Ziplining! (And…spas in New Orleans?)

[stormkeeper_lovedoris]

So here’s my post about my ziplining adventure! But first, a question from left-field for my f-list. Any chance anyone can recommend a good spa in New Orleans? My spouse and I are planning something to celebrate our 10 year anniversary, and we pretty much decided we want something centered around a spa - maybe 2-3 nights at one. A coworker recommended a spa in Utah. It sounds almost perfect but it’s a 4 hour plane ride to Las Vegas and then a 2 hour drive, so Doris had the idea of searching for somewhere closer and warmer. She wouldn’t mind a trip to New Orleans. I know we can Google away to find a place but any chance there’s someone who can recommend a spa in New Orleans?

Now, onto our ziplining adventure!



To sum up: it was very, very cool. It’s something that we kinda always wanted to do but were a bit afraid of. However, the clock is ticking given that there’s a good chance we’ll get a baby placed with us next year; we won’t have too much free time after that. And Doris found this place in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin (about a two-hour drive for us) that has ziplining tours, Lake Geneva Canopy Tours, so we booked it and made it a day trip! (You can see some videos of people ziplining on their website.)

The tour was conducted very well; very professional and safe. We had two guides and six other people going with us. They suited us up in helmets, gloves, and harnesses and then we drove part of the way and walked the rest to a training site. They taught us how to stop, when to stop, and how to “self-rescue (if you accidentally break too early and need to propel yourself to one side or the other). We tested out all these skills and then we were off. One thing that made it great was that the first two zips were very small so we got eased into it.

All together there were eight different zips. There was a lot of climbing and walking and I got tired towards the end. But it was worth it. The scenery was beautiful and we had a perfect day with gorgeous autumn views. The actual ziplining was exhilarating. But almost too exhilarating. On one zip I “got lost in the moment” and when it was time to break, my breaking technique was wrong. The guide gently told me once I reached the platform that I could’ve hurt my fingers with the way I did it that time. (I had my hand in front of the mechanism instead of behind it). From then on, I made myself pay attention which obviously was necessary though I couldn’t really “lose myself” like I do on a great rollercoaster. Still, it was very fun and worth it.

On seven of the eight zips, you stand on a small stump, the guide gets you ready, and you go. It’s pretty easy. The final one has an automatic break at the end so you don’t need to worry about breaking technique. (Yay!) You just go as fast as you can, actually running off a platform at the start. I could’ve done that all day and in fact they have something (called “racing ziplines”) where you can take multiple rides of just that, in succession. I would like to do that again someday! Maybe make it into a weekend instead of a day trip.

I was never really scared because they make it so easy. During some of the climbing I was a tiny bit scared but it was fine.

One for the bucket list (or the “before children” list) and glad we did it!

Comments

[denisia.livejournal.com]

that sounds like such fun!! Thank you for telling us about it. It is something I want to try at some point.

And sQUEE NEW ORLEANS!!! The only American city besides LA that I would live in. I love that place so much. I am trying to think of spas and I cannot for some reason...but I bet some of the gorgeous hotels in the French Quarter like the Provincial would have in house spas.

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

I hope you get to do it sometime!

I wanted to ask you, if Doris and I do go to New Orleans, can you think of 1 or 2 places we must see? Our intent is to take a trip that's mainly R&R but we'd certainly want to see at least a little bit of the city.

[denisia.livejournal.com]

fingers crossed. :) For New Orleans...if you are in the French Quarter just walking around and people watching is fascinating. The New Orleans Museum of Art is lovely but small enough to be manageable. What else...Gallier House is fascinating. Getting late night beignets at the Cafe du Monde. St Louis No. 1 Cemetery, but do not go there alone. In the French Quarter, Bourbon is the big seedy tourist street with drunk fratboys, but if you walk away...to Royale or the other streets...it is a beautiful and unique place. You can take a free ferry to Algiers and see some of the Mardi Gras costumes at a big warehouse. The City Park by the art museum has a beautiful bayou. Riding the St Charles Streetcar or the one up Canal St that goes to the museum. Those are some ideas...I have many more if there is something specific you would like to know about seeing. A lot of the guided tours are all touristy voodoo vampire crap. the food in ew Orleans is so good that even I like it.

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

Wow, thanks - this a ton of great ideas to consider!

[denisia.livejournal.com]

Sure! Let me know if you need more suggestions. New Orleans is one of those cities that can give you a lot just by walking around and soaking it all in. Just get out of the tourist areas, and enjoy. Oh, and if you are going to be in town when Prospect is on, definitely check it out. It's art installations all over the city, all free, and there's even a shuttle bus to take you from place to place. And it's a great way to see places in NO that you'd never think to go to on your own, support the areas that were destroyed after Katrina, etc. http://www.prospectneworleans.org/

[lvs2read.livejournal.com]

You are so much braver than I am! They just opened a zip line in a cavern (http://www.louisvillemegacavern.com/tour-info-zip-tours.html) here, and there's no way you'd get me on it. I don't have a problem with heights, but I'm just not very adventurous. ;) Glad you had fun!

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

In a cavern? That definitely ups the scariness if you ask me!

[nytshd3.livejournal.com]

so glad you enjoyed! sounds really exciting and fun... too bad you can't be more 'in the moment' but safety first :)

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

I'm glad we did it!

[rhoda-rants.livejournal.com]

That sounds so cool!! I'm totally envious, and also glad you guys found a place like that and had such a good time. Going for a weekend sounds fun. I may have to look into similar places around here, if they exist.

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

I hope you find a place near you!

[romennim.livejournal.com]

wow, that sounded awesome! it is something I'd really love to try and your post just made me want to do it more :)
it's good that you found the time to do something like that.. I usually keep postponing, and then I find myself with a lot of things I'd like to try and a few years have gone by :/

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

I really do recommend you give it a try. It was worth it.

[romennim.livejournal.com]

I will :) what else do you have on the 'to do' list? if you'd like to talk about it, of course :)

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

You know, we actually don't have anything else. We had decided we wanted one more 'big' vacation before kids and we wanted a wedding before kids, and we had both of those earlier this year. We've been together almost 10 years and already done a lot of what we want to do.

If the adoption doesn't happen this year - which it's looking like it won't - then I definitely would love another nice vacation, though it might not be as big as the cruise to the Mexican Riveria that we took earlier this year.

[romennim.livejournal.com]

well, I think it's good that you have done what you wanted to do.. life is better when you don't have regrets of any sort :) it's good, isn't it? I would like the same for myself as well :) maybe not the kids part (I don't think I'll ever want children), but arriving at a point in life where you have got and have done what you wanted sounds very nice.

when did you start the adoption procedure? here in Italy adopting is a bureaucracy nightmare

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

Please do make that list of things you want to do, so you can make sure to enjoy them!

Adopting here is also a mess of paperwork and waiting. We've been on the list for almost a year. We've been told it could take up to 2 years but some say it would likely be more.

[romennim.livejournal.com]

the problem is that a lot of things I'd like to do require time: I have wanted to take singing lessons for ages! and riding lessons as well. but it takes money and time.. sometimes time that I don't have :/ but for this year, I've decided to try for the singing lessons! I'm already looking at the local music schools to see what kind of course I could take

I hope everything goes well (for the adoption) and that it won't take too much time..

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

Best of luck with the singing lessons! It sounds like fun.

[whipsy.livejournal.com]

Sounds exciting and so much fun! Unfortunately, I am the biggest scaredy-cat, lol, I would never do it! But it's okay because I'll just live vicariously through you! ;)

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

:-)

[megan-moonlight.livejournal.com]

Awww, it's s great to hear that you had fun! :D It sounds pretty eciting! :DDDD

*hugs*

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

It really was a blast!