Maui

By Dawn Wilson While you’re sitting there taking stock of your life and considering what awaits you this New Year, why not consider doing something totally unexpected. You may read about some exciting and adventurous activities that people participate in and say to yourself that you could never do that. Well, think again. You can do it! Put all of your inhibitions behind you and think about how exciting it would actually be to be one of the people telling the story rather than listening to the stories. Instead of listening to everyone else’s stories, start making your own. Life can be short. No one knows or understands this better than someone who experiences an unexpected tragedy in his or her life. There is no time than the present, because tomorrow is never promised to you. Now is the time to step out on fate and just go for it! You know what they say, ‘Go big or go home!’ 2016 is a New Year offering New Adventures. Start planning yours today. Consider these over-the-top adventures for 2016: Base Jumping Tandem BASE (Twin Falls, Idaho) We often think of the most insane things that people do and base-jumping is probably one of them. However, you have to wonder what’s so exciting about throwing yourself off a bridge. You’ll never know until you try it for yourself. At Tandem BASE in Twin Falls, Idaho, you are paired with an experienced instructor who has successfully made hundreds of jumps. The jump begins 486 ft. above the Snake River Canyon, where you will eventually cascade. It isn’t unusual to have your reservations about doing something like base-jumping, however, rest assured that you are in good hands. Safety is the #1 priority of everyone at Tandem BASE. For more information, please visit www.tandembase.com Aerobatics Sky Combat Ace (Las Vegas, Nevada) Adrenaline junkies will love Sky Combat Ace. There are several exciting experiences offered to you: aerobatics, air combat, extreme sightseeing and more. Whichever you decide to do, any of these activities will surely give you bragging rights. Sky Combat Ace has a perfect safety record with no injuries since opening in 2011. Safety always has been and will continue to be a priority at Sky Combat Ace. For more information, please visit www.skycombatace.com Heli Boarding Chugach Powder Guides (Anchorage, Alaska) If you enjoy skiing or snowboarding but are looking to break out of your comfort zone, Chugach Powder Guides may be just what you are looking for. With approximately 750,000 miles of skiing terrain and 700 inches of snowfall, you have every advantage needed to start your snowcat skiing or helicopter boarding adventure. If you’ve never tried your hands at either of these before, here’s your chance. For more information, please visit www.chugachpowderguides.com Shark Diving Hawaii Shark Encounters (Oahu, Hawaii) If shark diving has been on your bucket list for a while now, why not make 2016 the year to check it off your list. You can do this when you visit Hawaii Shark Encounters. You are able to come into contact with sharks in their natural habitat, the deep blue ocean. The experience is informative and invigorating. No scuba experience is necessary to engage in this type of adventure. You have nothing to fear as the Poly Glass windows of the cage protect you from the sharks. For more information, please visit www.hawaiisharkencounters.com Zipline Along the Fastest, Longest, & Highest Canopy Tour in North America New York Zipline Adventure Tours (Hunter Mountain, New York) So you’re thinking that there is nothing to this since you’ve zip lined before. This zip line tour has a slight twist to it; it’s done at night. This means you don’t know what you’ll see as you transverse through the forest in the dark. With only the moon as your main source of light, you’ll go on 6 zip lines and 4 rope bridges. Finally, you will rappel 65 ft. to your final destination. Zip lining at night makes it much more of an adventure than doing it in the sunlight. For more information, please visit www.ziplinenewyork.com Paragliding Proflyght Paragliding (Maui, Hawaii) Soar high in the sky with Proflyght Paragliding. At Proflyght, you can paraglide with a certified instructor or learn to fly solo. There are plenty of chances to get up the nerve to take that leap of faith since Proflyght flies in every season, weather permitting. Located in Maui, Proflyght Paragliding offers you the opportunity to see the wonders of the world from the best vantage point possible, high in the sky. For more information, please visit www.paraglidemaui.com Bobsledding Utah Olympic Park (Park City, Utah) You’ve gone skiing and snowboarding so now it’s time to step things up with something a bit more unexpected, bobsledding. Can you honestly say that you know many people who have actually gone bobsledding? Not many of us can. However, when visiting Park City, Utah, you can actually go bobsledding on the 2002 Olympic Sliding Track, with a trained professional. You’ll have to do your part in steering the sled in order for it to maintain maximum speed. See how it feels to go at top speed down a narrow track confined, three people to a sled. It is an adrenaline rush that you can’t imagine. For more information, please visit www.utaholympicslegacy.org Ice Climbing Ouray Ice Park (Ouray, Colorado) Now here is something you don’t hear about people doing every day, ice climbing. If you’re considering doing something that none of your friends have ever done, ice climbing may just be the ticket. Ouray Ice Park in Ouray, Colorado, offers over 200 climbing structures, all of which are actually man-made. Several guide services operate within the park and are available to assist you in getting started on your ice climbing adventure. All you need to bring with you is a little courage, which you’ll certainly need to get through this adventure. For more information, please visit www.ourayicepark.com Click here to view this post in the MSM January/February 2016 digital issue