Large fans begin to inflate the envelope of Heaven Bound Ascensions’ hot air balloon patterned in blue, green, yellow, orange, red, plum and black squares in a Rootstown field. The burners get turned on, shooting flames and lifting the envelope up into shape as four men hold it down and the basket stands up. It’s time for the six passengers from Akron, Garrettsville, the Cleveland area and Denver to board the wicker basket where pilot Denny Welser and his crew help them in. With nervous smiles and anxious laughs, the pairs of women are ready to take the rides of their lives celebrating 35th and 50th birthdays and retirement. Welser quickly releases the tie-off rope — and it’s up, up and away!
Whoooa! Oh my God! the passengers exclaim as the wind takes them over a picnic shelter at the Community Bible Church. The balloon floats past treetops and over the horizon, disappearing from sight.
“I like the excitement of going on an adventure,” Welser says.
Find our annual “Best of the City” feature, which includes Heaven Bound Ascensions, on pg. 28. I hope these winners, which are voted on by readers and a few by our staff, add excitement to your summer. Surprise your sweetheart with a luxurious pop-up picnic in a park from Legend & Lauryn’s Perfect Little Picnic or catch a jaw-dropping Divine Harmony show and witness performers
dancing with flaming hoops and walking on stilts. Maybe it’s being adventurous while dining out, like ordering Blue Heron Brewery’s bloody mary that’s loaded with a double cheeseburger slider, Alaskan snow crab legs and much more, or trying Taiwanese snow cream at Bubbles & Puffles in the unique taro flavor.
As soon as Welser turned on the burners of the balloon, my stomach got butterflies. Even though I was watching from the ground, my heart was racing. The takeoff is so smooth that you can’t feel yourself leave the ground, he says, but seeing the world get smaller and smaller kicks up the adrenaline. The breathtaking sights of nature below are well worth some jitters, and soon peace comes.
“You’re looking at the beauty of our area,” Welser says. “When I get up in the air, I feel so relaxed. It’s a calming effect.”
The Rootstown flight went past farms, the Portage County Fairgrounds and Wingfoot Lake State Park. They saw deer in the woods and hawks flying. The group landed on a Randolph Township farm, and the passengers left with unforgettable memories of floating in the sky.
There are so many more incredible places and things voted “Best of the City.” Readers’ picks include the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, which won for best trail, and Magic City’s Remarkable Diner, which I wrote about for this issue and is a finalist for best diner. I visited the diner during an afternoon outing in Barberton last fall, and the migas breakfast was amazing. Both my husband and I were blown away by how tasty the diner food was — so flavorful and complex! We walked the Towpath for the Fall Hiking Spree, and it was so fun to see so many families and couples biking and hiking the trail. Plus, there were a ton of turtles on logs! We followed signs to take the Magic Mile connector path to downtown and stopped at Ignite Brewing Co. for some beers on the patio. It was such a beautiful fall day, and the Magic Mile made it accessible for us pushing a stroller from the Towpath.
Whether you catch the best free event, Rock the Lock concerts, shop at the best new independent store, Mainstream Boutique in Hudson, or enjoy the best winery, Sarah’s Vineyard, I hope “Best of the City” makes your summer brighter and full of fun adventures.
