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BY Nancy Mueller 2 Comments ON June 5, 2015

Ziplining 101 with Ziptrek Ecotours

Nancy Mueller Ziptrek Ecotours

Ziplining has never been high on my bucket list of travel adventures. While I’m not overly scared of heights, I’m respectful of the distance between heaven and earth with a strong preference for staying grounded unless winging through the air from one exotic destination to another from the comfort of a Boeing jet. Think cushioned seats, seatbelts and a stiff drink.

Still, an invitation from Ziptrek Ecotours to experience “eco-exhilaration™” on their Eagle Tour at Whistler, BC, beckoned, hung in the air, so to speak. When I tweeted before the Big Event, asking readers to remind me why I was doing this, Ziptrek shot back in a nanosecond: “Because it’s FUN!” Ohhhhh. Right. The FUN factor. But for whom, I wondered: for me – or for those watching as I hurl myself like a shell from a loose cannon off into the stratosphere?

Ziptrek Ecotours

Yet here I am, poised on the edge of a platform alongside a hearty group of twelve, a mix of first-timers (thankfully, not our guides) and repeat zippers. We stop our pre-zip nervous chatter long enough to fix our gaze on our hero guide who shows us exactly how it’s done. He smiles before launching off, zipping through the air effortlessly before landing way too far away for my Boomer eyes to follow.

Ziptrek Ecotours Adventurers

Lost in our own private reveries while processing the FUN we had just observed, another guide steps forwards and asks in a cheerful tone: “So who wants to go first?” A long silence follows. Finally one participant speaks up: “I will.”

My fellow zipper whips around to face me: “What!? I can’t believe you just said that!” Wait – why is she looking at me? I said that?? In my lightheaded daze, I must have been reflecting on what my dinner host had shared with me the previous night. “My mother was terrified before she went ziplining the first time,” she said. “If I can offer you one piece of advice, it’s this: volunteer to go first. That way you won’t be standing around getting more nervous than you already feel.” How else to account for my inexplicable moment of madness?

Ziptrek Ecotours Nancy Mueller

So this is how the body of a jellyfish feels from the inside out, I marvel, in my own out-of-body experience. With a smile plastered on my face, heart pounding, I step towards our launching pad. My guide opens the platform gate and closes it behind me, separating me from the supportive womb of the others. My smile fades as I fight the urge to curl into a fetal position, cry “Wah!” and ask for my mommy. He checks my helmet and full-body safety harness as many times as I ask, then says matter-of-factly, “You’re good. Just take one step at a time until you feel the slack between your harness and the zipline tighten. Then go!” Sure. Okay. Just a step at a time. Easy-peasy, right? I mean, hundreds of thousands of real people have been on a Ziptrek tour in the last 10 years. Real people from age 6 – 96 do this all the time – theoretically, at least – since to date, the oldest participants on Ziptrek Ecotours have been only 92 years old.

Of course, stepping down stairs into space with a railing on either side of you is one thing. But stepping down into space with no railing on either side in sight, even when harnessed? Can’t I take the stairway to the stars instead?

Whoa! I remind myself to breathe. Long, slow, deep breaths follow. Just do it, I coax myself, becoming my own best coach in the moment. Don’t think about the fact that you’re about to dangle somewhere over Fitzsimmons Valley between Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains from a height of up to 300 feet. Or that you’re about to zip through old-growth rainforest at speeds that can reach up to 56 mph depending on weight and weather conditions. Never mind that the first zipline on the Eagle Tour is the longest – 2400 feet with a 30-story descent. No, better not to think about any of that now. Better to hum a few notes from Donna Summer’s blockbuster hit, “I Will Survive!” instead. Remember, I tell myself. The actual time on each of the five ziplines (yes, there are five on the Eagle Tour) is only 35 – 40 secs. That’s it! Oh, well, in that case . . .

Nancy Mueller Ziptrek

In one cotton-mouthed gulp, I’m off! Whee! Sure they can hear the screams of my inner Jane all the way down in Whistler Village. No matter. I’m doing it! I’m zipping through the air, well, maybe not with the greatest of ease, but on my own terms, eyes tightly shut until I remember to open them two-thirds of the way through my run, twisting and twirling most of the way, hearing the whoosh of the wind surround me as I zip my way to the landing platform. Yes! Success! One down, only four more to go. Whew.

The Pacific Rim Caesar

And the payoff for accepting Ziptrek’s offer of this thrilling outdoor mountaintop adventure? Besides my personal treat of The Pacific Rim Caesar at Garibaldi Lift Co. Bar & Grill (“Make mine a double – stat!”). Besides gaining new-found confidence that comes from working through one’s fears and picking up tidbits of ecological information from knowledgable guides which I would gladly have shared with you here had my focus been on learning rainforest lore rather than on survival, is this text exchange with my 16-year-old daughter afterwards:

DD (for Darling Daughter): ZIPTREKKING? What have they done to you? Looks like a blast!!

Me: Ha, ha – It was totally FUN! First step off into space was the hardest. And I went on 5 different zip lines!

DD: OMG. You’re crazy. That sounds like so much fun. Hahaha. I’m impressed. Becoming an adrenaline junky?

Me: No worries.

There. That’s it right there. Thanks to your showing me how to zip through the trees, Ziptrek Ecotours, you helped this Boomer woman impress my 16-year-old daughter. Not an easy feat – and reason enough for me to sign up for another of your amazing tours again. Great FUN all the way around, just as you promised!

Nancy Mueller Post Ziptrek Ecotours

For more information on how you, too, can soar through the forests at Whistler while dazzling your own children and grandchildren on a ziplining adventure, visit Ziptrek Ecotours.

Rainbow Backdrop

Thanks to host Ziptrek Ecotours for sharing this FUN adventure and to our most amazing guides, Keir, Admir and Kiah, for putting up with the likes of us!

Wander on!

Nancy

What about you, wanderboomers? Have you gone ziplining? What are your travel fears? How have you overcome them?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Activities, Baby Boomers and Travel, British Columbia, Fearless Women, Travel Experiences Tagged With: Boomer, bucket list, ziplining, zippers, zipping, Ziptrek

BY Nancy Mueller 7 Comments ON February 26, 2014

10 Best Boomer Women Bonding Trips

St. Chapelle Winery Idaho

Solo trips and romantic escapes have their place. But sometimes we boomer women want a little more girlfriend bonding time. The next time you’re ready for a gal pal getaway, here are 10 Best Boomer Women Bonding Trips to satisfy your wanderlust for a day, a weekend or an extended vacation:

#1 – Spa Travel

Spa Natur'Eau Quebec

Boomers have led the pack in spa travel for decades and we’re not ready to change that anytime soon, are we? Not only do spas offer pampering treatments, saunas and hot springs;  increasingly, spa travel takes a 360 approach to health and wellness in exotic locations. Whether you tend towards yoga classes by the sea, hiking through old-growth forests or weight loss boot camps, you’re bound to come home relaxed and rejuvenated.

#2 -Foodie Fun

Appetizers Spa Natur'Eau Quebec

Food and wine are meant to be shared with friends. So why not sign up for a tasting tour, 5 course progressive dinner or cooking class to discover new flavors and gastronomic traditions? Browsing local farmers’ markets will whet your appetite and inspire new culinary concoctions. Learn from master chefs as you eat and drink your way around the world, or even your own neighborhood.

#3 – Cultural Immersion

Unique, authentic experiences remain high on the boomer women’s favorite travel list. The desire to connect with a place through its people and customs leads to learning a foreign language in the country where it’s spoken. Or renting an apartment so you can mix & mingle with local residents instead of staying in a hotel.

#4 – City Slicker Escape

Take advantage of the many girlfriend getaway hotel packages, offering everything from champagne & chocolate greetings to scenic city views and tickets to special events. Go to a show in your hometown or explore a new destination together through its art and architecture. Investigate the city’s history on foot, by subway or trolley for your own urban renewal.

#5 – Bucket List Adventure

Olympics Seattle WA

What places are still on your Bucket List? Where in the world do you want to go next? Make a plan with a gal pal to start taking turns on annual getaways. This year you get to choose and cross one more destination or travel experience off your list. Next year she gets to choose. But why wait to another whole year? How about twice or even four times a year instead?

#6 – Writer’s Retreat

A writer’s retreat is just the thing for wanderboomers who want to explore self-expression through poetry, memoir or the next best novel. Pick up tips of the trade from guest speakers and enjoy dedicated time to pursuing your craft with a girlfriend. By the time you return home, you will be well on your way to achieving your writing goals.

#7 – Festival Tour

Find your inner fun at a traditional festival anywhere around the world. Dance the samba at Carnival in Brazil. Or celebrate the rites of Spring at the colorful Holi Festival in India. Enjoy the annual Songwriting Festival in Gulf Shores or listen to jazz in Montreal. Don’t forget Quebec’s Winter Festival or the Sundance Film Festival which honors the best in independent films.

#8 – Trip Down Memory Lane

Through Facebook I’ve reconnected with a childhood girlfriend. We each moved on to different parts of the country long ago. But we plan to meet up again in the place where we spent our early days as best buddies. Or maybe we’ll just skip that part and sign up for the annual Beatles cruise, basking in our shared childhood memories of the Fab Four.

#9 – Voluntourism

Want to make a difference in the lives of the people you meet in your travels? Volunteer tourism provides wanderlusters with rewarding opportunities to help with hiking trails maintenance, housing projects, tutoring or care for the elderly, often in exchange for discounted travel costs. You can see the world, help the planet and build cross-cultural relationships all on one trip.

#10 – Thelma & Louise Road Trip

Quebec Road Trip

For the ultimate boomer girlfriend escape, plan your own road trip together with or without GPS. Though you might want to visualize a different ending from the movie . . . Road trips provide just the right balance of destination discoveries, thoughtful conversation and self-reflection. Get off the beaten path and enjoy your shared adventure.

Disclosure: Some, though not all, of my travel experiences seen here were provided by Idaho and Quebec tourism hosts.

Wander on!

Nancy

What’s your favorite girlfriend bonding trip, wanderboomers?

 

Filed Under: Activities, Baby Boomers and Travel, Destinations, Festivals, Food & Dining, Idaho, Make a Difference, Québec Tagged With: bonding, boomer women travel, bucket list, city slicker, cultural immersion, festival tour, foodie, gal pal, girlfriend getaway, spa travel, Thelma & Louise, volunteer trip, writer's retreat

BY Nancy Mueller 6 Comments ON April 1, 2013

A is for Aurora Borealis

AuroraBorealisBeverly&PackFlickr (450 x 420)

Photo courtesy of Beverly & Pack, flickr

Now I’ve done it. I just signed up for the April 2013 A – Z Blogging Challenge. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the challenge, the idea is to post on your blog six days a week during the month of April. We get Sundays off for good behavior and score extra points if we include an overall theme to our blog for the month.

Obviously, WanderBoomer focuses on travel for active, adventurous women 45 years +, their friends and families. Under that umbrella, I’ve decided to make my blogging challenge center on extraordinary travel experiences to add to (or scratch off, if already accomplished) our wanderboomer travel bucket list.

NorthernLightsmmmavocadoflickr (450 x 300)

Photo courtesy of mmmavocado, flickr

Today is “A for Aurora Borealis,” otherwise known as the Northern Lights, a wondrous night sky view. Though the spectacle may seem like a man-made laser light show, the natural phenomenon occurs when charged particles emitted from the sun collide with gas particles in the Earth’s atmosphere. Imagine surreal shimmering skies that range in color from pale yellow and fluorescent greens to shades of blue, lilac and red (the rarest color) and you have an inkling of the dazzling vision before you.

Once on a lucky, late-night first-class flight from Cincinnati to Seattle, when the cabin lights dimmed and passengers dozed off around me, the flight attendant beckoned me forward. As she re-seated me in the front row of our cabin, she pointed outside the window, revealing a spectacular night sky pulsing in waves of brilliant green colors. The lights accompanied me most of the flight to Seattle, leaving me with an unforgettable, you-won’t-believe-what-I-saw, travel story to share with friends.

AuroraBorealismmmavocadoflickr (450 x 300)

Photo courtesy of mmmavocado, flickr

While there’s no guarantee of catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights on a planned vacation to do so, you can increase your chances by following these top 3 tips:

  • Plan your trip between late November through March when there’s the best chance for cold, clear skies.
  • Head to remote regions, away from the city lights to sites like Fairbanks, Alaska or Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Northern Canada or Russia.
  • Reserve a room at one of the best places for viewing the Northern Lights, such as the Aurora Borealis Lodge in Fairbanks, Sweden’s Ice Hotel or a Glass Igloo of Hotel Kakslauttanen in Finland. Other options for viewing include a Norwegian Hurtigruten cruise or Iceland’s Blue Lagoon.

Just be sure to dress warm and expect to stay up through the wee hours of the morning – unless you’re lucky enough to catch a flight like mine where you can marvel at nature’s wonder through the looking glass from your airplane seat, with a glass of champagne close at hand.

What about you, Wanderboomers? Have you seen the Northern Lights in person? Share your experience with us here.

 

Filed Under: Activities, Alaska, Baby Boomers and Travel, By Land, By Ship & By Sea, Destinations, Entertainment, Travel Experiences Tagged With: A - Z Blogging Challenge, Alaska, Aurora Borealis, Aurora Borealis Lodge, Blue Lagoon, bucket list, Finland, Hurtigruten cruise, Ice Hotel, Northern Canada, Northern Lights, Norway, Russia

Hello fellow wanderboomers! I’m a Seattle-based travel journalist, specializing in fun travel adventures for the young at heart. My articles have been featured in Hemispheres, AAA Highroads Magazine and Northwest Travel & Life Magazine where I'm a frequent contributor. When this Wanderboomer isn’t traveling, I help global executives polish their personal and professional brand for long-term results.
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