Sunday, October 27, 2013

Soaring Over Arizona

I have lauded Out of Africa Wildlife Park before; you can read some of those thoughts here. But today I enjoyed one of their newer offerings: the Predator Zip Line.

The funny thing is, not too many of the locals have tried it out yet. Some people just didn't know it was open yet; others just don't pay enough attention to what's in their own backyards, I guess. Being that I consider Out of Africa to be located in a beautiful piece of land, this attraction is perfect. You are put with a group (ours was big: about twelve people) for up to two and a half hours. First you harness up, then ride over to the first tower.

This is also the tallest tower, which you ascend through a series of stairs. Up top come the nerves when you realize that you have to jump into the air--right over a couple of big cats, no less. As you go along through the different towers and wait for your turn, your guides not only keep you hooked up to the wires but also share info on the animals you're seeing. While a regular visit to the park entails trying to spot the animals in their habitats, you're right above them on the zip line towers. You can look around and basically see the entire park, along with the beautiful green and blue surrounding land and a peek at Sedona's Red Rocks. It's gorgeous.

There were about four zip lines. I was perhaps a bit disappointed today to be such a small person: I didn't go very fast. It gets quite comfy hanging out in the open, so you're tempted to just spread out and enjoy it. But I didn't want to spread out too much because that slows you down. And even with my best efforts, I did get stuck going down the last one. But that just gave me an extra moment to take in the scenery and say hello to the zebras right below me. It was peaceful. I also enjoyed being so close to the bear cubs on, I think, the second line.

Scenery, beautiful animals, group dynamics, mild fall weather, and a little adrenaline made for a lovely morning. We were the only locals in the group. So I just have to say, whether you're coming in from out of state (or out of country) or you live nearby, this is something you'll want to see. I'm proud to have such a park so close by.

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