34 Travel 50 & Beyond VicTor BanTa/alBuquerque inTernaTional Balloon FiesTa

bird’s-eye view provides a wide-angle look on a destination, transforming

even a familiar place into something mesmerizing and new. Sometimes a place appears built in perfect miniature, like the tightly packed grid of NYC buildings, honking taxis now toy cars, when viewed from a skyscraper’s terrace. Other times, the destination’s beauty is amplified, as a gondola ride over the Swiss Alps can prove.

The following suggestions embrace

aerial atmospheres; get the lay of the land below, and explore further with our travel suggestions, all available from Vacations To Go.

UP, UP AND AWAY> its 1972 beginnings were humble, with just 13 balloons participating. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta now produces a few staggering stats: 2018’s edition saw 663 balloons and some 886,000 visitors. Set for Oct. 5-13, the 2019 installment will feature a “rodeo” of creative shapes, an eve-ning walk around grounded balloons and even a ringtoss competition from floating balloon baskets.

Want in on the action? Rainbow Ryders Hot Air Balloon Ride Co. offers flights during the Mass Ascension, when 500-plus balloons lift off around sunrise. See the Land of Enchantment from above and continue your bal-looning bash with “Albuquerque Bal-loon Fiesta,” a five-day escorted tour from Globus. In addition to attending the fest, guests meet a local balloon-ist and spend time in Santa Fe, New Mexico’s capital. The Oct. 11 trip is priced from $1,569. www.Tour vacationsToGo.com/Globus

>For a wild ride, get off the beaten Jeep track and fly high on a safari.

Inspect these 10 locales by balloon, floatplane or mountain gondola> BY KathrYn E. Worrall

At New Mexico’s Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, guests can take flight during the mornings’ mass liftoff of

500-plus hot air balloons.

Take to the skies

36 Travel 50 & Beyond

From

Top: D

erek reeVes/prin

cess c

ruises, ju

sTa jesko

Va/To

urism

Wh

isTler

Located in Tanzania, Serengeti Na-tional Park is abundant with wildlife — lions and cheetahs, zebras and wildebeests, elephants and hippos — and one way to safely observe the creatures is from the basket of a hot air balloon.

Tauck’s 10-day “Tanzania: Serengeti to Zanzibar” includes perks like luxe safari lodges and a tented camp, a “sundowner” cocktail party and plenty of game viewing opportunities, including the chance to spot the Big Five (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and Cape buffalo). On Day 5, a sunrise balloon ride provides a fresh perspective on the savanna, and the flight is followed by a Champagne breakfast.

The safari spends its final days in Zanzibar for spice shopping and seaside relaxation. Departures run throughout 2020 with prices from $6,990. www.Africasafari.com

FlightseeiNg FUN>From your window seat, glimpse five glaciers during a Princess Cruises shore excursion in Juneau, AK. “Taku Lodge Feast and Five-Glacier Seaplane Discovery” includes a 10-person float-plane flight that glides past waterfalls, snowy slopes and glaciers before land-ing on its “runway,” the Taku River.

Then it’s time to eat your fill at Taku Glacier Lodge, a 1923 retreat in Tongass National Forest near the Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier. Dive into

wild Alaskan salmon, baked beans, ginger cookies and more, and work off your meal with a trail walk or relax by a fire with a libation. Reindeer sausage and scones treat early risers on the morning flights.

Princess celebrates its 50th year of cruising Alaska in 2019. Explore the Last Frontier on the 3,500-passenger Royal Princess, the line’s largest ship in the region; prices start at $649 for a weeklong sailing starting Aug. 10. www.vacationsToGo.com/Princess

>As you look down into the expanse, the Grand Canyon almost seems surreal — surely, you can’t be witnessing such a marvel.

Now imagine the wonder of flying into it.

Since 1965, Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters has done just that. On the “Grand Celebration Sunset Tour,” Papillon departs from Boulder City, NV, passing over the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead; after exploring the attraction by air, guests land on a plateau 4,000 feet below the rim and just above the Colorado River for photo ops and a Champagne picnic. Around sunset, the chopper slowly rises from the valley floor to catch the chasm’s changing hues.

Discover one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World during a stay in Sin City. www.resortvacations ToGo.com/Lasvegas

gONDOlA CROssiNgs>whistler blackcomb resort in Brit-ish Columbia delights year-round with ski runs, a bobsleigh track and snow-mobile tours in the wintry months and river rafting, fishing and a mountain bike park available in warmer weather.

One cross-season activity is the Peak 2 Peak Gondola. The highest of its kind at 1,427 feet, it connects Whistler and Blackcomb mountains for a nearly 3-mile run. Enjoy 360-degree views of alpine lakes and ski slopes, then tuck into a meal at several restaurants on either summit.

The gondola is part of the larger Peak 2 Peak 360 Experience. During the summer, Whistler Peak opens the 427-foot-long Cloudraker Skybridge and a viewing platform, the Raven’s

An Alaskan flightseeing excursion from Princess Cruises explores the expanse of the Last Frontier, passing over glaciers and mountain peaks.

Eagle-eyed riders on Whistler Blackcomb resort’s gondolas might spot British

Columbia residents like black bears and marmots.

38 Travel 50 & Beyond

DesTin

aTion

nsW

Eye Cliff Walk. Chairlifts also provide access to 30-plus miles of hiking trails.

Find Peak 2 Peak’s seasonal hours at www.WhistlerBlackcomb.com, and check out Vacations To Go’s resort site for local accommodations, including ski-in, ski-out lodges. www.resort vacationsToGo.com/whistler

>scaling 6,227-foot stanserhorn mountain near Lucerne, Switzerland, the CabriO gondola is the world’s first double-decker, open-air cable car. The lower level has nearly wall-to-wall windows for Swiss Alps vistas, and guests can climb a staircase to the sundeck for fresh air on the “convertible-style” gondola.

The roughly six-minute ride spans 7,612 feet of cable and ends at a revolving restaurant, Rondorama, for breakfast, a midday dish of Alpine macaroni (a Swiss comfort food) or dinner, including meals by candlelight on Fridays and Saturdays. A rotating platform provides stunning views for 80 guests. Hiking trails, wildlife sightings and a historic funicular railway round out the on-mountain experience.

Saving the best for last, Insight Vacations caps off its eight-day escorted tour “Glorious Switzerland” with a ride on the CabriO gondola and a farewell dinner at Rondorama. Rates start at $3,145 for departures

through September. www.Tour vacationsToGo.com/insight

BRiDge WAlks>Adventure abounds around Vancouver, due in part to the 27-acre Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. This British Columbia theme park’s bridge, originally built in 1889, stretches 450 feet across the roaring Capilano River, some 230 feet below. Other thrills include cantilevered walkways over the Capilano Canyon and Treetops Adventure, seven suspended foot-bridges snaking as high as 110 feet above the forest floor.

For a less heart-pounding experience, pick between guided nature tours, a rainforest walk or an educational cen-ter highlighting Canada’s First Nations. Eateries dish up salmon burgers and scoops of locally made ice cream.

After your visit, embark on the seven-day “Canadian Rockies Escape Circle” with Rocky Mountaineer. This train tour journeys to the province of Alberta for stops in Jasper and Banff. Dates run through Oct. 6 with prices from $3,238. www.TourvacationsToGo.com/Canada

>One of the longest steel-arch bridges in the world, Sydney Harbour Bridge affords some of the best views of the Sydney Opera House. All you have to do is climb it.

A climb up the Sydney Harbour Bridge grants

superb skyline vistas, especially at the

summit, some 440 feet above sea level.

On Holland America Line’s “Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb and The Rocks” excursion, participants don a special suit and clip into a harness after a safety prep. A guide leads the group up the steps of the eastern arch, explaining the history of the bridge along the way. Sweeping views of Sydney (and an excellent photo op) reward the brave at the summit, around 440 feet above sea level. After trekking down the western side, participants travel to The Rocks, Sydney’s oldest district, for a walking tour and pint of beer at a pub.

The hike is available on a smat-tering of Australia and New Zealand cruises. Prices begin at $1,159 for a 10-night Maasdam trip on Oct. 7 that sails from Auckland, New Zealand, to Sydney, stopping in the islands of Vanuatu and New Caledonia en route. www.vacationsToGo.com/HAL

skYliNe sights>Take a bite of the Big Apple from two tiptop vantage points: the Statue of

Liberty and the Empire State Building.Lucky guests of Lady Liberty

ascend to her crown for views of New York City’s skyline. Be warned, though — the copper statue doesn’t have an elevator, so expect to climb more than 300 steps. Tickets go quickly, so reserve yours in advance.

At the Empire State Building, an open-air observation deck on the 86th floor (the highest of its kind in NYC) wraps around the spire for 360-degree views. High-powered binoculars provide close-ups of top attractions.

After you’ve seen New York from above, head back down to the water. Departing from Bayonne, NJ, nine-night Royal Caribbean International cruises call on New England and Canadian ports like Portland, ME, and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Days at sea still offer lofty sights, thanks to the Anthem of the Seas’ North Star, a glass capsule that rises 300 feet above sea level. Five departures between Aug. 29 and Oct. 24 start at $781. www.vacationsToGo.com/rCCL

>Of course, the world’s tallest building — the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates — also claims the world’s highest outdoor observation deck. The 2,717-foot skyscraper consists of 162 floors, and on level 148, an outdoor terrace 1,821 feet above the ground is not for the faint of a heart. Explore interactive exhibits or head to the lounge for tea, a glass of bubbly or an evening cocktail and live music. Below, level 125 boasts panoramic views — a falcon’s-eye view, in true Dubai fashion — while level 124 has an outdoor terrace and high-tech telescopes.

Experience futuristic Dubai before a jaunt around the Middle East with Crystal Cruises. Seven- and 10-night itineraries in November and December aboard the Crystal Esprit yacht call on the likes of Oman, Qatar and the UAE’s Sir Bani Yas Island. Prices start at $3,355 for a seven-night sailing from Dubai on Dec. 16. www.vacationsToGo.com/Crystal