Crazy for Adventure Travel

Drive Like Crazy

Insane: Off-road Racing
The Baja 1000 off-road race debuted in 1967, and Rod Hall, 73, of Reno, Nevada, has competed every year, winning 21 times — more than any other driver. It's a 1,000-mile race across the Baja California desert, requiring a powerful engine and extreme ingenuity. One year a tie rod — part of the steering system — broke in Hall's car during the race. "I hitched 30 miles to the nearest town for a replacement," he recalls, "then hitched back, installed it, and still won. Endurance races are won by the smartest, not the fastest."

Interested? You can take desert off-road lessons through Sedona Jeep School in Arizona or enjoy mountain lessons at Manchester, Vermont's Equinox Resort.

Sane: Dune Buggying
Rent a fat-tire dune buggy at South Padre Island, Texas, for an afternoon of sand crawling. Or hit the sun-baked desert outside Las Vegas with Sun Buggy Fun Rentals.

Tame: Kiddie-Car Carousing
Take a spin on Disneyland's Autopia ride in Anaheim, California, where you steer along a track. A bit more intense: Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, is said to have the world's largest bumper-car ride.

Next: Rock climbing and mountain hiking. »