Next year (September) is my husband's 50th. He is very active: backpacking, canyoneering, hiking, camping, skiing, mountaineering, rock climbing . . . I, however, am not that active (though I will go rock climbing with him).

Trying to think of a destination that is active and spectacular enough for him but tempered so I can actually enjoy it too. I have thought of a self-drive tour of Ireland so we can stop and do some hiking, etc. I have also thought of Hawaii since we are planning to get our scuba certifications (although that is not a definite).

We did Europe on our honeymoon (ok, it was while ago but we bought a BMW motorcycle there and toured all over for 3 weeks, shipped the bike back). So adventure is OK.

He loves motorcycles (i.e., races) and sports cars. No kids to worry about, just us 2. He's big on history. We have a truck camper so can drive to "exotic" locations within driving distance. He's more of a mountains guy than a beach guy

Hoping also not to break the bank. Staying in the US is fine - we live in Phoenix so have already done a lot in the southwest and west coast. Traveling outside the US is also fine. Looking at about a week in duration, $5K or less (hoping for less).

Anything come to mind? I have noticed the forums here have some amazing members with great ideas . . . Sorry this is so long but just trying to provide some background.
Thanks in advance.
Wibs

Since your husband likes sports cars check out the Jim Russell Racing school in Sanoma, California. They offer a package deal with one or two of the local "Spa Hotels". You can hotel accomodations, the racing school and spa treatments all for one price. You can pamper yourself at the spa while he fills his need for speed.

Here's the website:
www.jimrussellusa.com/specials/speedandspa.php

Thanks, A Traveller - what a brilliant idea! It looks like a perfect combination for us and I can plan a nice driving tour up and back, visiting some special places. Hadn't heard of this place before so am glad to have the reference. Thanks so much, this definitely fits the bill and I have plenty of time to make it all work out.
Wibs

How about heli- hiking in the Canadian Rockies
Havent done it myself but plan to one of these days

http://www.cmhski.com/hike/

I would say Alaska but when we tried to plan it last year we found it really starts to shut down labor day! We went to Germany instead. Oktoberfest, hiking, fast driving. Luge rides and possible Hang Gliding. It could work for you!

Hawaii is what I was thinking, but then I am always thinking about Hawaii...

PS on the heli-hiking. Apparently you can make the hikes as easy as you want-
or as difficult - or your husband could hike and you could lay around the lodge and take it easy

sunburn1944, This is a great idea! I think DH would really go for this and there are so many choices - I bet they could even tailor the program to accommodate a hiking wimp like me but not take away from his experience. I'm going to contact them and explore the options. Thanks for sharing this and wouldn't it be fun if we ended up on the same trip?
Wibs

Thanks to the other responders.

Dohlice, Alaska sounds good to me but you're right, we'd have to move the date up. We loved Germany the first time, so that is a definite possiblity.

Hawaii has a caveat, poolboy, we have to get the scuba certs first. He said we wouldn't go to any beach places until we were certified so I have to decide if that's really on my list of things to do. But I'd love to do Hawaii so I may have to suck it up and do the scuba thing.

Thanks for responding.
Wibs

Have you thought about Costa Rica? I think there are direct flights from Phoenix. It is full of active options - mountains & beach - and is generally more affordable than Hawaii.
Whitewater rafting, rainforest & volcano hiking, canyoneering, zip lines, horseback riding, ATV's, sportfishing and beautiful, exotic wildlife. There are also spas and natural hotsprings for you .

You can read lots of great trip reports and advice from the helpful Fodorites on the Latin America board.

Good recommendation lvk!

New Zealand is where I would go. Lots of extreme sports - bungee jumping, zorbing, mountain climbing, hiking, speed boating, glacier hiking, and even skiiing.

The North Island has lots of geothermal activity - geysers, mudpots, and springs. The Waitomo caves provide easy tours and more-adventurous tours where you descend into the caves and float through the caves on tubes.

The South Island has lots of adventure activities plus great wildlife viewing - penguins, albatross, seals, and more.

I just realized that this was posted under the US - but other posters mentioned non-US destinations.

The only big expense is the airfare. We used frequent flier miles when we went. Family-run hotels and B&Bs are everywhere and quite reasonable. A car is crucial.

Wibs- it would be great to end up on the same trip- however I have been lax in getting passport renewed so not much a chance I would get there this year- maybe next.

I have been hiking in the Rockies though and it is spectacular!

If you decide to do it- give us a report please

Costa Rica. It's a 3 hour flight from Dallas...can't be much different from Phoenix. You can be as active as you want to be....or you can sit in a chair and watch monkeys, toucans and even a volano. I've traveled quite a bit and it's the prettiest place I've ever been. (Just make him promise not to zipline in knit shorts.)

I booked Yosemite for my Dh 50th. I worked with the concierge at the Ahwahnee and got a suite and flew in family and friends from everywhere..I didn't tell my DH everyone was flying in so every time he turned around in teh lobby there was another family/friend surprise!!! my DH could hike to his heart's content and I enjoyed powder puff nature tours..Birthday dinner in the Ahwahnee was great and we even had the Lodge photographer take pictures of evryone in our DH 50th T shirts I had made up and everyone signed a yosemite picture book to commemorate the special date...

Here's another vote for Costa Rica. We went last year and loved it and are returning again this year. You can have an extremely active vacation - hiking, beaches, volcanoes, or you can just sit and relax in a natural hot spring or take a comfy boat ride to see monkeys, sloths, amazing birds, etc. You can hire private drivers so you can relax and enjoy the scenery.

Our second favorite spot is Hawaii - we hiked out at night to see the lava flow on the BI, and it was amazing. You could surprise him with a helicopter tour of the Na Pali coast on Kauai. If you get SCUBA certified, I'd vote Hawaii.

Thanks to all - your ideas are fabulous!

I hadn't thought of Costa Rica but now will definitely look into it.

missypie, some day I need to hear about ziplining in knit shorts . . .

Dorothy01, I'm afraid NZ is too $$ and would require too much time. I'm going to reserve that one for our 25th anniv.

1JAR, I LOVE the Yosemite story. I could definitely work something like that (sans family, since he has none and I have only a few relatives) with a drive up the coast afterwards to the racing school.

And sunburn1944, I am talking about next year (I'm a plan-ahead kind of gal)so maybe that would work for you.

I am leaning toward the heli-hiking or the racing school since those two would really be about him and that is the point, after all. But I'm glad I have time to check all of these ideas out.

Thank you all so much!
Wibs

You step into the harness. There is a tringular piece in the front that hugs the body. One guy in our group had basketball shorts on and his friends were giving him such grief...."Do you have a mango in your pants or are you just glad to see me?"

Okay, Missypie, you forced me to go back and look at our CR zipline pictures. DH was wearing khaki shorts and DS was wearing zip-offs. Sure enough, the "mango effect" was fully visible! It's not only knit shorts! Thanks for the laugh.

A_traveller - thanks for the link for the Jim Russell school. I have bookmarked it for a special birthday for my DH. Speed, spa and winetasting. What could be better than that?

My DW came up with a spectacular 50th birthday present after our planned trip to the beach was cancelled to accommodate a client's trial schedule.

Instead of two weeks in Mexico we spent a week in Santa Fe, which of course is always wonderful. In addition to our usual wining and dining, however, DW and the offspring conspired to arrange a flight in a jet fighter at Fantasy War Birds in Santa Fe. I was able to fly ( I am a pilot) a Czeck L-39 for an hour with an instructor. Fantastic present; I grinned for three days after the flight!