Do you want a little adventure in your life?

I am not an overly adventurous, outdoorsy type person.  I don’t mind the outdoors, in fact I prefer fresh air and sunshine, I just don’t like some of the things that come with it.

Creepy-crawlies.

Snakes.

Mosquitoes.

Wasps.

Ticks.

Lions.

And tigers.

And bears.

….you get the idea.

And I used to be so afraid of some of these things I would totally avoid anything that might bring me a chance encounter with any of them.  But not anymore.  I think as you get older you become less concerned about the things that go bump in the night, or at least are able to set aside the irrational fear and try it.  At least once anyway.  I’ve done plenty of things that I will never, ever do again but at least I tried them once to know that I didn’t like it.

One of the things that people seem to be afraid of doing is zip lining, and I’ve done it 3 times so far and it really is a lot of fun.

My latest zip lining adventures was near Pensacola, Florida at our latest Brandcation Event: Bloggers Gone Coastal at a place called Adventures Unlimited.  And zip lining wasn’t the only thing we did, we went tubing as well.  Which, in hindsight, is one of those things I probably will never do again, but at least I did it and I enjoyed myself.  Sorta.  When I wasn’t too busy scanning the shore for snakes and the water for fish, not to mention the dragonfly (that was a big as a cat) that landed on my head and wouldn’t leave.  But if you like those sorts of things (I named the dragonfly Ted since he clearly wanted to be my friend), you’ll have a good time.

Our day at Adventures Unlimited started with our group of 32 women being broken up into smaller groups for ziplining.  Set amid the state forest surrounding fresh springs and Coldwater River, Adventures Unlimited allows you to soar through the air on a Canopy Zip Line with tours for every level of adventure.    Since I had already been zip lining before, I pretty much knew what to expect and really just could relax and enjoy myself.

And having these two young, handsome gentlemen as our guides helped too.

Brenden and Michael (despite my being old enough to be their mother) were sweet and funny and seemed very concerned about safety and making sure everyone had a good time.

The second half of our day was dedicated to a tubing adventure down Coldwater River.  The trip is roughly a 3 1/2 hour leisurely float down the river, but honestly if you are not prepared for a strenuous adventure, I found it to be more physically demanding than zip lining.  I had fun because of the people I was with, but they warn you it is not for someone who isn’t prepared for a wildness experience, and I do agree with that.

photo courtesy of: http://www.kidsumers.ca/

Overall we had a blast at Adventures Unlimited.  The staff was super friendly and helpful, their small store has almost everything you need if you come unprepared (they even had water shoes, waterproof bags, snacks, underwater cameras and more) and the facilities and park were beautiful and ideal for an outdoor adventure.

More information about Adventures Unlimited:

Canoe, Tube, Kayak, Ropes Course …

Discover the FUN of outdoor adventure!

Adventures Unlimited offers  Canoeing, Kayaking, Tubing, and Camping  along Coldwater Creek past secluded, sugar white sandbars, through Blackwater River State Forest of Northwest Florida .  Zip on the canopy tour, on Zip Adventures (www.floridaziplineadventures.com) at Adventures Unlimited’s Coldwater Creek Headquarters near Milton, Florida. Rent a cabin or cottage, spend a weekend in the Adventures Unlimited campground.

Note: unless indicated, photos provided by: Brandy Goleman Photography