Honking car horns, ringing telephones, screaming children.  When the sensory overload that is modern life has pushed the needle on your stress-ometer into the red, you may want to try what many believe to be the ultimate relaxation experience by literally getting away from it all in the peaceful confines of an isolation tank.

Once the exclusive playground of experimental psychologists, the isolation tank experience has gone mainstream.  Dozens of spas now offer hour-long relaxation sessions in custom-designed floatation chambers filled with roughly 10 inches of water containing as much as 800 pounds of epsom salts.

The result is a fluid environment in which the human body is extremely buoyant.  This allows your nose and mouth to remain above the surface while your ears remain underwater to reduce auditory distractions.  The water is also heated to body temperature, which enhances the floating experience by making it hard to sense the boundary between water and air.

Studies have shown this isolation tank experience—also known as floatation therapy—releases endorphins that help alleviate a wide range of chronic stress-related maladies from anxiety to depression.  The relaxation experienced has also been proven to boost theta brainwave activity associated with enhanced creativity, concentration, and problem-solving abilities.  Enthusiasts also claim the benefits become more pronounced with repeat experiences.

If you’re still skeptical, you may be interested to know that some of the most brilliant minds of the 20th-century—from comedian George Carlin to Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman—have been fans of the isolation tank experience.

If you’re interested in trying this extraordinary experience, take a few minutes to check out the very helpful and informative isolation tank FAQ and first-timer’s guide on FloatFinder.com.  The website also offers a handy map-based guide to flotation centers around the world.

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With vacation season almost upon us, I asked my friend Keith Buglewicz, founder and editor-in-chief of FamilyCarReview.com and creator of the Family Friendliness Index, to put together a list of his favorite summer roadtrip vehicles for XTRORD.com readers planning to hit the highway in search of extraordinary experiences in the months ahead:

If you’re thinking about setting off in search of adventure this summer but worried your current vehicle may not be up to making the trip, I’ve got good news.  Automakers eager to spur sales are currently offering generous incentives, ranging from low-interest loans to generous cash-back offers, that make this a great time to trade in that old jalopy for a shiny new set of wheels.

With that in mind, here’s a look at a half-dozen distinctly different summer roadtrip vehicles:

Towing The Line:  Dodge Ram Mega Cab 2500

When it comes to towing a large camping trailer or boat, bigger vehicles are better.  Cue the Dodge Ram Mega Cab heavy-duty pickups which offer towing capacities of up to 16,500 pounds.  While that’s plenty impressive, the real attraction here is the Mega Cab’s humongous interior that can be fitted with all kinds of creature comforts from heated, reclining rear seats with gobs of legroom to a rear-seat video system with satellite TV service and a 10-speaker surround-sound system.

Off The Beaten Path: Land Rover LR4

While Land Rover’s new midsize LR4 SUV has gone decidedly upscale, don’t let its luxurious trappings fool you.  This is one serious summer roadtrip vehicle, built rugged enough to take you on all those adventures that begin where the pavement ends.  Best of all, it makes tackling the toughest trails you can imagine easy with an innovative Terrain Response system that allows you to dial in the ideal powertrain and suspension settings for everything from sand to mud to bowling ball-sized rocks with the twist of a console-mounted knob.

Scenic Cruise: Ford Flex

While the Ford Flex may grab your attention with its low-slung styling, it’s literally what’s inside that counts.  Like a comfortable six- or seven-passenger interior that can be decked out with a long list of cool bells-and-whistles, including a huge panoramic sunroof for enjoying the view, a nifty navigation system that can display weather radar images and help you find the lowest gas prices along your route, and even a built-in refrigerator/freezer.

Family Fun: Toyota Sienna

If you’re looking for an ideal way to schlep the whole family and all their gear on a cross-country adventure, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better summer roadtrip vehicle than the all-new Toyota Sienna.  While the top-of-the-line Limited model offers some clever new features—including available Barcalounger-style reclining second-row seats with pop-up footrests and a new video entertainment system with a 16.4-inch screen that allows rear seat passengers to watch one widescreen movie, two separate movies, or one DVD and a video game at the same time—it’s the sporty new SE model that deserves special recognition for being quite possibly the most fun-to-drive minivan ever.

Budget-Stretcher: Volkswagen Jetta TDI Sportwagen

If the recent economic downturn has left you feeling especially frugal, you’re going to like the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Sportwagen.  For starters, there’s a peppy 2.0-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine under the hood that’s rated at 42 miles-per-gallon on the freeway, giving you a range of 600-plus miles between fill-ups.  Add nimble European handling and an ample 32.8 cubic feet of cargo room behind the rear seats and you have no excuse to stay home this summer.

Romantic Getaway: BMW 3-Series Convertible

If you and your significant other are looking for a summer roadtrip vehicle ideally suited to an amorous adventure, BMW’s über-sexy 335i Convertible will go a long way towards setting the right mood by guaranteeing you’ll arrive in style.  Add a slick retractable hardtop, gutsy 300-horsepower turbocharged engine, and sport-tuned suspension and you may well find getting to your romantic hideaway will be at least half the fun.

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Hit The Road, Jack!: Driving The Length Of Route 66

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Over the years, I’ve written about so-called fantasy camps more times than I can count.  And with good reason: Any program that gives you a chance to actually live out a long-held dream—whether it’s going one-on-one against basketball legend Michael Jordan or rocking out on stage with superstars like Roger Daltrey or Steven Tyler—definitely qualifies as an extraordinary experience in my book.

Just when I thought I’d seen every fantasy camp experience out there, however, I discovered several new and novel takes on the concept from the folks at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas.  While the subjects for these programs varies widely, all offer a chance for kids and teens to have thoroughly unique adventure they’ll still be talking about when they go back to school next fall:

Miss Teen USA Fantasy Camp

Give your teen a leg up on the Miss Universe competition with this week-long program that includes hair, makeup, and wardrobe tips, an on-location photo shoot, spa party and more.

LEGO Fantasy Camp

Help your kids take their LEGO-building skills to new heights with these five-day events where they can learn expert tips and tricks from a LEGO Master Builder.

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Fantasy Camp

These sessions designed for kids and teens ages 7-17 are led by members of America’s most famous cheerleading squad and cover everything aspiring pom-pom wielders need to know, from warm-up exercises to crowd-wowing choreography.

Marine Adventure Fantasy Camp

If you’ve got a future marine biologist at home, this hands-on experience for kids 10-14 years-old will give them a rare chance to interact with the men and women who care for thousands of marine mammals and sea creatures that call the resort’s 14-acre marine habitat home.

Hotel Worker Fantasy Camp

As far as workplaces go, you could do a lot worse than punching a clock at a deluxe resort like Atlantis.  Which is where this slightly nerdy camp program comes in, as it offers teens a behind-the-scenes look at a variety of hospitality-related careers.

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Look, I understand what it’s like to get a certain satisfaction from competing in the kinds of extreme endurance events that make normal people—or even dedicated enthusiasts, for that matter—question your sanity.  Even with this perspective however, I still think the idea of running in the Antarctic Ice Marathon sounds a little nutty.

You see, this extreme event involves running a full 26-mile marathon on a course carved out of the ice at the foot of Antarctica’s Ellsworth Mountains.  Besides the 3,000-foot altitude here on the bottom of the world, runners will have to endure sub-zero temperatures and face the possibility of katabatic winds that can reach 100-plus miles-per-hour.  The upside, if you can call it that, is that organizers have no set time limit for completing the race, which should make it at least a little easier for determined competitors to cross the finish line.

For hardcore runners who find themselves thinking that even this challenge seems a tad too easy, the folks behind the Antarctic Ice Marathon are also offering a 100-kilometer race a few days later.  This ultramarathon will see a handful of elite athletes slogging along the frozen surface for roughly 62 miles in the Antarctic summer’s 24-hour daylight.

Completing either event puts you one step closer to membership in the very exclusive Seven Continents Marathon Club.  Organizers say they’re also working on Antarctic duathlon and triathlon competitions that will involve running, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing.

Perhaps the best part of any of these extraordinary experiences, however, is the look on the faces of the people you’ll end up telling your stories to.  Honestly, the fact that they’ll think you’re a little loony for even attempting it is at least half the fun!

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Competitours: Amazing Race, Leisurely Pace

The Longest Minute Of My Life: Park City’s Olympic Bobsled

While I’m not much for jaunty caps and green tights, I have to admit that I kinda dig the “another day, another adventure” spirit that runs through the whole Robin Hood legend.  And, if the crazy number of times Hollywood has retold the story of the world’s most famous outlaw hero is any indication, apparently I’m not alone in this.

Like a lot of the cool adventures portrayed in movies and television shows, however, watching the exploits of Robin Hood and his band of merry men on the big screen this past weekend got me to thinking about one of XTRORD.com’s most important guiding principles.  Namely the one about how reality kicks virtual reality’s butt every time.  In other words, I figure it’s always a safe bet that you’ll have a lot more fun having a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for yourself than watch someone else having it on-screen.

Which is why I thought I’d do a little digging to see if there were ways modern-day Robin Hood wannabes could actually experience the life and times of the gold-hearted gang from Sherwood Forest.  Here’s what I came up with:

• Visit Nottinghamshire’s annual Robin Hood Festival for all manner of medieval merriments from sword fights to men in tights.
• Test your skill with a bow and arrow at this archery range in Sherwood Forest.
• Hoist a pint to the memory of Robin Hood at the oldest inn in Britain, Nottingham’s Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem.
• Feast at a banquet hosted by Robin Hood’s evil nemesis, none other than the Sheriff of Nottingham himself.

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Extraordinary Family Experiences: Why Just Read About History When You Can Live It?

Standing atop a steep sandstone bluff overlooking a broad expanse of central Montana’s still-wild Missouri River, it’s not hard to understand why the journals of Lewis and Clark’s Corps Of Discovery are filled with entries that convey a sense of wonder:

“This senery already rich, pleasing, and beatiful was still farther hightened by immence herds of buffaloe, deer, elk and antelopes which we saw in every direction.”

— Merriwether Lewis,  September 17, 1804

To put these wide-eyed moments into perspective, you have to remember that the vast swath of land known as the Louisiana Purchase was little more than a blank spot on the map when Merriwether Lewis and William Clark set off from St. Louis on May 14th, 1804.  Fast forward 200 years or so and you’ll find that much of the landscape Lewis and Clark traveled through on their 8,000-mile journey remains largely unchanged.

To find these places, however, you’ll need a knowledgeable guide every bit as much as Lewis and Clark did.  Which is where these three tour companies come in:

• Lewis & Clark Trail Adventures offers three-day canoe trips on portions of the Missouri River that can be combined with hiking or mountain biking extensions along portions of the historic Lolo Trail traveled by the Corps of Discovery.  Some departures are also accompanied by noted Lewis and Clark experts including Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs, author of The Lewis and Clark Companion: An Encyclopedic Guide to the Voyage of Discovery.
• Shebby Lee Tours has put together a 15-night motorcoach tour that covers the Lewis and Clark expedition’s entire route, from the Corps Of Discovery’s starting point on the banks of the Mississippi River all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
• Odyssey Tours offers an eight-night canoeing and hiking exploration of Montana’s White Cliffs of the Missouri River and the Bitterroot Mountains that includes camping at actual Corps Of Discovery campsites, special insights from Lewis and Clark historian Clay Jenkinson, and a special evening visit with a costumed Merriwether Lewis reenactor.

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Voyages Of The Great Explorers

Many moons ago, I knew a young woman who—despite being, ahem, somewhat vertically-challenged—dreamed of becoming a member of New York City’s famed Radio City Rockettes.  If you’re an equally passionate amateur dancer with some training in jazz and tap and a curiosity about what life is like for members of the world’s best-known dance troupe, I’m betting you’ll dig these two once-in-a-lifetime Rockettes adventures.

The Rockette Summer Intensive is designed to give aspiring professional dancers a taste of what it takes to join this famous kick-line.  The week-long dance education program includes six hours of daily instruction from current Rockettes dancers and choreographers, a seminar with inside info on the Rockettes audition process, and a grand finale performance where you’ll get to dance on the same Radio City Music Hall stage where the Rockettes have been wowing sold-out crowds with their eye-high kicks for decades.  While there are no guarantees, it’s worth noting that this summer intensive program has helped more than 40 young dancers earn a coveted spot in the Rockettes line-up over the past 10 years.

If you’re a more casual dance enthusiast, check out the one-day Rockette Experience.  This scaled-down version of the week-long summer intensive includes three hours of dance  instruction from one of the Rockettes’ choreographers, along with a mock audition interview, photo opps, and a behind-the-scenes tour of Radio City Music Hall.

Either way you go, it’s a pretty safe bet you’ll end up having an extraordinary experience that’s sure to make you the envy of your next dance class.

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In an era where any schmo with a cell phone can snap a blurry image and post it online for all the world to see, having one of your photographs published in the pages of National Geographic magazine still remains the gold standard for serious photographers everywhere.  If you agree, stop what you’re doing, dust off your camera gear, and take your best shot at the Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest.

This third annual version of the competition, which ends June 30th, offers talented amateur photographers the chance to enter photos in six categories, including Animals/Wildlife, Nature, Travel, People/Cultures, Weather, and Action/Energy.  If you need a little inspiration, you can check out previous winners here.

2009 Grand Prize Winner

After National Geographic photographer and chief judge Jim Richardson chooses two finalists in each category this summer, the general public will be invited to view the contenders online and vote for their favorites.  Richardson will then choose the Grand Prize winner in early November.

If that’s you, your photo will appear in an ad for Energizer batteries in the December issue of National Geographic while you and a companion are whisked off on a National Geographic Expedition to the Greek Isles.  All 12 finalists also get a pretty sweet prize package, including a rugged Epic Action Video Cam and a 12.1-megapixel Nikon Coolpix L110 digital camera.

Even if you’re not inclined to enter, check out the Ultimate Photo Contest website for Richardson’s photography tips and the chance to view your fellow photo buffs’ entries as they’re uploaded.

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The BIG Picture: An Easy Way To Create Scrollable Panoramic Photos

If you fly as much as I do, you’ve probably gotten pretty good at traveling light (if not, check out this great packing resource before your next trip).  The fact is, however, that even after you’ve pared your packing list down to the bare essentials you’re still going to end up schlepping a couple of good-sized bags through security checkpoints, aircraft cabins, and rental car shuttles.

Which is where these two travel services come in.  A number of luggage shipping services will pick up your bag (some also handle oversize pieces like golf clubs and skis) at your home or office and deliver it directly to your hotel, allowing you board your flight unburdened, like the jetsetter you’ve always wanted to be.  Naturally, there’s a catch to enjoying this convenience, namely a steep price tag that can sometimes be nearly as much as the plane ticket itself.

You’ll find a scaled-down spinoff of this idea at SuiteArrival.com, a new website that will put together and ship off your own semi-custom collection of toiletries so they’ll be waiting for you when you check in to your hotel.  While this will spare you the ignominy of dragging out your clear plastic bag full of gels and liquids for the TSA’s inspection, you’ll be paying for products that you’ll just end up tossing out half-used when it’s time to come home.

Ultimately, while I’m infatuated with this idea of traveling super-light, I feel like I’d rather put the dough I’d end up shelling out for either of these services towards any number of extraordinary experiences.  That said, I’d love to hear from folks who’ve used them and found them worth the money. If that’s you, please leave me a note in the Comments field below.

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Over the years I’ve been fortunate enough to get into the water with some pretty amazing wild creatures, from playful manatees to spouting beluga whales. Now, however, there’s a new interspecies encounter I’m eager to add to my list of extraordinary experiences—swimming with giant saltwater crocodiles!

Much like shark diving, participants are separated from these toothy 20-foot-long beasts by protective enclosures. While these devices add a margin of safety, being submerged in either the clear acrylic “Cage Of Death” at Darwin, Australia’s Crocosaurus Cove or the metal basket used in the Croc Cage Diving Encounter at Oudtshoom, South Africa’s Cango Wildlife Ranch is still bound to get your heart pumping as you come snout-to-snout with these 2,500-pound “salties” that are among the largest reptiles on the face of the planet. Not to mention one of the few predators that consider us humans fair game!

If these commercial operations seem a little too tame for you, you can always look up these guys that get their kicks swimming with the equally aggressive alligators of Florida’s Everglades. But because they don’t use a cage—and because I need every reader I can get—let’s just say I don’t recommend it!

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