If you and your partner are the type that find laying out at the beach a bit boring, and would prefer something with a lot more excitement, then you're in luck. There are lots of awesome, thrilling activities that you can do on the weekend. Some of them take you high up in the air, others have you clinging to the face of a sheer rock wall, and still others have you rolling over thunderous white water. Below are three of the best activities for thrill seekers who are in the NYC region.
Outdoor Rock Climbing
You don't have to travel out west to get in some really world class rock climbing. If you're the type that has grown bored with the artificial rock wall at the gym, and find the little "boulders" in Central Park too tame, then take a trip up to Ulster County and visit the Shawangunk's, or the Gunks, as climbers are known to call them.
The Gunks are a located just 85 miles from New York City, but you'd never know it once you get there. The area is lush with forest and has some of the most spectacular cliff faces on the East Coast. You can hook up with a tour company if you don't own your own gear, or you can go solo if you are a serious climber with your own gear. Another reason the Gunks are such a great spot is that the area has an excellent mountain rescue team.
You can get to the Gunks by taking interstate 87 from The Bronx to New Paltz. There are also buses that leave from Penn Station.
Serious White Water Rafting
When most people from New York City head out to go white water rafting, they end up at the Delaware River in Orange County. This is a very fun river that snakes down into Pennsylvania. However, one reason its so popular is that it is not too difficult to raft. Kids and inexperienced adults can enjoy the water. They can even beach their craft at spots and picnic and go swimming. However, it is not the terrifying and awe-inspiring white water that adrenaline junkies want. For that you are going to have to head further north to the Hudson River Gorge.
Hudson River Gorge is located in Columbia County, New York. You can get there by taking Interstate 87. If you're coming from Manhattan, you take the Major Degan Expressway and hook up with 87 in The Bronx. From there it's a straight shot north.
The Hudson River Gorge has class 3 and class 4 rapids, so you should definitely have some experience rafting. That said, there are lots of tour companies up there that you can go with, so it won't be just the two of you in a raft. The guide will be on board to make sure everyone gets through.
Tandem Skydiving Above Long Island
What could be more adrenaline pumping then jumping out of an airplane? If you like the idea, the consider tandem skydiving. You hook up with an instructor and jump out of a plane high above Long Island.
The flight space over NYC proper is restricted, plus there are not really any good places to land. That's why most places operate either in Westchester or Long Island. One cool reason for choosing Long Island is that, depending on the operator's location, you could get a cool view of the NYC skyline or even the Atlantic Ocean. Contact a company like Midwest Freefall to learn more about tandem skydiving.
Share17 June 2016
After being an athlete for my entire life, I realized that I needed a little more variety. I was tired of working on my form and trying for the fastest speed, and truthfully, my sport of choice just wasn't doing it for me anymore. To add a little excitement to my life, I decided that it would be awesome to try out extreme sports. My friend Jay took me to a motocross park for the first time, and it was really fun to try the different ramps. I gained a new appreciation for what it meant to play outside, and I know you can too. Check out this blog to learn more about extreme sports.
