Grown-Up Fantasy Camps

POKER

World Poker Tour Boot Camp

At this two-day boot camp, poker players of all levels receive instruction from successful pro players and learn to understand "tells" and "reads" so they can improve their games. Campers also play in a multi-table tournament and can win prizes. Boot camps are held in various locations, including Commerce, Calif., Las Vegas, Biloxi, Miss., Verona, N.Y., Mashantucket, Conn., and Pendleton, Ore.. Two-Day Boot Camps are $1,695 and $1,895; A three-day Champions event, for more advanced players, is $2,995 (accommodations not included, but most meals are included); http://www.wptbootcamp.com

WINE

Wine Boot Camp

The "Affairs of the Vine" camp aims to make you a wine expert in a day. You’ll visit two wineries, work in a vineyard (where you will, for example, harvest grapes or prune vines), attend a food-and-wine pairing workshop, and blend your own wine. Boot camps are held in California’s Napa Valley, Paso Robles, and on the Sonoma Coast. $475 for a 12-hour day (meals and transportation from the meeting site are included, but not accommodations). http://www.affairsofthevine.com/

DRIVING AND RACING

Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School

Two-time world-champion drag racer, Frank Hawley’s, school offers popular "Super Comp" and "Super Gas" courses covering the basic techniques of drag racing. Classes—many taught by Hawley himself--include formal instruction and progressively faster runs in a dragster, and they’re held in various locations, including Gainesville, Fla., Houston, Denver, Colo., Norwalk, Ohio, and Richmond, Va. Two-day courses start at $1,795 (accommodations and meals not included). http://www.frankhawley.com

Mario Andretti Fantasy Day 

At the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, you can meet Mario Andretti and ride in an Indy-style race car driven by racing legend. Optional add-ons include: taking a class and then driving eight laps around the speedway in the Indy-style car, or driving a race-prepped BMW Z3 for a 15-minute session around a road course. Prices go from $999 to $4,099 (accommodations not included, but snacks and beverages are included). http://www.andrettigordon.com/fantasy

More Driving Schools and Experiences:

Sports Car Driving Experience: http://www.sportscardrivingexperience.com/

Richard Petty Driving Experience: http://www.1800bepetty.com/home.aspx

Skip Barber Racing Schools and Driving Schools: http://www.skipbarber.com/

AVIATION AND SPACE

Space Camp

At this astronaut-adventure camp in Huntsville, Ala., you can attend briefings on aeronautics and aviation, train in jet-fighter simulators, and participate in simulated space shuttle missions. See what a rocket launch feels like when you blast off in the "Space Shot" simulator--a sort of amusement park ride on steroids. It will launch you 140 feet in 2.5 seconds, and you’ll feel four times the force of Earth’s gravity (and experience a few seconds of weightlessness).The cost of the programs ranges from $449 to $999 (accommodations and meals are included). http://www.spacecamp.com

Incredible Adventures

Incredible Adventures offers aviation-fantasy experiences in the U.S. and around the world (and most don’t require flying experience or a pilot’s license). The company offers to send you flying with fighter pilots. You can even engage in aerial dogfights (this is available at specific locations, including Orlando, Fla., and Chicago), take the controls of a historic warbird from WWII, and perform loops and rolls in Orlando, Fla. And if you’ve ever wanted to fly a supersonic MiG-29 fighter jet in Moscow, this is your chance. Prices range from $665 to $23,000 and up, and locations vary. Some adventures include meals and accommodations. http://www.incredible-adventures.com