People give me tips on where to travel whenever they have been some where they think I would like. A friend of mine jumped out of her chair in the middle of a sentence, remembering a place she went this past weekend. She fetched a certificate from the Hocking Hills Canopy Tours, saying, "This was great."

From the description of the tour, and from what my friend said, it proves that outdoor adventure and thrill can be found in Ohio, a state where a lot of it is flat as a pancake. The scenery of Hocking Hills thrills me from the ground. It's perfect for hiking, biking, and roaming around in glorious woods. Being hooked onto a zip line for a tour that soars through trees at treetop level sounds awesome. This is the stuff of the Amazing Race. There are skybridges, rock cliffs and rappelling. There is a two for one deal. My friend said I should take my daughter. I think I might.

There is another canopy tour I have been on that's a far cry from Ohio. At the Forest Research Institute in Malaysia in Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve not far from Kuala Lumpur, you don't travel through the trees on a zip line, but by hiking on a series of suspension bridges set high in the leaves and branches. There are many trails to explore with your feet firmly on the ground as well. I went here with a friend of mine. How much I perspired has been erased from my memory--kind of. What I do remember is the lushness and beauty.

Filed under: Hiking, Malaysia, United States, Ecotourism