It’s been years since I had been ziplining. But as my nerves started to kick in on the drive to Empower Adventures zipline course in the peaceful Mobbly Bayou Wilderness Preserve at the north end of Old Tampa Bay, I kept explaining to my kids that it is like riding a bike – once you get the hang of it, it feels natural.
I booked the first tour of the day to ensure we made it through before any Florida storms rolled in. Once we arrived, we checked-in, signed our waivers, used the restrooms, watched the team prep the area for our group and walked around the park until excursion time.
A few minutes before 10am, we were introduced to our tour guides, Lily and Chong, who gave us the run down on what to expect and got us ready to go! In addition to the four of us, we had 4 other people in our group. After we were instructed how to put on our harness and helmets properly, we headed as part of a larger group to the 60-foot-high tower that marks both the beginning and end of the course.
After these first two ziplines, we all four felt a sense of relief and exhilaration. We were ziplining! The kids were having fun, and easier than they expected, and it was a beautiful view too!
At this point there are four challenges to conquer on the Empower Adventures course before you can resume ziplining: spaced bridge, swinging log, hanging ropes and cable traverse.
After the obstacles were completed, a zipline sounded easy peasy! And we were ready for some wind to cool us down a bit. The third zipline was the fastest of all lines, taking you 600 feet across to the suspension bridge. Once we all made it to the entrance of the bridge, Lily and Chong talked a little about the wildlife in the areas before we trekked over to the finale. This final zipline was the longest at 650 feet and delivered us back to the 60-foot high platform where we began. One last moment of fear to overcome before completing the tour: jumping off the platform in a rappel style. It’s little leap of faith, and a great way to end the excursion!
Want to see more photos and a video from this ziplining tour, read the detailed review here.
Looking for more family travel places, visit Mandy’s blog: acupful.com
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