There’s always one wild thing in the family who wants a little more crazy in what many would already consider enough excitement already. For our thrill seekers, we add an adrenaline bump to the adventure. These are the kid friendly ones we’ve tried and would do again.
Climb an Active Volcano
In Hawaii we did this and they didn’t let people get too close. In Guatemala they just don’t care how close you get. The trick is finding a guide who actually knows what he is doing and isn’t scamming you. Also, not getting robbed on the way up or back, and not melting your shoes into your feet when walking on the lava fields. That’s all. We enjoyed the experience so much the fist time, we did it two more times. Then a few months later the volcano erupted and
put an end to that.
White Water Rafting Costa Rica
The girls did this twice, I didn’t have the stomach for it. There are different degrees of intensity. Choose carefully in including kids. We had a couple of friends almost drown doing this, when they got pinned in an bizarre boat flip. It’s extremely important to find someone experienced, who knows the river.
Surfing
This was a huge success with our youngest wild thing. She was up on the second try. Lessons by a good instructor are key to making this a good experience.
ATVing
We did this in Costa Rica. Check to make sure your tires aren’t bald–forgot to do that. The first time takes a little getting used to if you’re used to motorcycles. You think they will be more stable, but there’s a knack to riding them on extremely uneven terrain.
Double Blacks Diamonds in the Dark
We are a family of skiers, plus me. Nothing, I’m told, is more thrilling than flying down a mountain of ice and snow at night. I would happily show you action shots, except that I’m always chalet side tending to the fire in my cozy slippers.
Be With Other Wild Things
For my girls, getting to mingle with other wild animals gives them a huge natural high. If you’ve ever seen a wild sloth or fed a giraffe, you know what I mean.
Scuba Diving
Kier got her certification in the British Virgin Isles and loves it. I also did this in Lake Atitlan. There’s snorkeling for the younger kids. This has always been a family favorite. We’ve known people to get some nasty respiratory infections from rented masks, we always bring our own.
Cliff Jumping
I tried this when I was a silly teen, and it hurt. There are more controlled settings in which to do this. We did horseback riding in Costa Rica to a waterfall where the guides helped our group climb the waterfall and told us where it was safe to jump. I passed on this, but many did it.
Zipling
We went zip-lining in an area of the country known for it’s instability and mudslides. We knew the architect who designed it, and went during the dry season. We ended up doing it three times, the girls even did it with their grandma. They’ll never forget screaming down the mountains in Guatemala.
Ride a Chicken Bus
Ride a pimped up school bus, otherwise known as a chicken bus through the mountains of Guatemala. If you’ve ever done this, you know what I mean. Those are some crazy, crazy rides.
We did pass on parasailing over Lake Atitlan. Mostly because there had been some fatalities and the guy who ran it was high most of the time. Now that the moment has passed, not sure I want to try that one.
Cali saw an advertisement for rocket surfing in Jaco, and is lobbying to do that. My first instinct is to veto anything with the word rocket in it. We’ll see.