Things To Do in Bedford

High above a lush vineyard, the morning sky brims with creatures of flight: an eagle, a large bumblebee, a pigeon that forgot how to land. These were just some of the sights Airbus Balloon Rides' owner Andy Richardson imagined would greet his future down-gazing passengers. He first fell in love with the roar of a hot air balloon's flame just before entering the second grade, and that passion has driven his dreams ever since. Ten years after buying his first balloon at age 14, Andy now commands a fleet of rainbow-colored balloons that come in standard and specialty shapes. These colorful vessels set the elevated stage for individual flights and tethered rides helmed by Andy and his talented team. Flights lift off at sunrise, in the afternoon, and at sunset, when the low sun paints an orange-red glow over water, fields, and reindeer still stuck on rooftops.

Back on land, Airbus Balloon Rides also educates visitors on hot air balloon creation inside their balloon factory, which welcomes tours. At the end of each tour, the guides lead guests in a champagne or mimosa toast with accompanying hors d'oeuvres, celebrating their skyfaring adventures together.

In business for nearly 25 years, the National Institute for Fitness and Sport’s 65,000-square-foot fitness center boasts an array of classes and training sessions, as well as a host of strength-training and cardio equipment. But these represent just one branch of the nonprofit organization. NIFS also manages fitness centers for companies and retirement communities all over the country, creates an online curriculum for Health YOUniversity, and collaborates with the Indiana University School of Medicine on research projects.

Science-fiction fans are eternally disappointed that society hasn't yet developed the technology that would allow them to strap on a jetpack and rocket to their destination. Though Indy Flight Academy & Watersports can't supply you with a futuristic vehicle for the daily commute, it does give extreme-sports enthusiasts the chance to blast off with its Flyboard water-powered jet packs.

The Flyboard—a water board with a pair of boots attached to it—is attached to long hose, which is in turn hooked up to the water jet exhaust of a jet ski. When the jet ski's driver hits the gas, the Flyboard and rider shoot up into the air atop high-powered streams of water. Riders can then fly around above the water or mimic a dolphin diving in and out.

Tibbs Drive-In Theater blissfully blends the nostalgic with the neoteric, projecting current blockbusters across four motor-moseying screens. Movie whizzes can comfortably plop lawn La-Z-Boys in front of vehicles to enjoy back-to-back features as the soundtrack streams through their FM car radio, stereo, or a boom-box-equipped John Cusack. Whether laughing through a lighthearted wartime drama or crying through The Land Before Time XXVI: Still No Time, flick catchers can chow through their emotions with a bite from the theater's snack bar, which boasts a scrumptious view-enhancing selection that includes sandwiches, pizza, fresh-baked pretzels, and caramel-apple chips alongside the traditional candy and popcorn.

A bitter cold wind whips across fairways, and a thick layer of snow blankets once-fertile greens. These aren't ideal golfing conditions. Rather than letting avid golfers languish indoors or risk neighborhood resentment by hitting drives through open windows, the Golf Dome furnishes an indoor golf setting sealed off from the vagaries of Mother Nature. Golfers empty driving range buckets and take lessons from pro instructors under the shelter of a massive bubble, preventing rust from accumulating over months of inactivity. Though a golf-specific facility in name, the facility also hosts other sports inside its cozy environs, such as soccer, baseball, and softball.

Discovered in 1883, Marengo Cave, a U.S. National Natural Landmark, is located roughly an hour from Louisville and is open 363 days a year. Showcasing eye-catching speleothems (cave deposits), visitors can browse a wide variety of soda straws, stalactites, flowstones, and draperies. The combo tour melds together a 70-minute Dripstone Trail Tour that’s one mile in length, as well as a 40-minute Crystal Palace Tour that guides groups past eye-catching flowstone deposits. Embark on an exciting mini-journey into the earth’s depths without ending up at its core.

For eight years, the husband-and-wife team at Carousel Winery has cultivated the vines of their family farm into a collection of award-winning wines. On Saturday, August 6, Marion and Sue Wilson will throw a party at Carousel's six-acre winery to celebrate its continued success as attendees sample flights of reds and whites, try out descriptors such as "oaky" and "four," bite on BBQ ribs and chicken, and show off complimentary Carousel glasses. Throughout the afternoon, enjoy a variety of events and prizes devoted to the number eight, such as a Crazy Eights card tournament with an $88.88 gift certificate prize and eight door-prize drawings for $8.88 gift certificates. From 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., the sultry voice of Charlene Blay leads her four-piece jazz ensemble, The 2nd Editions through 5/8 time signatures and various deconstructions of the Scooby Doo theme song.