6 Unique Activities to Make the Most of Summer

Try something new with these unexpected activities, from North Carolina to California

By

Cassandra Brooklyn,

 
AARP
Published July 06, 2026
two people performing a flying trapeze maneuver
Want to learn a new skill or try an original activity during summer vacation? Activities such as flying trapeze lessons can be an adventurous add-on.
Courtesy of Santa Barbara Trapeze Co. and Visit Santa Barbara

Key takeaways

  • Hands-on activities offer travelers ways to learn skills across the U.S.
  • Experiences include trapeze, glassblowing, blacksmithing and tile art.
  • Some activities require advance booking or flexible timing because of demand or weather.

Summer travel doesn’t have to revolve around beaches or theme parks. Increasingly, travelers are seeking hands-on experiences that challenge them and teach them something new. For adults 50 and older, these immersive activities offer an added benefit, as research consistently shows that learning new skills can help maintain cognitive health and build confidence.

While many of the activities below can be enjoyed alone, they’re often more fun with friends and family. Considering the benefits of close relationships as we age (better brain health, slower aging), why not round up the gang for something new this summer?

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Whether you’re shaping molten glass in Indiana, soaring through the air on a trapeze in California or sailing between Wisconsin and Michigan, these distinctive escapes will help you create an unforgettable summer vacation.

people in a glassblowing class
Glass Arts Indiana offers glassblowing classes where you can make soap dishes, suncatchers, rainbow paperweights, flowers, as seen here, and more.
Courtesy Glass Arts Indiana

Shape molten glass in Indianapolis

At Indianapolis’ GRT Hot Glass Studios, beginners can learn the fundamentals of glassblowing while crafting bowls, ornaments, flowers, birds and other pieces under the guidance of experienced instructors (starting at $60). The Eternal Treasures option allows you to bring in cremated remains of a loved one (in a sealed bag), which one of the experts will craft into a blown-glass piece of art in your chosen shape, such as a heart or teardrop.

Glass Arts Indiana also offers glassblowing classes (starting at $64) where you can make soap dishes, suncatchers, rainbow paperweights and more. The studio is within walking distance of candle-making courses at Penn & Beech Candle Co. (from $25), aerial classes at Cirque Indy (first class is $10) and bouldering workshops at North Mass Boulder ($26 for a day pass).

a person on a hang glider
In Nags Head, North Carolina, visitors can have a hang gliding experience in a reproduction of the Wright Brothers’ glider.
Courtesy Visit North Carolina

Experience flight where aviation began in Nags Head, North Carolina

The windswept dunes of North Carolina’s Outer Banks hold a special place in American history. It was here, near Kitty Hawk, that Orville and Wilbur Wright achieved the world’s first powered flight, in 1903. Today, travelers experience that history themselves with Kitty Hawk Kites.

According to Megan Turner, a manager at Kitty Hawk Kites, this is the only place where you can fly a replica of the Wright brothers’ plane. It “is the same weight and was made with the same tools as the original glider,” she says.

The glider is used only six to eight times a year for its 1902 Wright Glider Experience (from $399), and the conditions have to be precise for flying. Turner recommends travelers plan to be in town for two weeks. “The wind has to have a certain velocity and come from a certain direction, so it requires flexibility.” 

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a split image of an open furnace and a blacksmith utilizing an anvil to shape heated metal
In Omaha, Nebraska, try your hand at blacksmithing. (From left) A forge, or open furnace, where Damascus billets are being heated. Elmo Diaz, owner of Blacksmith Shop Omaha, at work in the shop.
Courtesy Elmo Diaz

Learn blacksmithing in Omaha, Nebraska

Blacksmithing may conjure images of medieval villages and frontier settlements, but Omaha offers an opportunity to learn this centuries-old craft firsthand. At the Blacksmith Shop Omaha, visitors can work with forge fires, anvils and traditional metalworking tools while learning techniques that artisans have practiced for generations. Under expert instruction, students transform raw steel into functional or decorative objects, gaining a deeper appreciation for craftsmanship.

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Owner Elmo Diaz, 66, says the basic classes ($300), designed for people with no experience, teach students to use tools and fire safely. “Once you master the basics, you can take more advanced classes in toolmaking, knife forging and leather work,” he says.

Diaz also notes that while there is no age limit, blacksmithing can be challenging for someone with advanced arthritis who has difficulty holding utensils. “Our bodies wear down fast, so we teach people to use the tools properly, so the tools are doing the work instead of our bodies,” Diaz says. 

There are more opportunities for visitors to continue their creative streak. Adult parkour classes at Nebraska Parkour ($30 for an intro class) offer a playful way to improve balance (which is key to preventing falls as you age), coordination and confidence. In addition, fluid-art poured-painting workshops (starting at $65) at Hawaii Fluid Art, in Omaha, allow participants to experiment with color and abstract design.

a split image of mosaic tile art and a class working on tiles
At Studio C Tile Art Workshops in Tucson, Arizona, visitors can design and paint handcrafted tiles using the traditional “cuerda seca” technique. (From left) A finished tile design and a class working on tiles.
Courtesy Carly Quinn Designs

Create tile art in Tucson, Arizona

At Tucson’s Studio C Tile Art Workshops, visitors can design and paint handcrafted tiles using the traditional cuerda seca technique, which translates to “dry cord” (classes begin at $65). The finished pieces are fired in a kiln after your visit and can be mailed directly to your home, eliminating the challenge of traveling with fragile artwork.

Art enthusiasts may also want to consider pottery and glazing classes at Romero House Ceramics (from $20) or glassblowing, glass fusing and cold work (polishing, sanding, sawing and grinding) at Sonoran Glass School (from $35), both in Tucson.

To keep the learning going, take a tour of the University of Arizona’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab ($25), which creates and repairs the largest telescope mirrors in the world. You can also join a stargazing session at one of several nearby observatories: Kitt Peak (starting at $59), Spencer’s Observatory ($125) and Mount Lemmon (from $85).

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two people performing a flying trapeze maneuver
Varying experience levels are welcome in flying trapeze classes at Santa Barbara Trapeze Co.
Courtesy of Santa Barbara Trapeze Co. and Visit Santa Barbara

Take flight on a trapeze in Santa Barbara, California, or kayak at the Channel Islands

Santa Barbara’s Mediterranean climate, ocean views and urban wine trail already make it a favorite California getaway. Add in the city’s spectacular botanic garden (complete with hiking trails through redwood forests) and scenic coastal bike paths, and there’s enough to fill several days. But travelers looking for something decidedly less predictable should consider spending an afternoon in the air.

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At Santa Barbara Trapeze Co., visitors can take classes ($85 and up) in flying trapeze, trampoline, acrobatics and parkour, a sport in which you traverse natural or man-made obstacles. The company welcomes participants of varying experience levels, making it an approachable challenge for adventurous adults. According to the organization, no previous experience is required for its open-level trapeze classes, but spots fill up fast in the summer, so book ahead.

About 30 minutes south in Ventura, ferries (starting at $72 round trip) transport visitors to Channel Islands National Park, where travelers can paddle sea kayaks into towering caves and snorkel or scuba dive through marine-life-rich kelp forests. 

an aerial view of a coastal town with a cruise ship in the distance
Sail around the Great Lakes on a Viking Cruises’ ship, which takes you to Mackinac Island, Michigan.
Courtesy Viking

Cruise the Great Lakes

The Great Lakes may not be your first thought for a cruise, but several companies offer itineraries through these fascinating freshwater destinations, allowing travelers to explore many cities but unpacking only once.

Viking Cruises’ new Great Lakes Treasures (from $10,999 for 10 days) voyage begins and ends in Milwaukee, where lakefront festivals, outdoor dining and waterfront trails are in full swing, before heading north to Michigan’s car-free Mackinac Island, where bicycles and horse-drawn carriages replace automobiles.

Stops in Canada offer opportunities to traverse islands, national marine parks and wildlife-rich landscapes on foot, kayak and Zodiac boat, while Chicago excursions explore pizza, public art, sports history and the legacy of the 1893 World’s Fair.

Victory Cruise Lines offers a one-way Five Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Seaway itinerary (from $5,999 for 12 to 14 nights) that takes guests from Chicago to Montreal or Quebec City. It features sailing on Lakes Huron, Erie and Ontario, as well as a stop in Niagara Falls. American Cruise Lines offers several Midwest-focused itineraries, including hyperlocal routes centered around Lake Michigan and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (from $8,675).

The key takeaways were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.

Cassandra Brooklyn is a contributing writer who covers travel, caregiving, human-interest stories and the outdoors. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time and National Geographic, among other publications.

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