Vacation is the time when you are supposed to relax, rest and rejuvenate. This is easier said than done for some people, but one way to get your mind off work is to commune with nature. The great outdoors offers thousands of fun, exciting and adventurous things to do that wear you out and fill you with energy at the same time. How is this possible? Try white water rafting. This is one of the most exhilarating activities you can take part in.
White Water Rafting
Like a roller coaster multiplied by 1,000, there is nothing like the rush you get when navigating through the rapids, dropping, eddying and the calm before the storm. The Colorado River in Colorado, Arizona and Utah is famous for its rafting. Each state has its special rapids, but the most thrilling is taking the main stage through the Grand Canyon. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thrill and reservations start one year in advance.
West Virginia is a lesser known venue for rafting and the Gauley River caters to beginners and experts with all classes of rapids. People come from all over the world to raft the giant wave that is released from the Summersville Dam during the six weeks after Labor Day. It’s called Gauley Season and is a wild ride.
Fishing
Fishing is one activity that is either the best thing to do on earth or the most boring thing to do on earth. Never fear, there is a place where the fishing is fantastic and there is plenty of other fun things to do for the people who can’t believe anyone would want to fish.
Key West, Florida, has a Sunset Celebration every day with jugglers, mimes, street artists and live music with sidewalk cafes, open-air bars and much, much more, and that’s just the beginning. Key West offers dolphin encounters, diving and snorkeling, golfing, boating, fabulous beaches, art galleries and terrific shopping.
So, that takes care of everybody else. For the “fisher-person”, there is the Florida Straits. Called the Great Blue River by Ernest Hemmingway, it is 90 miles of deep water where there are snappers and groupers that live in shipwrecks and reefs. In the shallow flats and uninhabited mangrove islands there is bone-fish, permit and tarpon. With the expert captains who are available, you can fish the inshore channels and the deep blue sea on the same day.
Hiking
Banff National Park in Canada offers the lifestyle of a Swiss village in the summer and winter. Located in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, it is famous for its more than 80 trails that are make you feel like you are alone in the wilderness.
Of course, you’re not, their trails after all, but the sensation is like being at the beginning of time. The Tunnel Mountain trail and the Johnston Canyon trail take you to the great limestone pillars called the Hoodoo rock formations. Camping is the cheapest way to stay in Banff, and the best for the outdoor adventure you came to experience. During the winter, it turns into one of the top ski resorts to travel to in North America.
Mountain Biking
Mountain biking can be done just about anywhere there isn’t a road, but some places offer spectacular challenges. You may want a smooth roller coaster track or hills to pump up the leg muscles and work out the heart. You may just want to enjoy the scenery with your family.
Back to Arizona, Sedona offers one of the best mountain biking trails in North America and there is also the town of Sedona. This means anyone who doesn’t want to go biking can find plenty of other things to do. There are art galleries, spas, and walking trails among the magnificent red cliffs.
The Munds Wagon Trail travels through the same red rock formations and ascends 1,200 feet. Merry-go-Round Rock is at the top with unbelievable views of the desert valley and Coconino National Forest. The ride home is a descent along the red rock towers.
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