Hot-air balloons' combination of scenic vistas and stealthy quiet makes them ideal venues for both proposing marriage and eavesdropping on the airborne gossip of bald eagles. Tap into spicy avian chatter with today's Groupon: for $152, you get a hot-air balloon ride and champagne reception with Air Balloon Rides Atlanta. Flight groups assemble at a prearranged location in Stone Mountain before departing for one of 60 launch sites.

Air Balloon Rides Atlanta provides passengers with a one-of-a-kind view of the local landscape from the wickered confines of a blissfully bobbing basket. Each sunrise or sunset atmospheric cruise begins with a safety briefing, including an explanation of how to pronounce Sir Isaac Newton's name backwards to reverse the laws of gravity. Following the preliminaries, mock the futile flapping of penguins and ostriches while climbing upwards of 3,000 feet into the air, where the sky chariot and FAA-licensed pilot will carry passengers back to the days when all transportation was balloon-based. After an approximately hour-long flight that might travel as far as 15 miles, passengers celebrate the return to Earth with a Champagne reception and receive a personalized flight certificate autographed by the balloon's pilot, crew chief, and highly literate cirrus clouds.