High Desert Thrillers in the Mojave

Written by Kriss Hammond


High Desert Thrillers inrepparttar Mojave Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com Read this entire feature FREE with photos at http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/sports02/skydive/nevada/nvsports.html

Amelia Earhart once said, "Adventure is worthwhile in itself."

This belief paired with her love of flying enabled Earhart to achieve new heights in aviation history. Those who share Earhart's attitude about altitude will find a bounty of opportunities in Nevada to spread their wings.

Fromrepparttar 105899 north torepparttar 105900 south, Nevada offers numerous ways to "get air." Whether you craverepparttar 105901 thrill of bungee jumping, prefer a peaceful ride in a hot air balloon, or something in between, Nevada is home to a variety of air sports set aboverepparttar 105902 state's beautiful, but rugged terrain. No matter where you go, Nevada always offers comfortable lodging, fine-dining and 24-hour entertainment nearby.

The people of Vanuatu inrepparttar 105903 Pacific had been throwing themselves from huge towers for centuries with nothing more than a few vines tied to their feet whenrepparttar 105904 Oxford University Dangerous Sports Club decided to perform a few experiments of their own inrepparttar 105905 70s. A.J. Hackett saw a video of their attempts and before long teamed up with fellow speed skier Henry Van Asch, andrepparttar 105906 pair developed bungee intorepparttar 105907 modern sport it is today. In 1987, A.J. jumped fromrepparttar 105908 Eiffel Tower and intorepparttar 105909 international spotlight. The bungee legend was born.

Bungee jumpers have two options in Southern Nevada. A.J. Hackett Bungy in Las Vegas provides a 171-foot platform from which jumpers can leap. A pool of water atrepparttar 105910 bottom helps quenchrepparttar 105911 adrenaline rush. AJ Hackett Bungy is located next to Circus Circus Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Contact: 702/385-4321. www.ajhackett.com.

And then there is Thrillseekers Unlimited. Operated in Las Vegas by Hollywood stuntmen, this company offers a five-day Ultimate Extreme Vacation that includes bungee jumping, paragliding, firewalking, indoor skydiving, paintball, snowboarding or mountain boarding, motorized skate racing, rock climbing and a tandem skydive. Contact: Thrillseekers Unlimited, 702/699-5550 or 866/4-978-8686. www.thrillseekersunlimited.com

El Ocotal Jungle Adventure in Costa Rica

Written by Misha Troyan


Eo Ocotal Jungle Adventure

Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com Read this entire feature FREE with photos at http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/sports02/scuba02/ocotal/ocotal.html

Our wake-up call didn't arrive. Rather, it didn't arrive to room 103.

While my travel partner and I were soundly sleeping off 150 miles of dust, wrong turns and bad Spanish pop music,repparttar guests in room 203 were being woken up at 7 a.m. with a cheerful "Pura vida! Theese eees your wake-up call, senior."

I was initially upset atrepparttar 105898 missed call, as it meant I had missed my dive boat forrepparttar 105899 day, but once arrangements had been made forrepparttar 105900 next day's dive trip, my troubles were eased and I was actually thankful forrepparttar 105901 extra sleep. And since we had arrived laterepparttar 105902 night before well after dark, we hadrepparttar 105903 whole day to explorerepparttar 105904 resort andrepparttar 105905 surrounding areas.

Whenrepparttar 105906 burble of complimentary Café Rey inrepparttar 105907 coffee maker finally stirred me out of bed, I threw openrepparttar 105908 curtains and found myself staring at a small, sheltered bay edged by a black, volcanic sand beach. We had been told our room was onrepparttar 105909 beachrepparttar 105910 night before when we arrived, but we were so exhausted we hadn't even noticed before collapsing into bed. Now, as I pulled openrepparttar 105911 sliding glass doors,repparttar 105912 ocean breeze pushedrepparttar 105913 warm, salty air into our room. I trudged down torepparttar 105914 water's edge and surveyedrepparttar 105915 area.

El Ocotal Resort is located inrepparttar 105916 Guanacaste region of northwest Costa Rica onrepparttar 105917 Pacific Coast. Unlikerepparttar 105918 humid, tropical areas of Costa Rica,repparttar 105919 Guanacaste region is sun-baked and arid. Lush rainforest give way to dry forest. Although much ofrepparttar 105920 same wildlife can be seen, including howler monkeys and iguanas,repparttar 105921 landscape is starkly different- with chaparral and dry grass across parched hills. Even this early inrepparttar 105922 morningrepparttar 105923 sun blazed down on me from a cloudless sky.

After refreshingly hot showers, we leftrepparttar 105924 cool comfort of our air-conditioned room to explorerepparttar 105925 resort. We passed uprepparttar 105926 complimentary shuttle service from our room and instead drove our rental car torepparttar 105927 restaurant perched onrepparttar 105928 clifftop. As we climbedrepparttar 105929 hillside along a tree-lined road, we passed a dozen bungalows that are also part ofrepparttar 105930 resort, each with a private spa and sprawling view ofrepparttar 105931 bay and ocean beyond.

Whilerepparttar 105932 restaurant made its transition from brunch to lunch, we grabbed bottles of Imperial fromrepparttar 105933 bar and found a multi-level deck behindrepparttar 105934 restaurant from which we gazed overrepparttar 105935 Pacific Ocean. As I soaked in view and beer alike, I imagined myself inrepparttar 105936 exact same spot asrepparttar 105937 original owners some 22 years earlier, standing in silent awe atrepparttar 105938 300-degree view ofrepparttar 105939 coastal hillsides,repparttar 105940 serene bay below, andrepparttar 105941 limitless Pacific beyond dotted with islands. Below us I could seerepparttar 105942 bungalows perched onrepparttar 105943 hillsides and still further below, two pools andrepparttar 105944 building in which we would be lodged forrepparttar 105945 next several days.

Atrepparttar 105946 main resort office I inquired about some ofrepparttar 105947 activities El Ocotal offered. Those inclined for relaxation can spendrepparttar 105948 day at any ofrepparttar 105949 three pools, sipping a cold cocktail while reading a book, or relax at Father Rooster Bar, whererepparttar 105950 dress code is bare feet and swim suits. Tennis rackets and balls are available for use on hard courts and swimming inrepparttar 105951 bay is an easy way to beatrepparttar 105952 scorching heat.

And while a number of amenities are offered withinrepparttar 105953 resort itself, El Ocotal also offers a variety of activities forrepparttar 105954 more adventurous. Guided tours to Arenal Volcano, river rafting downrepparttar 105955 Corobici River, private surf charters to isolated beaches like Witch's Rock and Portrero Grande are all offered out ofrepparttar 105956 resort. El Ocotal also offers sportfishing for novice to expert fishermen. A 32' twin-diesel engine boat can take fishermen out on half and full day trips torepparttar 105957 gulf of Papagayo, where world class sailfish, marlin, roosterfish, tuna and 25 other varieties have been caught.

In addition, a canopy tour amongrepparttar 105958 dry forest treetops is offered several miles from El Ocotal. Feeling inspired from our previous day's drive uprepparttar 105959 coast of Costa Rica, we decided to investigate a local canopy tour offered nearby atrepparttar 105960 Congo Trail, located a mile or two from Ocotal.

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