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two experienced San Francisco yogis who also have backgrounds in gymnastics and circus arts. As this discipline grows in popularity, classes, workshops, and retreats have become available in cities throughout North America, Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America. While most classes are up to 90 minutes long, workshops last 2 to 3 hours each, and focus on conditioning, stretching, and—perhaps most important of all—learning to trust and support your partner, who will soon be lifting you into the air.

Those with serious injuries or high blood pressure are advised to stay away from this rigorous practice; even though it’s not quite as rigid as some forms of yoga, AcroYoga does require a certain focus and a willingness to adapt your practice to a partner’s needs and limitations. But the benefits can be tremendous, say the founders, who claim AcroYoga releases tension from the spine as well as enhancing concentration, focus, and flexibility. And how many other extreme sports have participants who hug after working out together? —ML

AcroYoga (www.acroyoga.org).

250

Colorado Cattle Company

Yippie Tie-Yie-Tah!

New Raymer, Colorado, U.S.A.

The sun’s barely up and you’ve already groomed and saddled your horse, gathered and sorted a few dozen cattle, and started the fire for branding the calves later in the morning. After lunch, you’ll ride out north to check on the fences, make sure there’s enough water in the stock tank, and check for strays. And last week, you were just another desk jockey sitting in a cubicle.

Located in a remote corner of northern Colorado, the Colorado Cattle Company offers city slickers the chance to spend a week in the old West. A shuttle service is available from Denver’s Stapleton airport. Once they arrive, guests are shown to their accommodations at the bunkhouse, a 19th-century structure—and one of the original buildings at the ranch—that’s been updated with modern conveniences like wireless Internet service and air-conditioning.

Life at the Colorado Cattle Company isn’t your typical high-end silver-plated dude ranch—this is a 5,000-acre (2,023-hectare) working cattle ranch that allows only a few guests at a time, so folks who show up are given the full cowboy treatment—riding, roping, and rodeos are on the schedule just about every day. You’ll be expected to put in some time in the saddle, so you should come prepared to do so: Pack cowboy boots, boot socks, a long-sleeved shirt or two, plenty of sunscreen, and a cowboy hat with a stampede string in case you need to do some hard, fast riding. Some folks also recommend padded bike shorts to prevent saddle sores.

Tough as it is, life as a cowhand at the Colorado Cattle Company isn’t all work and no play. The folks there are happy to help greenhorns who want to practice the fine arts of barrel racing, roping, and auctioneering. There’s also a well-stocked fishing pond, an indoor swimming pool, and a sauna for relieving aching muscles. The cooks can accommodate special requests like vegetarian meals, and after a long day in the saddle, what could be better than bellying up to the ranch’s bar for a nice cold beer? —ML

Help work the cattle at the Colorado Cattle Company.

Colorado Cattle Co. & Guest Ranch ( 970/437-5345;www.coloradoduderanch.com).

When to Go: Apr–Nov.

Denver (67 miles/108 miles).

251

Space Shuttle Lift-Off

T-Minus 10 & Counting . . .

Kennedy Space Center, Florida, U.S.A.

One of the most dramatic events in the course of human civilization was the space race of the 1960s, beginning with the successful launch of the Sputnik satellite by the Soviet Union. The whole world watched in awe as the U.S. and its former Cold War adversary competed to be the first to the moon and back. The best way to relive the excitement of that era is to witness the launch of a space shuttle from the Kennedy Space Center. The blaze of white-hot light, the thundering noise, and the sight of a manned shuttle tearing across the skies is sure to reignite the thrill of space exploration.

Space shuttles generally take off from Launch Pad 39A of Kennedy