Ballooning is a special interest dear to my heart because so many people we know have had wonderful experiences in balloons.
There are all kinds of ballooning, from festivals and joy rides to serious international level competition and record breaking flights. Gas balloons, hot-air balloons and smoke balloons have been used for transportation of people. Balloons were used during the Civil War for reconnaissance and during the space race for research. Here is a favourite photo of Karen standing beside Joe Kittinger at a ballooning safety seminar. 
Normally she doesn’t pose for photos with event speakers, but this is a very special exception. You can read about Joe in The Pre-Astronauts: Manned Ballooning on the Threshold of Space 
Georgia has some great balloonists and some wonderful places to go ballooning. If you are interested in local ballooning,there are many option available. For information on ballooning organizations please go to the Balloon Federation of America or the Federation Internationale Aeronautique. For some great books on ballooning check the links below.
If you would like a quick delightful read about one man’s story, try:Man Flies: The Story of Alberto Santos-Dumont, Master of the Balloon, Conqueror of the Air
Here are some recommended books on different types of ballooning
Military History
Military Ballooning during the Early Civil War
The War of the Aeronauts: The History of Ballooning in the Civil War
They Sailed the Skies: U.S. Navy Balloons And the Airship Program
Picture Books
Record Flights
Around the World in 20 Days: The Story of Our History-Making Balloon Flight
Riding the Jetstream :The Story of Ballooning: From Montgolfier to Breitling
