{Adventure} Zipline!

It started off just like any other adventure: with absolutely NO knowledge of where we'd end up.

Curt and Luke BEGGED for hints.

We threw them some bones. **

"You should wear blue socks," I said.

"You must love dogs," said Mr. D.

"You should love trees," said Mr. S.

"You might need gloves," offered Ms. C.

The boys were thoroughly confused [insert slightly evil Mom giggles here].

When we got into the car, the boys tried to follow Ms. C's GPS. I was pretty confident they wouldn't figure it out in a million years. At least.

They didn't.

It wasn't until we turned into the dirt driveway of New York Texas Zipline Adventures that they read the sign and realized what the day's 'adventure' would be.

Awesome Mr. D set it up for us - it was to be an adventure for the adults as well as my boys. We were ALL excited, even Mr. D, who qualifies as an expert zipliner (if that's what you want to call someone who hangs upside down from a cable traveling 900 feet in 53 seconds...)

The awesome guides at NY TX Zipline Adventures got us safely into our gear. All visions of my skinny 8-year-old slipping out of his harness 200 feet above the ground were quickly assuaged...mostly...

All joking aside, we were strapped in so securely it was impossible not to feel safe.

After gearing up, we practiced braking and pulling ourselves back in (not that it was ever necessary) on the ground. Except those of us who were laughing so hard at jibes from the peanut gallery that we struggled pulling ourselves back up to the platform. 

Then it was time to climb the platform for the first zipline.

Standing on the platform, secured to a cable strapped to the tree, the length of the zipline looked interminable and the drop into the thin air seemed endless.

Curt went first, without hesitation, practically pushing all the others in our group aside to be first down the zipline.

He made it. Safely. I could hear his laughter all the way from my perch on the first platform.

It was Luke's turn. My typically intrepid child had a moment of panic as the guide lifted him from the platform just high enough to connect his cables and pulley to the line. He turned around to look at me, his big brown eyes wide. Then he turned and allowed the guide to gently nudge him from the platform.

I couldn't tell from my vantage point whether he liked it or not, but I didn't have much time to ponder his experience as it was my turn to stand on the edge of the abyss. I took a deep breath and stepped off the security of the platform.

It was like flying.

And over far too fast. 

Now Luke and Curt were jockeying for positions at the front of the line. I kinda wanted to push them aside, too, but I'm the mom, so I couldn't.

We did a total of 9 ziplines, each one longer or steeper than the last.

The guides were so much fun and our group laughed and laughed.

It was over far too fast.

I can't wait to do it again.

**

Blue socks have NOTHING to do with zip lining.

The family dogs at NY TX Zipline Adventures greet the guests and hang with the guides.

Trust me, you hug trees on this adventure.

And you wear gloves so you don't slice your hand to the bone when you reach up to the cable to brake.  But if you're like me, you wear a hole right through those gloves.