Skydiving naked is NOT on my bucket list but is was on Sebastian Terry's. Just the plain old "classic" tandem sky diving was enough excitement for me, but Sebastian decided to take it one step further. What do you think?
Archive for the Category »adventure «
15
Feb
2010
2010
This post is part of My 40th Birthday Bucket List Extravaganza day.
Have you ever thought of joining the circus to become a trapeze artist? When I discovered that a local "circus" school offered a 1 1/2 hour beginning trapeze class, I began fantasizing about flying with the greatest of ease. Turns out…not so great…not so easy! I suckered my mom into coming with me to be the designated photographer and drove to the Trapeze Arts School in Oakland, about an hour away. We arrived just as the last class was finishing and had the opportunity to see beginners and intermediate students attempting their tricks. I was thoroughly relieved to see the large safety net, but still hoped the 10 foot drop didn't sting. Most of the students seemed to be having fun, except the one young newbie so terrified for her life that she couldn't let go of the bar. My only hope was that that wouldn't be me.
My turn! There were only two beginners in the class, me and an ex-gymnast…no fair! We were given about a 5 minute instruction on terminology and other random technical information; for example, when they say Ready…Hep! This means lean forward, bend your knees and take a small jump off the board and Listo will signify to the catcher that the flyer is ready to go. Ok, got it! We were lead to start the steep climb up the 20-rung ladder. This was the most frightening part considering this area lacked the comfort of the safety net. With the 3 of us standing on the 6' x 4' platform, I tightly held on to the rail until I was securely latched on. We started by just hanging onto the bar, swinging and letting go (or in my world a face plant). Next, we hooked our legs on the bar,
hung upside down and then unhooked our legs to let go…face plant again…damn! Lastly and in essence the "graduation" trick of the class, we hung upside down and the instructor on a different trapeze caught our hands and we released from our bar to be suspended. I prayed for success on the first attempt because my arms felt like jelly and I was sure they wouldn't have allowed me to try again. I was amazed when I executed this trick "almost" flawlessly! Thank goodness! Done…I called it quits and considered my experience a huge triumph!
As fun as the experience was, don't be fooled, trapezing is flippin hard. I wasn't able to stretch out my arms or laugh for over a week without severe muscle pain! My best advice is to start working out with heavy concentration on your abs, at least a month before you go!
Category: adventure, sports & fitness
2 Comments
04
Nov
2009
2009
28
Apr
2009
2009
I recently went on a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Besides sitting on the beach drinking Pina Coladas & eating chilaquiles (my new favorite Mexican dish), swimming with dolphins was the only other activity on the agenda. Lucky enough, my girlfriend & her 1-month-old boyfriend sat through the torture of a 3-hour time-share seminar (God bless new boyfriends trying to impress the girlfriends best friend!). They were able to score 4 tickets to the Dolphin Experience at Vallarta Adventures for $130! The usual cost is about $120 per person.
The dolphins were kept in large pools (similar to swimming pools). I was worried that it would make me feel sad that they were contained, but they seemed to be having fun. A few were just playing ball with each other with no trainers around. We stood on a platform in the pool and, for all you wimps (myself included), the water was cold! I sucked it up, still continuosly jittering, because this was an experience I couldn't pass up! We were able to ride the dolphin, get a kiss, dance and feed it a slimy fish. For more money there were more intimate (not that intimate… gross… get your mind out of the gutter!) experiences available, but I was pleased with the interaction we had. This could be due to the fact that my teeth were chattering and I needed to get the heck out of that pool. Everyone with me agreed that we don't need to do it again, but it was totally worth the check on my bucket list!
The only bummer, next to the freezing agua and the perks that come with it, is that they don't allow cameras in the dolphin area, so their photographer took all of the photos & you had to purchase them if you wanted any record of your experience. The four of us shared the expense and paid $99 for 8 photos on cd. Ok, now I'm feeling kind of ripped off.
OTHER PLACES TO SWIM WITH DOLPHINS
Atlantis, Bahamas
Miami Seaquarium
Dolphin Quest, Bermuda & Hawaii
Discovery Cove, Orlando, Florida
Dolphin Encounter, New Zealand
Category: adventure, animals & nature, travel & experience
One Comment
10
Mar
2009
2009
I always try to do "something I will remember" for my birthday, it makes getting one year older more bearable! This year after toying with the idea of going dog sledding or flying on a trapeze, I opted for rappelling instead. It was something that I could easily convince my husband to accompany me on (as long as I don't mention how far of a drive it is). 
The 3-hour drive was tedious, but some things are worth the effort. We were going to the Moaning Caverns in Murphys, CA where I heard they had a phenomenal rappel into a cave. When we arrived we all were required to watch a cheesy, short video that gave you the dos & don'ts of rappelling, followed by a 2 minute lesson. That's it! Then, the teeny bopper instructors hooked us into our harnesses and led us to the rope and into the cave. The first portion of the rappel was much like rock climbing backwards, semi-challenging yet not that exciting. The second part was more of a free fall drop (the fun part). Next time, I would opt for something faster and longer! There was an option to go spelunking once you got into the cave, which would have made for the perfect birthday adventure, but we decided to go wine tasting instead. That works too!
Close by was the quaint, charming town of Murphys, CA. The small downtown offered several nice restaurants & 20+ wine tasting rooms. Couldn't have ended the day any better! We learned that the town was gearing up for the biggest tourist attraction; the yearly frog jumping contest. Participants spent all year choosing and prepping their slimy creatures for the fierce battle. I think I just found one more thing to add to my bucket list.
Ms. Listologist Grade: B+
RESOURCES
Moaning Caverns, rappel adventure in Calaveras County.
Five Rappelling Techniques, website that has a how-to rappelling guide
How to Rappel, book
FACTOID
Rappelling is also called abseiling, rapping, roping down, jumping and snapping.
Category: adventure, travel & experience
One Comment
26
Feb
2009
2009
Who dreams up these things? Seriously? Is there some crazy adventurer who sits around and says,"I'll tie cords to these here trees, attach a person to a pulley and they can wear a leather glove to avoid the potential of third degree burns. Doesn't that sound like fun?"
When I think about it, I wonder to myself…Why? But now I am here and there's no turning back, I'm no quiter. We are at the Arenal Canopy Tour in Costa Rica. Not the exact location where I would like to plummet to my death. How long would it take for my parents to arrive to collect my remains? That is, if they could find them.
At least there was some research involved and this company appeared to be reputable, no mention of anyone plummeting on the internet. But, we are in a different country, it is quite possible that they could have no problems covering these sorts of tragedies up.
This zip line tour had 11 lines on it, which meant we were able to fly down 11 different cords all with varying lengths & heights. 11 opportunities for the cords to break. 11 chances for the harness to unclip. 11 possibilities for my left hand to be burned off by touching the cord. 11 is not my favorite number.
We started with an instructional chat; leather glove in place…check, harness secure in uncomfortable location…check, clips in working order…check, scared crapless…check, check, check! My only thoughts now were, "don't touch your left hand to the cord, please don't touch your left hand to the cord." It did not have a glove and I was left handed. Should I have mentioned that? Here we go, eyes closed…please don't fall..please don't touch your left hand…please don't pee. Go! Did I make it? Am I alive? I was awakened by the fact that the harness had just settled in a more uncomfortable local. Right now I am grateful to still be alive and that I am not a man.
TIPS ON TAKING A ZIP LINE TOUR
– Do your research to make sure you are using a reputable zip line company. This is definitely something you don't want to take any chances on. Using one that the hotel recommends is a wise idea.
–Suspend yourself over the platform first, this way you will know that the cord will support your weight before you are mid-air.
–Wear comfortable clothing. What you would wear to a yoga class would be perfect.
–Two words…bug spray! I was on the 5'x5' platform when a wasp chased me around until it finally caught its' prey, my elbow.
Category: adventure, travel & experience
2 Comments
