Sometimes, there is a fine line between fear and fun. A line between the “I could never do that” and “I can’t believe I just did that”. Last year, when we first started considering a move to Oklahoma, one of the first places we discovered was Riversport Adventures Oklahoma City. Riversport Adventures is a wild wonderland of whitewater rafting, tubing, kayaking, high speed slides, insanely high adventure courses, zip lines across the Oklahoma River, and more! However, it was the zip line that captured our imagination.
After nearly a year in Oklahoma, we finally had a chance to visit Riversport Adventures Oklahoma City and try the “Sky Zip”. Starting from a height of 80 ft, the “Sky Zip” travels 700 ft across the Oklahoma River. On the opposite side, riders take a slightly lower zip line back across the river to where they started. The minimum height to ride the zipline is 48″ and you can either pay $19/person (2017 price) to ride or include it as part of a bigger package with other Riversport Adventures attractions. Mom and the four oldest kids signed their waivers, purchased their tickets, got in line, and nervously waited.
As for the three younger ones? Dad and the little ones enjoyed the play areas (especially the shaded ones) Riversport Adventures makes available for the littlest ones.
After snaking through the line, mom and the kids were up. First step? Attach the harness.
Suited up, looking up, the crew pondered the scariest part of the whole adventure. A network of open stairs led up 80 ft to the platform. Even though the harness was strapped into a safety system, it was terrifying (especially for those on the ground watching!). For those on the climb, it was step, by step, by step, by step, to the top.
At the top, they took a moment to enjoy the amazing view of downtown Oklahoma City and then they had to make a choice: step off, run off, jump off, or turn back. One by one they faced their fear and left the platform to zip and zoom across the Oklahoma River. The first step was the scariest.
The ride was fast and smooth, like a human roller coaster twirling across the river. As they reached the other side, they grabbed a rope to catch them and then a mechanical system pulled them onto a platform. After a short climb up to a taller platform, they zipped back across the river.
The ride back was pure fun. Having conquered their fears with trust in the equipment, they relaxed and cruised back across the river smiling and waving to Mr. FVF and the little ones cheering them on.
Back on terra firma, everyone turned in their harness and shared their stories. Did you see . . . Can you believe . . . It was so fast . . . It was so scary . . . That was awesome.
Heading back home with a short drive to Norman, there was only one way to end this epic day – a trip to Eskimo Sno. Before we moved to Oklahoma, we did not have a proper appreciation for shaved ice. Eskimo Sno changed that. With bright flavors and perfectly flaky ice, Eskimo Sno cones are light sweet cool treats everyone loves.
Stairs, zips, and sno cones were magnificent moments. The terror of climbing open stairs 80 ft into the sky only to jump off. The flying bliss of zipping back and forth while plunging toward the river. The smiling sweet of the sno cone treat. All moments. All magnificent. All memories.
Interested in travel stories about amazing destinations and adventures like the White House Easter Egg Roll, Santa Fe or Craters of the Moon? How about interviews with authors like Daniel Pinkwater, musicians like Amy Lee (Evanescence), Lisa Loeb, Andrew & Polly, Caspar Babypants (Presidents of the United States), Danny Weinkauf (They Might Be Giants), Bryan Vander Ark (The Verve Pipe), Rissi Palmer, and Tim Kubart, or celebrity chefs like Fabio Viviani, Marc Murphy, and Jonathon Sawyer? What about recipes, ranks, reviews, or other tips for families?
Photo credits: Full Van Fun
Looks like a fun day had by all :).
Looks like an awesome day out, guys! We love ziplining too, it’s such an adrenaline rush 🙂 And those snow cones look like a delicious cherry on top of such a fun experience!
Looks like fun! Wish we had something like that here in Calgary! We have a zip line at Canada Olympic Park, but no opportunity to zip and climb all together. Thanks for sharing.