We all have that one friend who is a die-hard adrenaline junkie who loves to discover their next greatest adventure. That friend is me…
This feature is all about uncovering Lake Nona and Orlando’s greatest activities, especially if you enjoy living life on the edge!
This month’s adventure started off as a surprise. Andrew came across The Canyons Zip Line and Canopy Tour on Facebook and knew it would be right up my alley. Unfortunately for me, he can’t keep surprises … I discovered we were going to the award-winning and nationally recognized zip line company (recognized by ABC, NBC, Fox News, National Geographic, E! News, and discoveramerica.com) and was pretty stoked! The Canyons is known for having the longest, highest and fastest zip lines in Florida, which is what NonaVentures is all about!
This adventure requires a road trip to Ocala, but upon arrival, you don’t even feel like you’re in Florida anymore. Roads were winding up and down over hills, and we arrived at a bunch of open skies over limestone canyons, teal water and towering woods. Not something you see much of here in Orlando … the full zip/canopy tour includes nine zip lines, two rope bridges and a rappel at the very end. The entire tour lasted about two-and-a-half hours. Here’s how it went…
We began by meeting our two tour guides, Clay and David, and got suited up for the day’s adventures. We adorned helmets, harnesses and gloves – and naturally, I had my GoPro to capture it all!
We hopped onto a golf cart to get up some hills and travel farther into the woods to begin our journey. First up was the practice zip, where we learned the proper zipping technique, the hand signals that went with the tour, and how to properly brake. This was a first for me. Although I’ve been zip lining several times, I’ve never had to brake myself. I quickly realized that it would be difficult for me to film the zip line if I had to keep one hand on the pulley-like system attaching me to the cable at all times and the other hand was used for braking, but I was determined to make it work.
It wasn’t graceful, to say the least … the pole mount with my GoPro hit my leg in the practice zip, and I was only going like two MPH! I had to make it work, though! Our guides told us that if we wanted to go fast, we would need to essentially be a ball flying through the air, so I knew what I would be doing. I’d become a contortionist if I had to! I’ve got a need for speed!
We started off small and short, nothing too crazy. The first couple of zips, I didn’t film because I wanted to follow the rules and keep both hands on the zip at all times, but after the first four zip lines, I had finally asked if I could use my braking hand to film and then just abandon my pole mount (it was strapped to my wrist, so it wasn’t going anywhere) to brake when I was given the appropriate signal.
It was really pretty cool passing walls of limestone and coming out over the water, as Clay and David would say, “waving to the turtles.” No, seriously, they said to wave to the turtles on the first zip line that ran over the water. Other times it was to make our best owl noise or scream as loudly as we could to scare those who were waiting for their zip line tour to begin. Those guys were hysterical and made the experience even more enjoyable. They cracked jokes left and right and busted some moves while zipping that were worthy of Dancing With the Stars.
In addition to the unique location and the national backing that The Canyons Zip Line and Canopy Tours have to set it apart from other ziplining companies, the overall thrill is hard to compete with. As we began to rise higher and higher (and we only had to climb a couple of stairs), the views were getting more and more picturesque. Eventually, we made it to the highest and longest zip in the tour, which took us from about 100 feet above the water to only 10 feet or so above the water. The cable was about 1,100 feet long. If you have a fear of heights, this zip might bring out those fears, but all it takes is one step and fun will overpower the fear. It’s truly a leap of faith! I guess I was coming in hot on this zip line because I didn’t quite brake hard enough and kicked out the steps that I was supposed to land on. Luckily, no one was hurt and Clay was there to laugh with me about how I might have gotten a little too much of an adrenaline rush on that one. I then turned around to notice that when I let go of my GoPro to begin braking, I was going so fast that it somehow swung up onto the zip cable and slid along the top, getting a cool aerial perspective of my landing! The handle of my pole mount has the cable burn to prove it! #worthit
Another zip that was pretty fun was one of the last ones where you got a running start and just ran right off of a ramped platform. The faster you run, the quicker you zip! All throughout the journey, you learn about the nature and history of the canyons and how they came to be. You also cross two suspended rope bridges that’ll make you lose your footing once or twice (I sure did!). To wrap up the tour, we did Spiderman-like rappelling, and, yes, I did go upside down. We were then presented with a certificate and an immense amount of cheering because at that point, who wouldn’t act like a bunch of maniacs after a day full of fun?!
The full zip line and canopy tour cost is $96 (before tax), but it is definitely worth it. Not only is this adventure family-friendly, but you also get a nice little road trip out of it and a whole other area of Florida to explore.
So, there you have it, I had fun in the sun by flying through canyons and seeing nature at new heights, all while feeling like I was out of the state at varying speeds and reigniting my love for zip lining. This was such a fun outdoor activity (especially in a bit cooler weather) and is a ton of fun with a group of friends/family. For the holiday season, The Canyons Zip Line and Canopy Tours would be a pretty awesome gift to give to your adventure-loving friends or loved ones. You can purchase gift certificates by visiting: https://bit.ly/2S7YUSu. In addition to zip lining, you can also go on horseback riding and kayaking tours. Adventure awaits!
Have a suggestion? Send an email to nicole@nonahoodnews.com or fill out our NonaVentures column form at nonahood.to/nonaventure. What do you want to see me review next?
