Our Picks: 5 Top Aerial Adventures on the East Coast

Five fresh aerial adventures, from hot-air ballooning in the Adirondacks to going weightless on a Florida plane ride.

Hot Air Ballooning [Glens Falls, NY]

These 40- to 60-minute aerial adventures with SunKiss Ballooning take flight in the farmlands east of Glens Falls and float over Washington, Warren, and Saratoga counties. Have fun up there? Plan your return visit to coincide with the fall foliage in September and the annual Adirondack Balloon Festival.

Where to Stay The Sagamore Resort

“Flight”-Seeing [Owls Head, ME]

Take flight with a plane ride aboard one of Penobscot Island Air’s Cessnas to see close to two dozen lighthouses on a loop above the coastal fingers of Penobscot Bay. Catch the cool air at higher elevation in the summer while you cruise over some of Maine’s most beautiful coastline, or aim for fall, when you’ll be rewarded with spectacular views of the brilliant fall foliage.

Where to Stay Samoset Resort

Glider Flights [Trenton, ME]

During the 25-minute-long Beehive Tour with Acadia Air Tours, a tow plane takes you and your pilot to an elevation of roughly 4,000 feet before releasing you to quietly soar in a powerless flight over Acadia National Park. Keep a keen eye out for the eagles you might see gliding alongside you – the area is home to many of these majestic birds.

Where to Stay Harborside Hotel, Spa & Marina | West Street Hotel

Weightlessness Simulation [Miami, FL]

Test your astronaut endurance skills – without the trouble of leaving the atmosphere – on a Zero-G Experience flight. This aerial adventure takes place on a modified Boeing 727, where parabolic arcs are performed to create a “space-like,” weightless environment. Book your flight in either Miami or Orlando, and be ready for launch.

Where to Stay Opal Grand Resort | Delray Sands Resort | Hutchinson Shores Resort & Spa | Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa

Skydiving [Sugarloaf Key, FL]

People associate skydiving exclusively with the adrenaline-pumping feel of freefall. And that’s no mistake. But they often overlook the slow, relaxing descent once the parachute has opened for several thousand feet, where you get to take in the beauty of what’s below while your heart rate gets back to normal. So launching a skydiving adventure from Sugarloaf Key, 15 miles north of Key West, equates to getting in your “woo-hoos!” and then your “wows” as you freefall then float down above this stunning swirling watercolor of seemingly every color blue water and islands.

Where to Stay Sunset Key Cottages