Surprised my boyfriend with a hot air balloon ride on a Saturday morning. I did a lot of research and read lots of reviews. Hot Air Expeditions had the best reviews. It was all that I expected it to be. Tom was our driver and he had a great personality. I have lived here since I was 3 and my boyfriend and I learned a lot about the valley during our ride with Tom. We had our first stop to see if the winds were good. Then we watched as lots of balloonists departed (like being a storm chaser....very cool) to go to Thunder Alley. They were all on the hunt for the right spot. Patrick was our Pilot. He had over 20 years experience and hundreds (if not more) flight hours. He also had a great personality, was funny and enjoyed his job. He explained a lot to us and also gave us an education on the Valley and what we were seeing and how ballooning worked. It was a very peaceful and calm experience. My boyfriend really enjoyed himself. Our landing was top notch. Then we had a wonderful champagne breakfast in the desert. Vincents on Camelback is the restaurant this amazing food comes from. No other company in the valley offers this amazing breakfast. I'm a foodie...trust me on this. In addition, our entire group sang Happy Birthday to my boyfriend. It was a one of a kind experience for him. As a hint, check in on Yelp before your flight and get a free champagne glass at the end. If you want to take a balloon ride in the valley this is the company you want to use. Ask for Tom and Patrick and you won't be disappointed.