If I may speak frankly, on past adventure trips, I have journeyed to many exotic and exciting locals such as Argentina, South Africa, Nepal, etc. but not once did I consider Daytona, Florida until I received an invitation to participate in a “soft-adventure” press trip. I mindlessly scrolled down the email, finger poised over the delete key, and then I saw ”Sky-Diving” and immediately RSVP’ed: “YES! My chute is packed and ready to go!”
I’ve had a “Bucket List” for years…I’ve just never called it that. I always have referred to mine as “Something to Tell the Grandkids if I Live!” (Many years, and no kids– ergo no grandkids, later I suppose I could change the title.) Skydiving had been fluxuating among my top 5 To-Do’s forever, so I was totally psyched about this opportunity.
When I landed at the airport, the first major challenge was the freaky weather. Somehow Daytona got confused and thought it was located in Alaska and not Florida. For 3 days I suffered through the “coldest winter I ever spent was the next three spring days in Daytona.” Mittens, mufflers and layered sweats were de rigueur, and all outdoor activities were cancelled due to high winds and rocky seas.
Thankfully, spring sprung the last two days and it was business as usual. But we had to pack all our courageous acts into a much shorter amount of time. Turns out if you really wanted to get your juices flowing with a little advance planning you can have the one of the most exciting 24 hour action-packed, heart -thumping, adrenaline-filled getaways of your life.
What follows is my suggested itinerary…Feel free to pick some from column A and some from B or just copy the whole shebang and go out in style. With a few adaptations, this trip could easily make a most exciting Girlfriend Getaway, a “Dude-let’s compare testosterone levels”, or a superb family bonding experience that will have your kids bragging about their totally-cool parents.