Adventure Travel
by Doug Sassaman
So you've always wanted to bungy jump off the Kawarau suspension bridge in New Zealand, kayak down the Royal Gorge in Colorado, or bike nude across the USA. Well what if I told you there is a way to capture those same adrenaline thumping sensations without actually having to go through the expense of traveling to New Zealand, or the agony of applying a salve to the blisters on your plush bottom? Prepare to stand in awe my friends, because I have found a way to enjoy the essence of adventure travel within only a two-hour drive of your own home.
Whether you live in Pitipski, Iowa or El Nappo, Mexico, adventure travel lurks. Unfortunately, like most great deals, there is a small snag in the nylon...you must have kid(s), the more in number and younger in age, the more adventurous your travel. Here's the secret I unlocked. Throw the kids in the car, drive to your local slagheap, and enjoy. En route you'll experience the thrill of plunging fifty meters, the icy splash of class V rapids, and the pain of torturous third degree burns on your bits and pieces.
On the way to Tauranga Bay, New Zealand (a five hour drive from our home in Auckland) for a sea kayaking adventure my daughter Emma opened my eyes. There is a definite cycle a nine-month-old baby goes through in a long car trip. The first thirty minutes are characterized by joyful play, then a slug of milk, and if you timed your departure right, a blissful two-hour nap. A wakeful period follows, where she stares out the window and wonders where in the hell we're taking her. Her musings are interrupted by a pang a hunger. A squawk, a bottle, and for the moment, all is well again. It's when the bottle thuds to the floor that my adrenaline gland stirs. A small whimper is uttered and a toy is flopped onto her lap. She regards it for a count of five and unceremoniously bats it to the floor. A fuss, another toy, and in seconds it joins its brethren under the drivers seat, perhaps never to be seen again.
In a chance discovery one day long ago, I found that non-toys held a child captive for much longer than bright yellow giraffes or fuzzy colorful balls. An empty beer bottle becomes the eighth wonder. I also uncovered an unsettling parallel, the more dangerous an item, the longer the interest in it. If I could trust her with a bag of glass or a bottle of boric acid, I've no doubt her fascination would be boundless.
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