Washington DC doesn’t appear on many lists of top adventure travel destinations, but if you know where to look, there are plenty of options, ranging from the sedate to the scary (besides visiting Congress and seeing our politicians in action). Here are some highlights from a recent trip.
Kings Dominion
Kings Dominion is about two hours south of DC, and the rides (quality and quantity) are the best we’ve experienced. Anaconda is loaded with coils, loops, and drops. Drop Tower sent us free-falling 27 stories straight down, Flight of Fear catapulted us into near-total darkness, and Volcano shot us-like lava-150 feet straight up and through a series of spins and corkscrews. Dominator took us through five inversions on what’s billed as the longest floorless coaster in the world, and Intimidator 305 was absolutely amazing, with its 300-foot drop, blistering speeds, and whipping, high-speed turns. For between-ride downtime, we enjoyed Dinosaurs Alive!, a multi-acre forest filled with more than 30 life-sized, roaring, animatronic dinosaurs. https://www.kingsdominion.com
Thanks to a dozen distinct ecosystems, which include coral reefs, rain forests, and cloud forests, Costa Rica is home to about 500,000 species of animals, hundreds of which exist nowhere else on the planet. Because so many of the most beautiful creatures are nearly impossible for an untrained eye to spot, the best way to see them is to hire an experienced nature guide. You can find guides outside the major national parks, but you never know what you’re going to get, which is why recommendations from trusted sources—such as Parents@Play–are so important.
In Manuel Antonio, our sharp-eyed guide was Edgar Avila (