More exciting than roller coaster rides at amusement parks, some unique destinations provide real adventure, but are safe enough for even the most nervous senior.

Grand Canyon Skywalk: One of the world's top natural wonders features the horseshoe-shaped Skywalk. It’s a clear glass-bottom platform that extends 70 feet out over the West Rim. You actually walk out over the Canyon on a glass sidewalk.

It offers unrestricted breathtaking scenes of the multicolored sheer cliffs and rock formations that stretch more than 20 miles in all directions, as well as thrilling views nearly a mile directly below to the Colorado River. The Hualapai Native-American tribe, which has lived in the Arizona area for centuries, opened the Skywalk in 2008. It’s described as "walk the path of the eagle".

Visitor numbers are limited on this busy tourist site, so it's best to arrive very early in the morning or at sunset. There are restaurants and other facilities adjacent to the Skywalk. Tickets are $29.95 adults and $22.46 for kids 3 to 11. grandcanyonskywalk.com

Las Vegas Stratosphere SkyJump: Located at the Stratosphere Hotel Tower. This can be the thrill of a lifetime as you leap from the building. It's a heart-stopping and swift bungee line descent from the tallest structure in Sin City down to almost street level 855 feet below, falling 108 floors.

Although it feels like free fall, an attached cable line guides each jumper safely down. There are several packages, starting from $110, which includes a DVD of your jump. stratospherehotel.com

Flightline Safari at San Diego Wild Animal Park: This also requires being harnessed in and the feeling of free flight, but most of the trip is horizontal, starting with a descent from a 900-foot hill, and sailing safely along at a controlled speed.

Safely stapped in your harness and hooked on to a heavy steel cable line, you soar through the air above the famous zoo's creatures, many ranging free on the savannah grounds. Some include rhinos, gazelles, buffalo, deer and many species of birds.

Flightline provides professional-quality helmet cameras and DVDs at extra charges. The cost per ride is $70 to $110. wildanimalpark.org

Parasailing in Hawaii: Because of the great year-round weather and gentle seas, there are many parasailing resources on the coastlines of every Hawaiian island. One of the most convenient is SeaBreeze in Honolulu on Oahu.

Parasailing involves a speedboat with parachutes that float into the air from the stern, each with one or two people strapped aboard.

After expert instructions, the parasail ride lasts from eight to ten minutes. seabreezewatersports.com

EdgeWalk, CN Tower, Toronto, Ontario, Canada: It requires stepping your way hands-free along the outside metal ledge of the soaring building 1,168 feet from the city street below. The only thing keeping you from sailing out into the blue is a harness belt attached to a railing on the building's side.

The belt allows you to lean your upper body over away from the building, giving a breathtaking view of the city below and the nearby shores of Lake Ontario. The EdgeWalk operates from May through October in good weather. The cost is $175 (Canadian), and includes video and photos of your adventure, along with a certificate of achievement. cntower.ca