Those of us who have a spirit of wanderlust often have a drive for adventure. My quest for adventure was found at Zip NOLA, located only a short distance from New Orleans. As I drove on the off-beaten path with clear blue skies above, I finally reached Zip NOLA, which overlooked the Maurepas Swamp. Walking up I felt a buzzing of excitement in the air as I checked into my appointment for my one hour zip-lining tour. A crowd of folks gathered around as two of the guides, Daijah and Caden, got us geared up for our journey.
I snapped a few photos of the beautiful swamp before we all hiked up to the platform. The stairwell was narrow and with each step the anticipation grew… Finally we were at the top. At the top there were five zip-lines, two sky bridges, and plenty of dragonflies on the horizon. Though the air was thick, Caden and Daijah made the tour a breeze as they enthusiastically led us from each platform.
Daijah showed off her skills as she zipped to the other side of the platform. “Who wants to go first?” Caden asked. Everyone was hushed and I figured I went skydiving, so how bad could it be? Daijah showed off her skills as she zipped to the other side of the platform, and we stood in awe (and honestly, shock too).
“I’ll go,” I chirped and got hooked up to the zipline. I looked below me, the swamp and greenery twinkling back at me. The height – I must admit – felt scary. I had to take a deep breath and simply let go. And that I did as I walked off the ledge and felt the world rush pass me. Wind blowing in my face, a squeal escaping my throat as I threw my arms up in the air… then in a few seconds I made it to the other side, safe and sound. Daijah unclipped me from the zip-line and I made my way to the side of the platform as other folks started coming down. I had a blast cheering each of them on: from a dad and his son, older folks, college kids, and a group there for someone’s birthday.
From then each zip-line the feeling got easier, the views more stellar, and more fun with each go. Zip-lining is a blend of anticipation, thrill, and freedom that I quickly fell in love with. It isn’t like roller coasters but rather a more fluid and lateral motion that is easy on the body. There were five total zip-lines at Zip NOLA with two skybridges that overlooked the treetops and life-giving swamp.
At the end I zipped down into the loading dock and headed to the gift shop. I bought an ice cream and a little trinket as a souvenir. I tipped the tour guides and headed off to a restaurant to treat myself to some gumbo.
Zip NOLA is a place that brings the fun in nature that I couldn’t get in NYC. They offer pick-ups from New Orleans for those of us flying into LA. Check them out here, they are open 7 days a week so it’s always a good time to go zip-lining at Zip NOLA!
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