Ride the sand dunes at Pismo Beach, California in an ATV or dune buggy. Get a thrill jumping the dunes and then jump in the ocean for a refreshing cool down.
Grab a sled, squirt the rails with furniture polish, and go for a spin in Colorado's Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Schedule your trip for June, and you can catch the annual Castles, Kites, and Concerts event, featuring—you guessed it—sand castles, flying kites, and music concerts. See www.nps.gov/grsa.
Take the kids on a petrified—petrifying—ride. Check out two roller coasters in Pennsylvania: Sky Princess at Dutch Wonderland in Harrisburg and Rollo Coaster at Idlewild in Ligonier. Both these small wooden coasters provide gentler thrills for someone who's just getting acclimated to riding coasters. Queasy parents won't mind a bit. Check out www.aceonline.org.
