Things to Do in Carlisle

Just Plain Yoga wants its visitors to find the perfect fit when it comes to yoga technique. They offer a questionnaire to identify the right class for each student, based on how rapidly or slowly they want to move, as well as whether they want to achieve relaxation, increase flexibility, or build strength in your third eyelash. The studio offers 11 different styles for intrepid yogis, including gentle hatha sessions that link breath to body, and morning vinyasa flow to jump-start the day. Hesitant first-timers are especially invited to the “yoga for any body” class, a gentle, welcoming class for anyone who thinks they are too inflexible or overweight to do yoga.

As his kayak group floats down the Susquehanna River, one of Chiques Rock Outfitters' guides points out some of the area's most scenic features—rocky hillsides dotted with trees, denser forests near the water's shore, and a bald eagle perched on a tree branch. Then, just as the watercrafts round a bend, the guide bursts into song, eliciting applause from his group and nearby fish that have really big flippers.

These musical guides are just one of the signature touches Chiques Rock Outfitters adds to its trips down the Susquehanna River. After the shuttles lug canoes and kayaks to launch points, customers embark on guided trips, unguided floats, or team-building exercises. Additionally, Chiques Rock Outfitters encourages more than just leisurely floats, inviting customers to bring along fishing poles and pre-prepared questions for local wildlife. Back on shore, the staff partners with Starrk Moon Kayaks and Gear to sell equipment ready for future aquatic jaunts.

Set within a welcoming, stately Victorian house, Hop On Over Bead Shop bustles with walls of technicolor prisms and hand-selected beads, ready to be woven into sparkling, personalized jewelry. A host of skill-inducing classes introduces crafters to myriad techniques such as lampwork beading, wire bending and Russian spiral stitch. Kids explore their artistic side in private parties for six or more children as they choose brightly colored baubles to craft their own project. Knowledgeable in all things sparkly, the storeowner displays natural, cut beads, as well as Swarovski crystals for special occasions or for hording as currency after wizard invasions.

Most camp counselors can teach children how to tie-dye a t-shirt or braid a friendship bracelet. Very few, however, have experienced the exhilaration of vaulting into the end zone for a goal-line touchdown or intercepting a game-winning pass in front of thousands of rabid football fans. Across the country, Sports International Football Camps grant participants the opportunity to learn firsthand from professional athletes, whose gridiron battle scars have been forged by bell-ringing collisions with fearless opponents and reckless mascots on motorcycles.

Since 1983, the organization has partnered with veteran high-school coaches and pros, such as three-time Pro Bowl running back Priest Holmes, All-Pro linebacker Brian Cushing, and Super Bowl champion–cornerback Terrell Thomas. In those years, the camp has schooled some 91,000 alumni, including current NFL quarterback Byron Leftwich. Coaches break campers into groups by age, position, and ability and run practices that are competitive yet fun and supportive. For in-depth focus on the specific techniques of skill-position players, the camp also offers special academies for passing and receiving as well as kicking, punting, long snapping, and cooler lifting for Gatorade victory showers.