Up for an adventure, my friend Eric and I went on a zip line excursion at Virginia Canopy Tours in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Shenandoah Valley. They put us in a group with seven lively women celebrating their friend’s 50th birthday. Our three-hour zip experience consisted of:

• UTV trail ride
• 8 zip lines
• sky bridge
• air stair bridge
• 2 nature walks
• 35-foot rappel down the face of the ridge on the last zip

Our certified eco-trained guides Kevin and Brent kept us informed and entertained the whole time. During the tour we took in stunning views of the Massanutten Mountains at speeds exceeding 40 mph and at heights reaching 90 feet above the hardwood forest of the Shenandoah Valley. Kathy, the birthday gal, was the last one to rappel. A few feet before she touched the ground Ben held her suspended while everyone went up to her and gave her “50” spankings!

I had such an awesome zip experience that I returned two weeks later for a private group tour with my friends Michael, Katrena, Birgit, Alfredo and Jean. This time around our entertaining guides were Sara and Benjamin. After our adrenaline rush zip tour, we went for dinner at a tasty Mexican restaurant and then headed to Naughty Girls Donut Shop for some sugary treats. Can’t wait for our next activity!