Nearly two dozen guests wait to float above Temecula Valley Wine Country during an early morning flight. Valley News/Shane Gibson photo
The air was cool, and guests began to make a large circle as they watched what lay before them: a giant balloon sprawled out over a massive blue tarp, being prepped for its morning flight.Magical Adventure Balloon Rides, a hot air balloon company that flies in Temecula Wine Country, Palm Desert and Del Mar, was started in 2003 by CEO Denni Barrett.Along with ballooning, Barrett also flies helicopters and airplanes and captains sailboats.“Most people are afraid of heights,” he said, including himself in that category. “In a balloon, it is very stable and you don’t experience any turbulence or things you might feel on a roller coaster. In fact, you will feel more motion in an elevator than you feel in a hot air balloon.”Barrett hadn’t been looking to start a hot a
