We fell in love with the charming town of Statesville after a weekend getaway for a balloon ride with Big oh! Balloons. Our experience was beyond magical. The balloon ride was a gift from my husband to celebrate our anniversary. Charles and Kristie are the real deal—professionals who know what they’re doing. Their passion for the craft of ballooning shines through in everything they do. It was an unforgettable experience in the clouds. We free-floated across beautiful green fields, above the trees with a view of the foothills in the distance. If you want to feel young again, take a balloon ride with these lovely people. Our weekend travels led us to discover Lee Dellinger Fine Art, a gallery gem in the heart of downtown. All of the art is original, and the gallery showcases artists from around the country and features some incredible NC artists. I was first drawn into the gallery by window-watching paintings by Amy Sullivan and Marlise Newman. Lee made me and my husband so comfortable. I felt like I had known her for a long time, but we had just met. We bought our first real piece of art that weekend. What a special place! We also enjoyed the art crawl while we there, breakfast at the Bristol Café, lattes at Lake Mountain Coffee, dinner at Broad Street Burger, and homemade desserts and bagels at Andrea’s sweet shop. There are so many places we want to try when we return. We can’t wait to go back to Statesville!

- Sandy and Dave Bjorkback Verified