Adventure Guide: Sky High Thrills

Soar on ziplines and a two-hour guided experience through Geneva State Park with canopy and Lake Erie views. You’ll reach speeds up to 30 miles per hour. The ziplines are staffed with a sender and lead. “The lead goes first and catches you on the other side, and the sender hooks you to the line and gives you some encouragement,” says Jaclyn Taylor, a front desk agent at Lake Erie Canopy Tours (lakeeriecanopytours.com) in Geneva. Anyone who weighs between 70 and 275 pounds can participate. 

“Our oldest rider was 91 and she finished all three ziplines,” Taylor says, advising that guests be able to climb stairs, a ladder and cross some bridges. 

Another opportunity on-site: the adult and children’s challenge courses. Adults traverse 35 obstacles. Nothing is stationary. Begin at 12 feet in the air and elevate to 24 feet while working your way across moving logs and trapeze swings. “Some people feel out of their comfort zone, and when they are all done, they are like, ‘I’m so glad I did it!,’” Taylor says. The smaller-scale kids’ course starts 6 feet off of the ground with 10 obstacles and a zipline at the end.

Cedar Point (cedarpoint.com) in Sandusky, Ohio, entices roller coaster enthusiasts from around the world for attractions like the Steel Vengeance. At a height of 205 feet and a speed of 74 miles per hour, it is the longest hybrid coaster in the world, standing at 5,740 feet tall and including almost 30 seconds of airtime — more than any other coaster. Or, check out the family-friendly Snake River Expedition and keep an eye out on shore for bandits. Add on a day at Cedar Point Shores Waterpark, which is 18 acres of slides and play for all ages.

Find more than 100 rides, slides and attractions at Waldameer & Water World (waldameer.com) in Erie, Pennsylvania. Check out the Ravine Flyer II with its six tunnels and bridge that extends over a four-lane highway. The new Battle of Lake Erie is a water complex with 103 thrills, seven slides and a 400-gallon tipping bucket.