This is a photograph from the 14th Annual Red, White & Blue Balloon Rally at Letchworth State Park that was held on the 2015 Memorial Day weekend. The colors of the balloons in the early morning sunlight were just about asking to be photographed!

The second scheduled flight on Saturday morning worked out and all 25 balloons that were lined up on Archery Field successfully took off. Not only did the launch work out, it was excellent in just about perfect conditions. Watching them launch, clear the tree line, dip in the gorge over the Genesee River, and just hover, was breathtaking! And the green summer summer foliage provided a great backdrop for the brightly lit colorful balloons. A wonderful event with a lot of friendly people around!

Letchworth State Park is about 35 miles south of Rochester, NY and 60 miles from Buffalo, NY. It is along the Genesee River and follows it for about 17 miles. The park is most known for its three major waterfalls - Lower Falls, Middle Falls, and Upper Falls. However, there are many additional waterfalls on the Genesee River tributaries that are well worth exploring, especially for those who have visited the major and most obvious points of interest.

Genesee River flows from Gold, PA into the Port of Rochester, NY on Lake Ontario. It's one of a few rivers in the United States that flows from south to north. There is an interesting debate over the true headwaters but it seems the consensus is that it is on the Hosley Farm now owned by Slaybaughs. The runner up seems to be John Torok's spring.