One of our favorite “splurges”, as we travel, is Helicopter Tours. We have taken several and plan on adding more. It is one of the best ways to see the location and definitely from a different perspective. If you are into photography, the quality of pictures you can take is stunning. Prices will vary depending on location. Or, if you are chartering a helicopter for personal use, but I’ll get into that later.
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Trip 1 – Big Bear
While dating, I wanted to assert my love of all things helicopter early. What better way than to book a weekend getaway to Big Bear, California with a sunset helicopter trip. Pay attention and you’ll see a pattern start to develop here. Keeping the flight secret was proving hard because I tend to act like a kid in a candy store when I’m excited. I succeeded through it until it was too obvious to hide. It was a small helicopter that sat two plus the pilot. Taking off from the airport, we soared around the San Bernardino mountain range for a bit. The views were exhilarating as the sun started to set and lit up the peaks. Experiencing sunset over a mountain range while flying with someone you love is hard to beat.
Angela’s Notes: I knew earlier that day I was going to marry Vince. The surprise flight was the perfect sunset to a great day!
Trip 2 – Valentines Day
Maverick Helicopters offered a great package deal for couples on Valentine’s Day. Taking off from Boulder City Airport, we flew over the Hoover Dam and Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. We headed towards the Grand Canyon a little before sunset. After some stunning views, we landed in the canyon itself for a champagne picnic. Taking off again, it was now sunset. The colors of the canyon and ledges are too hard to put into words. So you have to look at the pictures, but they too, can’t do it justice. Flying low over the rocks, the “Too Low – Terrain” alarm blared. But we completely trusted our pilot and landed without incident back in Boulder City.
Angela’s Notes: Completely trusted our pilot? I don’t know, but I was quickly distracted by the views and gorgeous sunset.
Trip 3 – Vince’s Birthday
Everyone knows and loves “The Las Vegas Strip”. This 4.2 mile stretch of Las Vegas Blvd is world-famous and the lights are recognizable, even at a glance. Flying high above the lights of Vegas, again at sunset, was a perfect birthday celebration. There might be a pattern developing here. Our last trip was in a helicopter that sat six people, (we lucked out and got the two front seats). This would be more “intimate” with it being a two-seater (plus the pilot). This added to the incredible views but can be a little harder to manage if you suffer from motion sickness. Having seen Las Vegas Blvd. from every vantage point, this was a spectacular combination of views and excitement.
Angela’s Notes: The lights of Vegas are always amazing. But I highly recommend viewing them from a private helicopter ride.
Trip 4 – Lake Tahoe and the Backcountry
Being “bored” in the Lake Tahoe area can, and will, lead to a very exciting side trip. A few calls and a short drive later, we strapped ourselves into yet another small helicopter for a ride. What was to be an aerial tour over Lake Tahoe, soon evolved into our pilot’s boredom therapy. To our delight, he must have bored with the traditional tourist loop around the lake. He asked if we would like him to take us over the untouched backcountry of the Sierras instead. I’m sure you can guess our answer. At times, it felt you could reach out and touch the cliffs, or scoop up a handful of snow. The lake, which reflected the sky like a mirror, was amazing but paled in comparison to the mountains. The white snow was a stark contrast to the cobalt blue water.
Angela’s Notes: I love the northern Nevada area! A helicopter tour alone would’ve been a treat. The spur of the moment flight coupled with the rugged views of the Sierra Nevada backcountry is still unmatched in our adventures.
Trip 5 – Tuscany, Italy
We always lean towards experiences over collectibles and try to have one “big” thing per trip. It’s funny speaking of something big while already touring Tuscany. But this wasn’t included with the tour package. We couldn’t find any companies that offered group tours, but we did find a charter service. This was a challenging conversation, to say the least. First, overcoming the obvious language barrier was tough. Next, conveying that all we wanted was to tour the countryside.
After a short conversation, our pilot and interpreter landed at our hotel landing pad. This was another six-seat helicopter, but we had booked the entire helicopter. Flying above the Italian wine country and ancient walled cities is unbelievable. Looking down on cities that haven’t changed in hundreds of years is remarkable. But, our pilot wasn’t done. For the first time ever (according to our interpreter) he received permission to go over Il Duomo. You may know this as Florence’s cathedral. After about two hours, and with memories that will last a lifetime, we landed back at the hotel.
Angela’s Notes: I have never felt more spoiled than this moment! Our countryside hotel had a helicopter pad for our pickup adding to the luxurious feel. The sticker of the kid peeing on the helicopter not as much, but life is about balance, right? In all seriousness, The ability to see the walled cities of Tuscany from above was amazing.
Trip 6 – Mendenhall Glacier
You didn’t think we would skip out on a helicopter tour because we were on a cruise, did you? While taking a land and sea cruise from Seattle to Alaska, we decided on taking a helicopter to land atop a glacier. I have to say I was nervous at the start because the pilot was a college student. He was working with the tour company as a summer job. I guess I thought “pilot” was more of a full-time job, but everything was safe. Leaving sea level in Juneau at 70 degrees, we landed at about 50 degrees. But, we were on an ice sheet a couple of miles thick. It was incredible! They explained to us the blue color of the ice. It’s because of the immense pressure, which presses almost all the air is out of the water as it freezes. We got to drink some of the melted runoff as well. It was the purest water I have ever had. Fashion note; the ice boots might work in Alaska, but I wouldn’t try them anywhere else. We have landed in the bottom of a canyon and a couple of airports, but landing on an icy glacier has to be my favorite.
Angela’s Notes: The flight to the glacier was beautiful. But the feeling of standing on a glacier is what stands out most. The frozen blue waves were glowing under our feet. The crackling as we took steps was a bit unnerving, but the feeling was worth it! The greenery on the nearby waterfall seems like a photo taken anywhere, but Alaska from those who haven’t taken the trip. Oh and the water! The water was so cold and so crisp!
What do you think?
Have you taken a helicopter ride in Vegas?
Have you taken a helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon?
Have you splurged for a private aerial tour while traveling?
Head over to social media and tell us about it!
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