Ziplining! (And…spas in New Orleans?)
Oct. 10th, 2011 06:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stormkeeper_lovedorisSo 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!
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!
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Date: 2011-10-11 12:40 am (UTC)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.
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Date: 2011-10-11 01:01 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2011-10-11 03:06 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2011-10-11 03:46 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2011-10-11 02:41 pm (UTC)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 :/
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Date: 2011-10-11 03:49 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2011-10-11 08:05 pm (UTC)*hugs*
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