The "vomit comet" is famously used to train astronauts, but when it's not doing that, it's helping regular folks like Martha Stewart, Stephen Hawking, and Kate Upton experience the thrill of weightlessness. You can make the trip for about $5,000, which includes 15 parabolic maneuvers with 20-30 seconds of weightlessness each. It's a steep price, but it's easier than full-on going to space. The Zero-G plane is on a bit of a tour right now, and you can find out on their website when they're going to be nearby.
(image via Flickr)
Did you know that Ferrari had an amusement park? It's in the United Arab Emirates, because where else would it be? Within that amusement park is Formula Rossa, the fastest roller coaster on the planet, reaching speeds of 150 miles per hour. Riders are required to wear protective goggles to cope with the risk of hitting insects at that speed.
(image via Flickr)
If you want to rent a fast car and drive with nobody to stop you, you're more than welcome to drive the Autobahn or the Nurburgring. But if you want a real rush, you may want to stay in the states. Every summer, on the Utah Salt Flats, teams from all over the world gather in the desert to try and break the land speed record for every vehicle imaginable. You'd need some nice toys to play here—but then since when did an extreme spot not require a little bit of equipment?
(image via Flickr)
There are places to experience something like cave diving within a safe environment—places like Bonne Terre Mine. But if you're experienced enough and know what you're doing, the cenotes of Mexico offer a wide range of experiences for underwater spelunking, particularly along the Riviera Maya on the Yucatan Peninsula.
(image via Flickr)
There are plenty of places to bungee jump—the Royal Gorge Suspension Bridge over the Arkansas River in Colorado is an American classic. But the current record for highest jump—and for highest bungee jump facility—is at Macau Tower in China. The tower has become a bit of a celebrity for that, having drawn the likes of Jack Osbourne, Anthony Bourdain, and even Karl Pilkington.
(image via Flickr)
No, this isn't some VR stunt, but you will have to learn how to build a hoverbike of your own. Yes, like from Star Wars. They exist now. You may know mad engineer Colin Furze from the time that he built real-life Wolverine claws or a Batman-style grappling hook. Well, Ford gave him a ton of money to help him turn a hoverbike into a reality, and the crazy son of a gun pulled it off. If you can follow his lead, or know a handy friend who can, you might get to try this out yourself.
(image via YouTube)
Lest you think we've completely lost our minds, jetpacks are also real. They just have to stay over water, because propelling themselves around with fire goes beyond "adrenaline junkie" and into plain stupidity. But companies like Florida Keys Jetpacks offer us regular folks the chance to feel like we're flying, hovering over the water in full Rocketeer getup.
(image via Flickr)
It's not easy, but it's not supposed to be. Oahu is the birthplace of modern surfing, with massive, beautifully untamable waves for people who want to test themselves against the best. CNN and Surving Magazine both named this the top surf spot on the planet.
(image via Flickr)
The U.S. is skydiving central. Whether you're stepping out for a one-off tandem jump or a hardcore hobbyist, you're in the right country. We have over 300 dropzones, more than the entire African, Asian, and South American continents combined. But if you want more, try High Altitude—Low Opening (HALO) jumps at a place like HALO Jumper in Memphis, Tennessee. You'll need a lot of jump experience beyond typical parachuting—but there's nothing like it.
If regular skydiving just isn't enough for you, you can always try using a wingsuit. You can do that anywhere, really, but Skydive City is one place where you can actually take a course in using the suit properly. Note that you'll need 200 non-wingsuit jumps under your belt before you can go all "Secret Squirrel." It's the best parts of skydiving and hang gliding combined into one!
