Amazing Outdoor Vacations

March 22, 2010— -- Some vacationers just aren't happy sitting by the pool, reading a book and sipping on a cool drink.

They need to feel their heart beating, the wind pushing against their face and enjoy an ever-changing scenery. For them, there is no sitting still.

"My two passions are skydiving and whitewater rafting," said 63-year-old Chuck Anderson of Idaho.

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Each year, he said, he tries to go on some type of adventurous trip, and has been on at least 10 big rafting trips.

"You're out in fresh air and having fun. And you are getting exercise and you tend to eat better," Anderson said. "When you do something like a multi-day trip on a river, the menu is very healthy, you're hiking, you're walking, you're paddling. You're doing things that keep the body going."

But for him, the rafting trips aren't just about being active but also getting away from everything else.

"There's no phones, there's no roads there's nothing but a way to relax," he said. "I'm a mortgage broker. My wife's a CPA and so we're in very high tension jobs and nobody can get a hold of you. And it's just wonderful."

Anderson said he also gets to bond with a group of "like-minded people" while doing something he loves.

Peter Grubb, who runs rafting trips out of Idaho, Oregon and elsewhere, as well as kayaking, hiking and biking trips, said that such adventures are a great way to bring together families.

"We are setting the stage for some great emotional and personal growth opportunities," said Grubb of ROW Adventures. "I think a lot of what they are seeking … they're just seeking really quality time together."

Grubb said adventure trips bring an "in the now" element to them, where the group shares stories around a campfire each night and focus on what they did that night and what's ahead the next day.