Adventure Ideas for the Summer

Summer is the perfect time of year to go outdoors and enjoy abundant sunshine and fresh air. Maybe your idea of a summer adventure is a day at the beach; maybe your idea of adventure is strapping on a parachute and jumping out of an airplane. Regardless, there are unlimited places to go and activities to experience for summer fun. Once you decide how adventurous you are and how far you want to travel, you can begin planning.

Whitewater Rafting

Since the mid-1970s, whitewater rafting has become a popular and challenging sport using inflatable rafts on water with different degrees of roughness and rapids. If you've never been whitewater rafting before, and depending on your geographical location, you can probably find enough adventure close to home to satisfy your fun and curiosity. If you are an experienced rafter, some of the best whitewater destinations include the Upper Tuolomne River in California, Magpie River in Quebec, Canada, Gauley River, West Virginia and Middle Fork in Idaho.

Rock Climbing in New York

If you are a rock climbing enthusiast, consider a trip to New York this summer and discover the East Coast's famous Shawangunk Mountains, located in the Mohonk Preserve near New Paltz, New York. Referred to as "the Gunks," there are 1,000 routes and five miles of linear face to choose from for novice through expert climbers. If you are completely new to the sport, but have always wanted to try it, you can find several rock climbing schools in the New Paltz area that can provide the necessary instruction as well as the safety equipment needed to enjoy your first rock climbing experience. When you're finished rock climbing, take a couple more days to explore the nearly 7,000 acres of preserve by hiking and rock scrambling; or head into nearby New York City for some sightseeing and nightlife. And if New York doesn't appeal to you, there are rocks to climb throughout the United States.

Ziplining

Soar through the air with your feet dangling over mountains, volcanoes or forests by ziplining at one of the world's biggest playgrounds. Whether you are eight or eighty, chances are, you can find a location nearby. Almost every state has some type of ziplining: Hawaii and Colorado offer some of the best in the United States. If you want to venture further and combine ziplining with world travel, you might want to visit Costa Rica, South Africa or China.

Hot Air Ballooning

They’ve seen the phenomenon for more than 35 years: tens of thousands of people flocking to their city for a week to watch hundreds of hot-air balloons lift off each morning. Yet locals still talk with awe about the annual International Balloon Fiesta, the world’s largest such event, planned this year from October 4–12. Get up before dawn, they tell you, head out to the launch fields, buy a cup of coffee and a breakfast burrito, and prepare to be dazzled as whooshes of gas inflate a rainbow of balloons that then rise silently as sunrise lights the sky. To learn more about the balloons, year round, head over to the Albuqeurque International Balloon Museum and the Balloon Discovery Center, both within Balloon Fiesta Park. The unique museum is designed like a balloon about to inflate and offers exhibits on the history, physics and fun of the sport. The center offers interactive exhibits and a theater area.