To be honest, no plan existed for an episode on the Telluride Balloon Festival. With all of the other heavy hitters (Mountainfilm, Bluegrass, Blues and Brews, etc.), videos of the other, lesser-known festivals seemed a little excessive. Besides, video space had to be saved for such summer activities like golfing, mountain biking and fly fishing, to name a few. Well, after this weekend, I can confidently say that there truly was no way not to make a Balloon Festival episode. For starters, the Tourism Board hooked it up yet again, providing me with a free ride in one of the many hot air balloons that cruised over town in the wee-hours of the morning. Sure, waking up at 5:30am was less than ideal, but watching us slowly lift off the ground made me feel as excited and giddy as a 5-year-old who just chugged two Jolt colas. It was pretty epic. At the same time, the Night Glo spectacle completely blew me away. The concept of setting up hot air balloons on Main Street at night may seem a bit silly, but with all of the people, cheers and light shows, it became one of the coolest ways to spend a summer evening in Telluride. So, in a nutshell, the Balloon Festival was awesome! Special thanks goes to Colleen and Mike Johnson for allowing me to help set up their balloon and, of course, ride in it. Song: "Skateboarding Saves Me Twice" by Grandaddy