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Colorado balloon flying high for 303 Day

March 3, 2023 by Tony

Colorado balloon flying high for 303 Day
A hot air balloon adorned like the Colorado state flag hovers with the Rocky Mountains in the background. (© Tony’s Takes)

March 3rd or 3/3 is known as 303 Day, a day in which we use the original Colorado area code to celebrate the Centennial State.

Being a Colorado native and having lived here my entire life other than my time in the Navy, I take great pride in this place that I call home. Like many longtime residents, I do sometimes lament the tremendous growth we have seen and some of the changes that came from it but it still is a pretty cool place to live.

As for this image, it was taken back in November when I spent a good chunk of the morning following this beautiful balloon as it floated in the air on the Colorado Front Range. The view of it and the snow-covered Rocky Mountains pretty much scream, “Colorado.”

Moon and balloon

November 14, 2022 by Tony

Moon and balloon
A hot air balloon floats in the sky with the waning gibbous moon. (© Tony’s Takes)

Another capture from my photo session with this cool Colorado-adorned hot air balloon this past weekend. I soooo wanted it to get closer to the waning gibbous moon but it never did quite line up as I had hoped. Nevertheless, it is cool to capture the two objects against that gorgeous blue sky.

The best thing I saw in Colorado yesterday was…

November 13, 2022 by Tony

The best thing I saw in Colorado yesterday was…
A hot air balloon looking like a Colorado flag floats above the snow covered Rocky Mountains. (Tony’s Takes)

The best thing I saw in Colorado yesterday was… Colorado itself – above and below.

My morning photo excursion was not going well. I had covered a lot of miles and spent a lot of time to find nothing, it was 8:30am and I had not clicked the shutter once and that is bad. As I made a stop to look for critters, I looked to the south and saw some hot air balloons in the sky.

It had been a few years since I had a quality photo session with the famous Colorado balloon so I raced south to catch it. While I took pics of the other balloons too, this one, of course, stole the show, particularly when it descended and was in front of those gorgeous, snow-capped Rocky Mountains.

We’re lucky to live in a place where scenes like this are pretty routine. I do my best not to take it for granted.

A touch of Colorado in the air

October 15, 2022 by Tony Leave a Comment

A touch of Colorado in the air
A hot air balloon with Colorado markings floats above. (© Tony’s Takes)

I really would have loved to have had a closer view of this gorgeous balloon flying in the distance this morning but didn’t do too bad as it was. Just another, gorgeous fall day in the Centennial State.

Hot air balloon soars above the snow-covered Rocky Mountains

April 6, 2022 by Tony Leave a Comment

Hot air balloon soars above the snow-covered Rocky Mountains
A hot air balloon floats in the sky with the snow-covered Rocky Mountains behind and below. (© Tony’s Takes)

Another one of those beautiful, “This is Colorado” scenes that we oftentimes take for granted here. Sitting at St. Vrain State Park this past Saturday, I could see this balloon rising into the calm, cool morning air far off in the distance. It was initially too far away but eventually it drifted east allowing for a nice capture. Yeah, we live in a pretty cool place.

Hot air balloons on the Colorado Front Range

June 9, 2021 by Tony Leave a Comment

Hot air balloons on the Colorado Front Range
A hot air balloon floats effortlessly with storm clouds far off in the distance behind it. (© Tony’s Takes)

A couple of quick snaps from this past weekend of hot air balloons I spotted. Balloons are a common sight on calm days and it is easy to see why – who wouldn’t want to fly with the Rocky Mountains serving as a backdrop?

One image, taken Saturday, shows some thunderstorms brewing far off in the distance over the mountains. The second, taken on Sunday, shows a different balloon that seems to mimic the landscape behind.

A hot air balloon on the Colorado Front Range with the Rocky Mountains in the background. (© Tony's Takes)
A hot air balloon on the Colorado Front Range with the Rocky Mountains in the background. (© Tony’s Takes)

Rocky Mountain high in a hot air balloon

March 31, 2021 by Tony Leave a Comment

Rocky Mountain high in a hot air balloon
A hot air balloon flies above the Colorado Front Range with the Rocky Mountains seen behind it. (© Tony’s Takes)

A beautiful spring morning is the shadows of the mountains photographing wildlife and just enjoying being outdoors.

Sunday found me in my element but I did train my camera on a different flying “creature” than what I normally photograph. This beautiful balloon was among a half dozen taking advantage of the calm weather along the northern Front Range that morning.

Years ago I flew in a hot air balloon at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and if you ever get the chance, I would highly recommend going for a flight. It was an experience that still resounds with me today. The quiet aloft was just amazing.

Hot air balloon and the Rocky Mountains

December 12, 2020 by Tony Leave a Comment

Hot air balloon and the Rocky Mountains
A hot air balloon floats in the skies over Longmont, Colorado with Mount Meeker and Longs Peak in the background. (© Tony’s Takes)

From last Saturday’s photo outing. It was a very calm morning with beautiful weather and that meant the hot air balloons that oftentimes take flight from the Longmont area were in the air.

This one was lagging the others which gave me time to get to a good spot that allowed me to capture the colorful balloon as well as the mountains behind. Mount Meeker is the tall mountain to the right and behind it is Longs Peak.

It has been many years since I have flown in a balloon and I keep telling myself I need to do it again. Truly is an amazing experience if you have never done it.

Flying high on 303 Day

March 3, 2020 by Tony Leave a Comment

Flying high on 303 Day
A hot air balloon with a Colorado design floats across the sky.(© Tony’s Takes)

Longtime residents of Colorado know that 303 is the original area code for the Centennial State. We have since added three more but 303 is still the one most folks prefer to have and most-associated with the state.

It is somewhat of a badge of honor to have a phone number with the original area code. Today, March 3rd – 3/03 – is a day set to celebrate all things Colorado.

No doubt some marketing person somewhere along the line put the numbers together and thought it was a cool idea to have #303Day. It is kind of silly but also fun and an opportunity to show the pride we have in our home state.

This capture dates back to October 2018 and is one of a series I took of this way cool hot air balloon as it floated aloft. I’ve shared some of those other images, but this is one I haven’t made public before.

Colorado balloon and North Arapaho Peak

October 24, 2019 by Tony Leave a Comment

Colorado balloon and North Arapaho Peak
A hot air balloon looking like a Colorado flag flies in front of the Rocky Mountains. (© Tony’s Takes)

With a fresh snow blanketing the Colorado Front Range and Rocky Mountains this morning, I am remembering back to this series of images taken almost exactly one year ago today.

My photo drive that day had been pretty much a dud and I was getting ready to head for home. I happened across this gorgeous hot air balloon floating along the plains with the snow-covered mountains behind. The design on the balloon was perfect for the scene – art imitating life as it were.

I have one of the images from that morning on my wall in my office now. You should too!

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