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Are You Planning to Visit Idaho or Virginia?

Who says there’s nothing to do in the state of Idaho?

If the idea of propelling your body through the air at 55 mph 3,000 feet up gets your adrenaline flowing then you should be booking a trip to the “The Gem State” right now.

That’s what the owner of a new motorized zipline is hoping you’ll do once word gets out that visitors can fly like a bird near the Snake River Canyon in Twin Falls. The adventure ride is part of a proposed thrill park.

The new zipline is called the Flight Stimulator and is part of the proposed Devil’s Corral Adventure Park that may eventually have 12 of the motorized flying machines.

I’ve written about ziplines in previous blogs, but this is not a typical zipline. According to its owner the Flight Simulator is an electric trolley cable running on a zipline. Making it the world’s first powered zipline.

The device consists of a high-tension cable, which is situated 160 feet above a small feeder canyon to the Snake River called Devil’s Corral. Power comes from a battery pack attached to a harness that moves the rider along the cable. And while ziplines typically rely on gravity, the Flight Simulator’s creator says his design can propel people across flats or even uphill.

So how much will pretending you’re Superman cost you? The Flight Simulator’s owner says the three-minute ride will likely run about $35, and if the thrill park gains approval it will cost $100 to ride all 12 ziplines.

If the Flight Simulator is successful its owner hopes to open similar ziplines in Oregon, Washington, Nevada, California, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Missouri.

Meanwhile, if you enjoy vacationing with two feet firmly planted on the ground at all times, consider a trip to Virginia.

One of the state’s most scenic roads is getting a face-lift.

Shenandoah National Park has just begun a yearlong $1.9 million construction project to rebuild portions of the 105-mile Skyline Drive. Work is being done on a 34-mile stretch between the Thornton Gap entrance station at the road’s intersection with U.S. 211 and at the Swift Run entrance station at the road’s intersection with U.S. 33.

That means from now until December 2008 you can expect delays while driving the scenic route. Park officials estimate about 400,000 vehicles and 300 buses enter the park annually.

Related Articles:

Zip It—Zip It Good!

Visiting Hells Canyon

Untraditional Out-of-Town Lodging

East Coast Whale Watching Adventures

This entry was posted in Adventure Travel and tagged , , , , by Michele Cheplic. Bookmark the permalink.

About Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. She spent the next ten years as a television anchor and reporter at various stations throughout the country (from the CBS affiliate in Honolulu to the NBC affiliate in Green Bay). She has won numerous honors including an Emmy Award and multiple Edward R. Murrow awards honoring outstanding achievements in broadcast journalism. In addition, she has received awards from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for her reports on air travel and the Wisconsin Education Association Council for her stories on education. Michele has since left television to concentrate on being a mom and freelance writer.