Posted by Nancy D. Brown

Airship Zeppelin by Nancy D. BrownAs the mighty Zeppelin descended from the sky, we waited in awe as the airship Eureka hovered several inches above the ground. Moments later 10 passengers, along with a pilot and co-pilot, were onboard and buckled in for a one hour flight over the San Francisco bay area.

It seemed fitting that our Co-pilot, Fritz, was from Germany, as that's the birthplace of this particular Zeppelin. And yes, this is the same company of the famed Hindenburg, but the airships now run on non-flammable helium.

Alcatraz photo by Nancy D. BrownWe took off from the Oakland International airport on a gorgeous March day and cruised the San Francisco bay at 1,200 feet altitude. Sailing over landmarks such as Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge at 35-40 miles per hour was an ideal speed for snapping aerial pictures. One of the unique features about traveling in an enclosed, gondola-type basket was the fact that we could walk freely about the cabin while taking pictures out of several open windows. What a trip!

While this one-of-a-kind experience doesn't come cheap, $495 for a one hour tour, Airship Ventures hopes to offer more routes, in addition to its Moffett Field and Monterey Bay flights. The husband and wife team of Brian and Alexandra Hall began Airship Ventures last November and are considering expanding routes to our local wine country.

Airship Ventures (650) 969-8100