Weird, Wild, & Wonderful Vacation Ideas for Summer 2025

Looking for thrills beyond the usual tourist stops? From rock climbing in the California redwoods to quirky roadside museums on the East Coast, these experiences bring the weird, the wild, and the just plain wonderful to your next getaway.

Sky, Sea, & Speed

For a tiny tropical Island, Key West is big on adventure. Days here are almost always spent on the water, reeling in trophy fish or snorkeling coral reefs as kayaks and paddleboards pass you by. For the adrenaline junkies, Sunset Watersports offers many thrilling excursions. Soar 300 feet above the Gulf of Mexico with a parasailing adventure – the longest and highest parasail flight in Key West – or jump on a jet ski from the dock of Parrot Key Hotel & Villas and hit the throttle.

Up the coast in Delray Beach, Nomad Surf Shop is a great local go-to for watersports gear and expert guidance on all things surf. (Yes, there’s surfing in South Florida!) This family-owned shop has been making custom boards since 1968, consulting on the best shapes and sizes to suit each style and experience level. Not sure where to start? Opt for a private surf lesson, or get your feet wet with a paddleboard tour.

Meanwhile, in California, travelers don’t just surf at the beach – they go to the circus. The Santa Monica Trapeze School invites the brave and bendy to try out flying trapeze, beginner lyra, aerial hammock, and more at the Santa Monica Pier, all just steps from the ocean with stunning mountain views. 

Fancy a boat day instead? Head to Annapolis, Maryland and learn from the real-life sailors of Schooner Woodwind, a family-run crew with two magnificent schooner boats helmed by Christopher Walken in the movie, “Wedding Crashers”. Learn how to crease the sheet on the Chesapeake Bay, then head back to Annapolis Waterfront Hotel to catch the famous Wednesday night sailboat races.

Into the Wild

Bah-dum. Bah-dum. Bah-dum. It’s great white shark season in Monterey Bay, and the apex predators are out to play. Take your pick of great white shark tours from Moss Landing, and get an up-close look at these 2,000-pound giants in their natural habitat, no cage necessary. At The Sanctuary Beach Resort, you’ll spot even bigger giants breaching the shoreline – humpback whales are known to hang here!

For a more hands-on adventure, trek to California’s Santa Cruz Mountains and try your hand at bouldering. Castle Rock State Park is a popular go-to for novice and experienced climbers. A 45-minute drive from the San Francisco Bay Area, Castle Rock has many caverns and sandstone rocks to test your grip, plus 34 miles of hiking trails that snake through evergreen forests.

Advanced climbers should explore Franklin Mountains State Park, the largest urban park in the U.S., located near El Paso, Texas. Set in the heart of the Chihuahuan Desert, the Franklin Mountains are great for morning climbs with numerous top rope routes at McKelligon Canyon. 

In San Diego, daredevils get their kicks at Torrey Pines Gliderport, a cliffside hangout with super-strong winds perfect for paragliding and hang gliding with epic ocean views. Anyone of any age can join a tandem flight, but if chilling earthside is more your speed, The Cliffhanger Cafe has breathtaking views and specialty cocktails, too. 

For a bird’s eye view closer to shore, head to Martha’s Vineyard on Cape Cod and climb the Edgartown Lighthouse, a photo-famous lighthouse originally built in 1828. Wind your way up the spiral staircase and you’ll be rewarded with beautiful panoramic views of the Cape and Edgartown Harbor. For more sandy vistas, check into Sea Crest Beach Resort, a luxury escape with its own private beach, water sport rentals, beach volleyball, and more.

Urban Thrills, Unexpected Chills

Even city dwellers can find an adrenaline rush without the hours-long road trip. Take for example Go Ape! at Rock Creek Park, a treetop zipline adventure just 40 minutes from Washington, D.C. Yell like Tarzan on the aerial swing, conquer the outdoor “escape room,” or ride the 400-foot-long zipline through lush forest trees.

Find more sky-high views at the Edge, an observation deck made entirely of glass, floating 100 stories above Manhattan. The panoramic views and the vertigo are next-level. If you’re really feeling brave, book the City Climb to scale the outside of the skyscraper. At 1,200 feet above ground, you’ll be the highest person in all of New York City.

Closer to the ground, Movement Gowanus offers climbing routes and bouldering at its indoor Brooklyn facility, along with beginner climbing, sunrise yoga, and other movement classes. They’ve also got locations in Harlem and Queens! 

Boston’s Codzilla goes the distance on a thrilling speedboat ride across Boston Harbor. This ain’t your grandmother’s boat tour, either. Codzilla roars up to 40 miles per hour, making hairpin turns and 360-degree spins before a grand finale with epic water cannons.

Offbeat & Slightly Unhinged

It’s time to get weird. And what better place to start than America’s most eccentric place, New York City, where anything goes and anyone is welcome to come and join the chaos. 

While oddities are found all over town, Mmuseumm is particularly peculiar: a tiny curated art space, tucked inside an elevator shaft, with thought-provoking objects from all over the world. Check out their Instagram for a glimpse of seasons past and upcoming announcements for summer 2025.

Brooklyn’s Coney Island is a mecca for weird and wonderful attractions. Walk the famous boardwalk, catch Burlesque at the Beach, hop on vintage rides at Luna Park, or join the freakshow at Coney Island USA’s Sideshow School, where adults 18+ can learn the basics of fire eating, sword swallowing, and classic stage acts like ‘the blade box.’ NU Hotel Brooklyn offers a fun, artsy stay nearby for those looking to keep the energy going.

Sarasota, Florida has its own storied circus, led by none other than John Ringling of the famous Ringling Circus. After major success in the circus biz, John and his wife, Mable, constructed a massive waterfront estate in 1926, known today as The Ringling Circus Museum. Wander through vintage posters, catch a jaw-dropping acrobat show, and visit the world’s largest miniature circus. 

For the macabre-minded, Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum is filled with curiosities. Think preserved organs, antique surgical tools, and slices of Albert Einstein’s brain. While subject matters are certainly spine-tingling, the museum is actually quite sophisticated. Some say Mütter is one of the world’s finest museums of medical history!  

Likewise, the human body is on full display at the World Erotic Art Museum in Miami Beach, the only U.S. museum solely dedicated to fine erotic art. Learn from over 4,000 international artworks dating back to 300 B.C., and other eyebrow-raising exhibitions like The Great Wall of Vulva! 

Boston’s famous Mapparium offers a different look at civilization: an immersive three-story globe made of colorful stained glass. Standing inside this dome-shaped globe, viewers get a glimpse at what the world looked like in 1935, before World War II and its geopolitical shifts. The acoustics are amazing, too; even a gentle whisper will travel “across the world.”

More mind-boggling art is found in Frederick, Maryland at the “Community Bridge” mural, an optical illusion that tricks your eyes to see a stone-carved bridge where, in fact, it’s just painted concrete. The bridge is one of many artsy landmarks near Visitation Hotel, a brand-new hotel with vibrant designs of its own. 

Explore all of our hotel destinations across the U.S. and start planning your summer road trip with Independent Collection Hotels & Resorts!