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a bite to eat, walk upstairs to the Chamonix Terrace for breathtaking views of the French, Swiss, and Italian Alps. When you’ve had your fill of the scenery here, walk across a perilous wooden footbridge covered with ice and snow to Piton Central. On this peak, you can take an elevator inside of the rock straight up to the Summit Terrace, about 100m (328 ft.) from Mont Blanc’s peak—the closest you can get without climbing. On a clear day, you can see the Matterhorn, Monta Rosa, and the Grand Combin. There’s just one more lookout point that you won’t want to miss, Mont Blanc Terrace, where you’re most likely to catch a glimpse of intrepid climbers scaling the summit.

Before heading back down to town, you can travel another 5km (3 miles) through the air on the panoramic Mont Blanc gondola over to Pointe Helbronner, Italy, at 3,462m (11,358 ft.). The three cable cars that run along this route provide a rare look at the high mountain landscape with its jagged snow-covered crests and valleys, and vast icy expanses sparkling in the sunlight. You might even see trekkers traversing the Valle Blanche glacier. You can disembark the cable car and explore the station’s terraces without your passport, but remember to bring it along if you plan to spend more time in Italy. If you’re planning to return to Chamonix, you can go back the way you came and make it in time for dinner. —JS

Compagnie du Mont-Blanc, 35 Place de la Mer de Glace ( 04/50-53-3080;www.compagniedumontblanc.fr).

When to Go: Mid-May to mid-Oct; that’s the only time the route to Pointe Heilbronner operates.

Geneva airport.

$$ Les Chalets de Philippe, 718 Route du Chapeau ( 33/06-07-23-1726;www.chaletsphilippe.com). $$ Le Morgane, 145 Avenue de l’Aiguille du Midi ( 33/04-50-53-5715;www.morgane-hotel-chamonix.com/en).

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Kitty Hawk Kites Hang Gliding

Channeling Orville & Wilbur

Nags Head, North Carolina, U.S.A.

Dreams of flying are as old as mankind, and the same thrill Orville and Wilbur Wright felt over 100 years ago when they lifted into the heavens and made that dream come true can now be yours. The two brothers from Ohio had their pick of places to stage their first flight, but they chose Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, for its steady winds and miles of soft beach sand—because landings, back then, weren’t always guaranteed to be smooth.

Kitty Hawk Kites offers hang gliding lessons from Jockey’s Ridge State Park in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, just a stone’s throw from where the Wright brothers flew, and where steady breezes and soft sands can still be found in abundance. Beginner classes include 1 hour of ground school followed by 2 hours on the dunes with about five flights per student. Though in the past children under 85 pounds were restricted from going airborne (hang gliders need more weight to maneuver), Kitty Hawk Kites is able to offer kids’ lessons by having instructors assist in the controls.

For those who want an unparalleled sky-high experience, tandem lessons take participants and an instructor up to 2,000 feet (610m) or more in a hang glider towed by an ultralight plane. Once unhooked from the tow plane, the flyers can practice dives and turns that were once experienced only by soaring birds. And if you find you’ve been bit by the flying bug, Kitty Hawk also offers a series of hang gliding camps lasting a full week, and special clinics can be arranged to perfect your launching, landing, and aero-towing skills.

If your body is still hungering for more adrenaline, Kitty Hawk Kites offers lessons and camps in kiteboarding, power kiting, surfing, wakeboarding, and parasailing. Had enough? Throw in some sailing, jet-skiing, and aero-tours, and you’ve got a one-stop shop for all your adventure tour needs. —ML

Learning to hang glide at Kitty Hawk Kites.

Kitty Hawk Kites ( 877/FLY-THIS;www.kittyhawk.com).

When to Go: Classes offered year-round.

Norfolk (80 miles/129km).

$$$ The First Colony Inn, 6720 S. Virginia Dare Trail ( 800/368-9390;www.firstcolonyinn.com). $$ Cypress House Inn, 500 N. Virginia Dare Trail ( 800/554-2764;www.cypresshouseinn.com).