Once in a Lifetime Travel Opportunity in New York Cityby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 25 Jul 2008 07:00 PM Have you ever dreamed of traveling through the air like Curious George and the Man with the Yellow Hat--clutching a handful of balloons and letting the wind and some helium provide the fuel for the ride of your life? My preschooler does. Each and every time she reads her Curious George book or watches the famous monkey's movie she begs me to buy her enough balloons so she too can fly through the air like her favorite marsupial. Typically, I tell her that she is a "big girl" and it would take thousands of helium filled balloons for her to get off the ground. Only now I know differently. I don't need to gather thousands of colorful balloons to make her dream come true; rather, all I need to do is take her to New York's Central Park. That's where she can rise 30 stories above the booming metropolis and go eye to eye with winged friends. The opportunity comes via AeroBalloon, which began operations today in the world-famous park. For $25 per adult and $17.50 for kids you can board a wicker basket attached to gigantic helium filled balloon. It's not a hot air balloon--there's no roaring flame--rather you ride silently in a massive balloon filled with an inert, nonflammable gas. And while you won't be soaring for miles over the 843-acre park, you will experience the next best thing. According to operators, the 45-foot-diameter envelope is tethered to the ground and raised and lowered by a winch allowing paying customers a 10-minute hover above the park. Before you write off the experience, you should know that you still get spectacular views of Central Park and the bustling streets of the Big Apple, or you can wait until sundown and float above dazzling city lights, according to the AeroBalloon website. The flight includes a view of upscale hotels and luxury high-rise apartments that border the park, and if you are lucky you can catch sight of celebrities walking their dogs. If you are interested you'll have to act quickly. The purpose of the rides is to mark the 150th anniversary of Central Park, and will only be offered for a limited time. Planning a trip to New York? Check out these other Big Apple-related articles: New York's Must-See Attractions---The Statue of Liberty How To Eliminate Waiting in Long Lines For Lady Liberty Summer Travel: Tourism Heats Up in New York One More Reason to Visit New York City Traveling to New York? Think Broadway New York's Must-See Attractions---The Empire State Building Little People in the Big Apple: Central Park Zoo and FAO Schwartz Little People in the Big Apple: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Patriotic Travel Destinations-Taking A Cruise of New York Where To Get Your Chocolate Fix In New York Summer in New York: Superheroes Invade Gotham Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevanttravel tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags Central Park, family travel, helium balloon, new york, new york city Discuss this article
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