Early morning risers should look to the skies south of Winthrop this weekend as hot air balloonists from around the Northwest once again gather for the 22nd annual Winthrop Balloon Roundup. And bring your cameras. The event, free to spectators, is Friday through Sunday (March 1-3). All balloon launches are early in the morning of […]
Morning Glory Balloon Tours
Above it all
Brilliant hot air balloons will soar over the Methow Valley this weekend, Friday through Sunday (March 2 – 4), during the annual Winthrop Balloon Festival. Floating against a backdrop of snowcapped mountains, the colorful …
Balloon Roundup will turn valley skies into riot of color
Kurt Oakley’s introduction to hot air ballooning was as a “chaser” — part of the ground crew that follows a balloon to where it lands and helps pack it up.
Then he got off the ground for a balloon ride. Not long after that he had his own balloon.
Letters to the editor: March 11, 2015
Doc says thanks Dear Editor: As of March 1, I no longer work at The Country Clinic in Winthrop. It was a hard decision to leave. I first saw patients at The Country Clinic in February 2005, covering for Dr. Ann Diamond when she volunteered in Thailand in the wake of the tsunami. My family […]
Get ready for some ‘balloonacy’
About this time of year, Kurt Oakley cheerfully describes himself as a “balloonatic” in preparation for the annual Winthrop Balloon Roundup, a three-day festival celebrating the uplifting qualities of hot air.
Oakley and his wife, Melinda, owners of …
Winthrop Balloon Roundup 2014
Birthday balloon It isn’t unusual to get balloons for your birthday, but taking a ride in one is a unique way to celebrate. Madison Marsh got an unexpected thrill Saturday morning when she was invited to celebrate her 14th birthday by taking a ride in the Outer Limits hot air balloon, here from Newberg, Ore. […]
Balloon Roundup gives coming weekend a big lift
By Don Nelson
Kurt Oakley never offers — ahem — inflated promises about what to expect during the annual Winthrop Balloon Roundup. But if weather conditions are good, as many as 20 brightly colored hot-air balloons from around the region will drift languidly over the Methow Valley on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings (March 7 – 9).
