how...."
Fantastic! I took my wife on a balloon ride on our Honeymoon. Terry was great to deal with over the phone and answered all of my questions before we booked the trip. The day before we talked and he made sure that we were still on for the trip, the next morning at 4:30 am he picked us up at the hotel and took us to the launch site. Terry let us help set up the balloon and took pictures of us helping, something that you will not get with the bigger companies. During the set up Terry and the crew explained what they were doing and why, like sending the little black balloon up to test the wind currents. When we got up in the air it was just me, my wife and Terry, this is the way to do this, so pay the extra. The best part of the flight was being the first balloon in the air and seeing the "money shot" of the sun coming up over the mountains. I realized that going with Napa Valley Drifters was the right choice when I saw the people crammed in the other balloons-they looked like flying buses.
Terry and crew,all of them are locals, took us back to the hotel on the back roads and pointed out some local vineyards. Over coffee at the hotel they helped us plan the rest of our day.
My great aunt, mother and I booked this event back in April. I used yelp and decided to go with Napa Valley Drifters Hot Air Balloon.
We were picked up at very early hours on that morning (I think it was around 4:30...) at nearby hotel in Napa. Thereafter, we were taken to the site where Terry and his crews set up the balloon and get ready for take off. The crews were on time, and we headed right over the the site. Everything went smoothly. Every crews including Terry were really nice and I knew we were in good hands.
Unfortunately, the sky wasn't too clear that morning, so our trip was longer since they needed a good place to land. I think it's a good thing since we got extra 20 minutes of floating above the Napa Valley.
While we were up in the air, our pilot, Bob, was able to answer questions we had about Napa Valley, which was pretty nice. I'm known to be an acrophobia, but it was totally worth it!
Another great thing about our tip was that we weren't squeezed into a tiny basket like how I saw other vendors do with their passengers. We weren't "sardines in the cans" and just enjoy watching the beautiful views and feeling refreshing air.
Once the trip is over, we were taken back to the hotel along with a bottle of Champagne :-)
My mother has been on many hot-air balloon rides, and she approved this one! yay!
I booked this Hot Air Balloon ride about 2 weeks before my trip to Napa after reading all the great reviews from Yelp. Terry, the owner/pilot answered the phone and he was very friendly and informative on phone answering questions such as where we launch from (Yountville) and if weather is bad Yolo County Airfiield.
I mentioned that I would only want the ride if I could launch from Yountville and he said that's not a problem. I booked on the phone for my gf and I for 11/20.
On 11/20 around 5:50AM I gave Terry a call to see if we were able to fly since the weather didn't look to well. He said to fly from Yountville would not be good and we should try again tomorrow.
On 11/21 around 6AM I called Terry again and he said we were a go and that he pick us up from our hotel at 6:30am. Terry and his crewed arrived right at 630 and took us to our Yountville lauch site.
Terry and his crew were friendly and seemed to know alot about the Napa Valley region as they are local guys and grew up in the area.They offered suggestions for restaurants and wineries as well as interesing facts.
The ride was breathtaking, and it was so nice to have a basket with just my gf and I. We passed a few other balloons in the sky and saw up to 16 people crammed into other baskets. We were comfortable in our basket and able to move around to see all the sides and views.
After the ride they dropped us off back at our hotel but forgot to bring the champagne bottle. Terry was on it and said not to worry and he'll be back to drop it off at our hotel. He was true to his word and when I got back to my room that evening a bottle of champagne was there.
They are a great bunch of guys who really seem to love what they do and it'll translate to a great hot air balloon ride. I would recommend this to anyone in the Napa Valley area looking for a hot air balloon ride.
My wife and I went to Sonoma for our honeymoon and wanted to start the week with a hot air balloon ride. We wanted a good price, we didn't care about the beignets ("free breakfasts," etc), and we wanted a quality operation.... so we yelped and Napa Valley Drifters seemed to be at the top of the list. I called Terry and he helpfully suggested early in the week because we would be jet lagged (and up early, anyway) and also to accommodate any weather issues.
After going on the ride, we both were very very happy with the results. Our two cents is that all of the positive reviews you read here are true. A wonderful time.
This was an awesome way to spend a Saturday morning!
Terry was not only awesome on the phone during the week but he was extremely professional and funny during the ride. He has over 20 years of experience, gave us great recommendations for an awesome breakfast and the Champagne made some sweet Mimosas.
I initially chose Napa Valley Drifters because they had the best website (I'm a web designer) and I'm glad I went with them. Professional, safe, great rates, and fun!
I had a pretty good experience with them, for celebrating our anniversary. Terry was funny, courteous, and has much enthusiasm of what he was doing. He took his time to cover all the novice questions that I, among with couple of others have had during the trip. He was funny throughout the trip. Granted it was a fairly expensive experience for me and my wife, but it was a great experience.
So, why 4 stars instead of 5? Well, Terry's driver was about 15 minutes late when picking us up from the hotel. 15-minutes may not be a really big deal, but when considering being there at 5:30am in the morning, a 15-minutes extra sleep time would be nice. Also, I wish they would provide a step-up stool for ladies to climb in, and out the balloon basket. I had no problem getting in as I'm 6 feet tall, but my wife was 5'4" and the other lady who was on board was wearing a skirt... it was a bit difficult for them.
Overall, if you're willing to spend about $400 plus hotel charge, it's a good experience for celebrating a special day with your spouse. It's memorable.
This review is a bit late, but we had promised Terry, Bob and company that we would write them a great review for making my marriage proposal absolutely perfect back last November.
My boyfriend had arranged to pop the question to me in Napa and had coordinated with Terry to have a marriage proposal sign revealed to me below towards the end of our hour plus balloon ride.
We woke up to a foggy Friday morning and set off to Napa from the Fairmont Sonoma Inn. I had no idea what was planned during this birthday weekend and was pleasantly surprised that we were going up in a balloon. I had never been on a balloon ride and was amazed and how seamless the ascent was. Bob navigated the ride through the perfect Napa dawn in which the rising sun melted away the low-hanging fog in the valley. It was breathtaking and one of the most beautiful days I had ever witnessed.
The flight was most enjoyable and I was was shocked and surprised beyond reason when my boyfriend proposed to me in the basket after I saw the sign from below.
Thanks to Terry and crew for their efforts in making it my perfect day. :-)
Oh my, i hate to be the one breaking the record here, but i do hope people read reviews and find out WHY, for this case, I am giving them just 2 stars.
I called the toll-free number on their website (1-877-463-7438) - please note I'm not sure when you call the toll-free #, if an answering service is what you get connected to, not the owners - but this guy Terry ("IT'S TERRY WITH A 'T'!!" he grunts), just gave me the "will you call us back, we're really busy right now, it's Sunday and just call us back during business hours..." reply to my inquiries about availability for the week.
I just about dropped my jaw when I got this reply. I was in fact explaining that I'm doing a travel video for Lonely Planet and am highly considering including Napa Valley Drifters. Nothing was mentioned about asking for a comp (in fact we are funded for this event), but from the moment he picked up the phone to answer, I can already tell he was pissed. Not a good start here folks.
Granted, he was busy, and he was pissed. But do I deserve that treatment? No. And to think I was thisclose to sending the competition a confirmation email who was even willing to give us a discount, but I thought I'd do a little more research which lead me to Napa Valley Drifters.
So I'm sure the flight and all is great as most of you and other reviews online have said, but when it comes down to it, if you can't even establish a decent business relationship with your customers to begin with, what's the point?
So my review is about the unprofessional treatment I received, which obviously led to NOT experiencing the balloon ride itself. And again, I feel bad with this review, but you would, too, if you were trying to set up your schedule and you receive this kind of treatment.
I hope they read this, and honestly, if you don't want people calling you on a Sunday, **you should probably put that on your website**.
Rikki
(THAT'S RIKKI WITH TWO Ks YOU GET THAT???!!!)
We had a fantastic time with Napa Valley Drifters!! Highly recommended. We chose this company based on the great, glowing yelp reviews and were not disappointed at all. It's a small company in that they don't take 15+ people out at once. Rather, they keep it small and intimate (just the way I like it). My husband and I lucked out because it was just the two of us along with Terry (the owner and awesome balloon bum guide who probably understands weather patterns much more than many weather forecasters).
Anyway, you're taken up right before sunrise and go for about an hour or so across Napa Valley. You literally float in the air and take in the beautiful scenery...(don't forget to bring your camera)! They'll pick you up from your bed & breakfast or if you're local you can meet at a location in Napa.
I loved the facts and local history that Terry was able to share with us like the history of ballooning, the relationship between ballooners and the vineyard owners, and the insider tips of the all of the wineries. He knew a lot since he's grown up in Napa all of his life and has been ballooning since the 80s.
Basically, we felt like we were in great hands from the beginning. The whole crew (3 total) was exceptionally friendly. You end the day receiving a complimentary bottle of already chilled champagne.
So I have always wanted to do some hot air ballooning and we've finally experienced it. If you've never hung up 1,000 feet above the air in a wicker basket, and you're not too scared of heights, and you enjoy a lovely perspective on a beautiful landscape, I think you'd totally enjoy this experience and I would go with Napa Valley Drifters vs. one of those larger balloons, unless you want to be packed like sardines or you are with a big group of people.
Sometime last week I had an unforgettable experience of flying with the Drifters along with my husband. The hot air balloon ride starts early in the day at dawn and it was great to see the balloon being set up in front of us. We rode along with another couple and our pilot, Terry. I would say just the right number of people to enjoy the ride...you get to move around in the basket too! He was so informative and continuously briefed us about the Napa - Sonama Valley, the vineyards and about the balloon controls. Our ride was almost close to an hour and the sky looked colorful with 11 other balloons flying in the sky.
The hot air balloon is also a unique way to arrange proposals. We got to witness a proposal that took place mid air! The guy from the other couple arranged with the crew members to hold a banner below near the vineyards and Terry lowered our balloon as per plan to make the proposal successful! The guy proposed to the girl and it was a Yes!! It was really cute and she was in for a sweet surprise.
All in all, it was a fabulous first time experience for me and Drifters were the right choice!
We had a great balloon ride with Terry of Napa Valley Drifters on the day after Thanksgiving. We arrived in Napa at 6:45 and we were drifting gently over wine country by sunrise. I can't imagine a better way to see the beauty of Napa in the fall than gently floating with the birds in a silent balloon (interrupted only by the occasional blast of hot air).
Terry is both the owner and main pilot. He grew up in Napa so he was a great guide to all the little things we could see below us. The ground crew was professional and friendly. The experience was very personal, unlike many of the large "cattle car" balloon operators in the area. Napa Drifters only has small (4-6 passenger) baloons so it's always an intimate experience. Terry was great about providing weather updates in advance so that we could plan appropriately (and could have avoided the drive up if the weather was inclement). Overall I give them an "A+" -- I could not have asked for anything better!
We took a balloon ride with Napa Valley Drifters this morning. It was really an amazing experience being above everything and just floating along with the wind. The whole trip took about 2 hours. Jason was our flight pilot and it was just me, J, and Jason. Jason grew up in the area and is a seasoned balloon pilot so he had lots of interesting things to point out and the whole experience was just perfect. We saw the balloons of other companies' flying about and they were certainly larger, less nimble, and had more people packed in.
Some things to be aware of with NVD:
(1) Unlike other companies there is no pre-flight or post-flight food, so eat breakfast beforehand, and bring water if you get thirsty.
(2) You will receive a bottle of champagne after the flight to celebrate being done, you can drink then or save for later
(3) As with all the balloon companies, you will be standing for the whole flight, so wear comfy shoes. Also, wear layers: it's cold in the morning but can be warm up in the air.
(4) You get a very wonderful personal experience with NVD that the other companies do not offer... It is highly recommended!
I recently went on my first hot air balloon ride and it couldn't have been a more enjoyable experience. I was so glad that I didn't go with another company that had 6 or more people in the balloon. The staff was very friendly. They came to pick my girlfriend and I up at the bed and breakfast the morning of the ride and gave us a free bottle of champagne at the end of the ride.
The ride itself was unbelievable - it was just my girlfriend, the pilot, and myself. How great is that? We passed by other hot air balloons that had at least twice as many people in their basket.
Terry was a great pilot - he told us all about the Napa area and pointed out various vineyards, houses and restaurants as we flew over them. It was beautiful to see the Napa valley at sunrise. The best way to see Napa is 2,000 feet above it.
I highly recommend this company for your hot air balloon experience.
Napa Valley Drifters is the way to go when choosing a hot balloon company in the area. Our pilot, JP, was very informative of the history and stories of the Napa Valley. Terry, Jeff, and another crewmember were all warm and friendly, encouraging us to get involved in the set up and clean up of the balloon. There were only 4 passengers in addition to or pilot in the balloon, making our first hot balloon experience very personal and intimate.
I wrote a thorough review and over 70+ photos of the event:
http://todo.bradyjfrey...
But to paraphrase our experience was fantastic. We found the crew to be professional and personable - very caring and unique in their adventure. The girlfriend has been excited still for over a week now, and I highly recommend it. A brief description of our trip without spoiling the ending:
"With relaxed company, we reached the site (followed by 2 other passengers on our trip who's names escape me). Another balloon company is on site (apparently the locals are friendly in their competition), and all of the teams prep for launch.
After signing the typical life waiver forms for this type of event, Terry mounts the propane jets on the top of the basket with haste so Jeff and Luis can shift the basket from the truck bed onto the tarp covered grass field. They lay the basket sideways and stretch out the elegant 120,000 capacity balloon for what they call a 'cold inflate': filling the balloon with cold air in preparation of filling it with hot air.
Sheryl takes the farthest side away from the fan, and I'm placed on the side closest to the fan (my body weight will offset more pressure than Sheryl easily). The gas powered fan is bucked into action, and begins to fill the balloon for the next 5+ minutes until the basket finds itself standing upright and ready for the hot air. We break for a quick pit stop prior to launch (yest ye find yourself stuck in the balloon for the next hour) in the airstrips yellow public bathrooms (complete with shower, and at this morning, someone in that shower).
Quickly returning, Sheryl and I hop into the basket, next to our 2 new companions, and Terry as Pilot. He hits the triggers above and starts firing the burners (warm enough that even at high altitudes, you don't need a jacket - and lucky I brought a hat for my shaved head). Before you know it, you've lifted 10 feet off the ground and you hadn't noticed.
For the duration of the trip, Terry tells us the details of flying a Hot Air Balloon, and explains the intricacies of the land. The baskets are heavily inspected and hand woven - with the current capacity of our trip being 6 bodies, where some of the alternative baskets can be as large as a bus for their 16 people crew. The wind shifts more in the low altitudes and can stop you flat when you go further up (as we experienced) with little to no movement. Lighter than air, the balloon flight is a peaceful 5 mile journey over beautiful field..."
