Want to travel to Cuba? Join the club. Despite Obama's January lessening of restrictions for trips to Cuba, a hop down to Havana for mojitos and salsa still isn't an easy feat for Americans. The biggest name in luxury package vacations—Abercrombie & Kent—has just pulled out of their sold-out Cuba trips owing to technical issues, and you may just have to hope for another emergency landing in Havana (thought really, don't).

Of course there's always another option, but it's not for weak of heart or muscle. 61-year-old long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad is breaststroking her way the entire 100 miles that separates Cuba from the Florida Keys, risking sharks and bad weather. ]]> JetSetCD 2011-08-08T10:02:17-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/5/4/83340/09976 New at Schlitterbahn...

Just in case you haven’t been paying attention to the calendar, the month of May has finally arrived. That means warmer weather, a holiday weekend, and the need to hit the nation’s water parks. It’s fine if you save your 2011 visit until June, July, or August, but here are five of the biggest and baddest slips and slides hitting the parks this season:

· Constrictor
The temperature is already too hot to handle in Arizona, so that’s why we’re suggesting a visit to the Wet ‘n’ Wild in Phoenix. There’s tons of attractions and rides to cool you down, but new this year is Constrictor. It’s an enclosed flume slide that sends riders through a bunch of corkscrew turns and spirals—kind of like a coiled snake, get it, Constrictor?—all while they try to hold onto their group sized rafts. Park officials are promising the tightest water slide turns in the world, as well as a water slide that’s never been seen anywhere else. They’re still putting together the final bits and pieces so don’t go just yet, but they do promise it will be open in time for the sweltering summer temperatures.

· Bombs Away
The towns in Northern California don’t get as toasty as their sister cities down the coast, but there’s still plenty of warm days where the kiddies of San Jose will need to cool off. Raging Waters is challenging visitors to enter a capsule at the tippy top of the park’s newest water slide Bombs Away, and from there it’s going to be a 55-foot vertical drop thanks to a sneaky trap door. The soaking doesn’t end there, as after the free-fall riders will be tossed about a loop before hitting a final splashdown pool. It sounds a little dangerous to us—especially if your bathing suit isn’t firmly attached—but we still suggest checking out when it opens Memorial Day weekend. ]]> kjb 2011-05-04T10:23:56-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/4/12/7829/06382

The summer vacation season is right around the corner, and that means a trip to the local water park is in order for many families around the country. However, this year we’re suggesting a little bit of a road trip to hit up one of the most unique water worlds, and best of all, it’s educational too!

Evergreen Wings and Waves Waterpark is attempting to live up to its promise as the country’s only aviation-themed water park when it opens up this summer. There’s ten different waterslides planned for the park, along with a wave pool that holds just shy of 100,000 gallons. It’s located right next to the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon—not too far from Portland—so we’re totally jealous of any kids that are lucky enough to visit on a field trip. ]]> kjb 2011-04-12T09:17:42-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/9/17/84319/2525

Sydney already has plenty of sun and sand, but apparently there’s a need for some fun in the water outside of the area’s famous beaches. As a result, Wet ‘N Wild is spending $80 million to bring slides, tubes, and wave pools to the citizens of New South Wales. This isn’t going to just be some minor attraction either, as they’re promising that this place is going to be one of the top 10 largest water parks in the world.

The park will be located on the western side of the city, and will sit on about 60 acres of land. Builders have signed a 50-year lease for the land, so they’re really committed on this thing being a hit. Let’s just hope that if they build it, they will come.

Unfortunately, things are still a ways off before we’ll be plopping ourselves in the lazy river. The new park probably won’t be ready until the summer of 2013-2014. The place will probably be a hit with the locals, but if we head down under, we’ll probably be skipping the water slides.

[Photo of another down under water park: Jon... In 3D] ]]> kjb 2010-09-17T09:09:50-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/5/9/164634/8517

Memorial Day is just around the corner, and when you're cleaning the BBQ afterwards and throwing out the season's first box of dud sparklers, then it's officially summer. Sure the calendar doesn’t claim it's summer until late June, but we know that’s it’s totally time for cotton candy, hot dogs, and a trip to the water park.

Forget roller coasters and hit these Top Five New Water Park Rides, opening soon:

· Slick Rock Racer
Dollywood’s Splash Country is all excited about their latest addition. The new Slick Rock Racer sends kids and those who think they are kids down a 300-foot slide with nothing but a foam mat under them. Make sure the bathing suit is tied extra-tight and race against your friends and family across four different lanes. ]]> kjb 2010-05-19T09:05:39-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/4/7/124532/7575

When the Animal Overlords take over, we can rest assured that our own Shira Levine will be safe from persecution.

We're going to try to be more thoughtful the next time we eat sushi and just stick with the faux crabmeat after indulging in peaceful day at the Georgia Aquarium. This the only place in the world where you can swim in a giant fish tank with a couple of 23-foot long whale sharks.

The Atlanta fish farm hosts "Swim with Gentle Giants," swimming and diving tours in their football field-sized, eight-million gallon Ocean Voyager tank. To say the underwater experience is thrilling is an understatement.

These fish (which include massive manta rays and sting rays, guitarfish, zebra sharks, cownose rays and wobbegong sharks) are as friendly as puppies and kitties. They like to swim up really close and skim along your body before darting off into the faux deep blue.]]> shiralevine 2009-04-09T15:14:02-05:00 33.7622905 -84.393905 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/27/142430/690

Unusually strong rip currents in the waters off several New York beaches this weekend have left seven people dead or missing, marking one of the worst spates of drownings in recent history. Officials are pointing to a confluence of factors for the unforgiving seas off Coney Island and the south shore of Long Island, including the encroachment of Tropical Storm Cristobal, which has been creeping up the coast for several days.

The tragedies serve to underscore the importance staying safe in the open water. A day at the beach is nothing if not carefree, but it only takes a moment to get pulled into a situation that can quickly get out of control. First and foremost, you need to be a strong swimmer if you're going to venture out into the waves. You might think you know how to swim, but there's a big difference between splashing around in a backyard pool and plunging into the Atlantic Ocean.

If you never learned how to swim, consider taking lessons at your local pool. The 92nd Street Y in New York, for example, offers private and semi-private lessons to people of all ages and abilities. And when you feel ready to hit the open water, an outfit called SBR Multisports is offering an Open Water 101 course at Lake Sebago in Harriman State Park in New York (a great park, by the way: the Appalachian Trail runs through it), while more advanced courses are taught in Fairfield, Connecticut.

But the smartest thing to do is to pay attention to the conditions and never swim without a lifeguard nearby. And most of all, don't fight the rip! If you get caught in a rip, swim parallel to the shoreline until you're out of the current, then make your way back to dry land and enjoy the rest of your day at the beach.

Related Stories:
· Deadly Weekend for New York Swimmers [All Headline News]
· Private Swim Instruction [92nd Street Y]
· Open Water Swim Clinic [SBR]
· Complete Swimming Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: U.S. Open Water Swimming Connection] ]]> Victor Ozols 2008-07-27T14:25:24-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/