Where the Action Is : Exhibition Offers Vacation Ideas for the Adventurous

Anastasia Alexander, 4, inched along a metal wire, glancing occasionally at the relatives who waited 16 feet below on the floor of the exhibition center.

“There she goes,” cheered her grandfather, Luke Cunnington. “Hang on to the ropes. You’re doing great, honey!”

A small crowd applauded as the tiny girl, strapped into a full body harness, was lowered to the ground, delivering an enthusiastic message upon arrival. Could she do it again, Anastasia begged her mother, Cheri Alexander? “It was fun!” the girl said.

The course, in which participants pulled themselves along a wire as they held onto another overhead, was one of several events featured Saturday at the Action Adventure Expo at the Orange County Fairgrounds, where thousands of adventurers came to learn about exotic vacation spots. Their choices ranged from riding an elephant in Thailand to rafting down the Futaleufu River in Chile.

While most of the adults were businesslike, collecting brochures and talking to travel agents, many of the children waited in line for their turns at rock wall-climbing and the “ropes” course, which was actually made of wire.

Bradley V. Childs, president of the Agoura Hills-based Wilderness Institute, a nonprofit educational corporation, said rock-climbing allows people to exercise their bodies and minds.

“It’s a chance to be invincible. To go beyond your perceived limits,” Childs said. “It feels good to accomplish a task that you find challenging.”

Pascal Tran, 23, of Torrance said he’s afraid of heights but wanted to climb the 20-foot wall anyway.

“These guys look like they know what they’re doing and they’ll keep me from dying,” Tran said as he waited for a staff member to hook a safety rope to his body harness.

Many people said the Expo was a perfect place to get ideas for unusual vacations.

“We’ve done a lot of the mundane traveling. We want to combine the outdoor scenery with action,” said Brian Adam of Orange.

Adam and his wife, Susan, watched a river-rafting video displayed by New York-based Earth River Expeditions.

“You have to be in really good shape to do rock-climbing,” Adam said, looking at the picturesque river and mountains featured in the video. “My son does that. But this one, my wife and I can do together.”

Those who were tired of browsing more than 150 travel booths relaxed on white lawn chairs outdoors. Small groups discussed their travel plans and shared the brochures they’d collected.

Mike Emmick of Los Angeles and Dina McKenna of Huntington Beach were undecided.

Emmick and McKenna, who have already gone scuba diving, kayaking, rafting and mountain biking, said they weren’t sure what to do next.

“I think it’ll be hang-gliding,” McKenna said.

Emmick shook his head, “She’s brave. I’m a wimp,” he said. But, he added, laughing, “If she does it, I’ll probably be shamed into doing it.”