Things to Do in Middle Island

The Survival Race’s 5-kilometer track challenges racers to navigate a gauntlet of mud-laden terrain. Staggered waves of 300 runners each conquer military-style obstacles, wade through murky water, and slide through muddy trenches before reaching the finish line to celebrate at a shindig awash with delicious eats and smitten swamp monsters. Afterward, a Facebook album aids online nostalgia by showcasing dirt-caked athletes and their marshy feats.

Colleen Barrow has spent her entire lifetime seeking out and memorizing the coordinates of the most scenic sights dotting British Columbia's Southern Gulf Islands. Rather than trapping them in a photo album or enormous snow globe, the local explorer shares her finds with guests through ITT Wilson's Tours. By partnering with Wilson's Transportation, Barrow coordinates luxury bus tours to castles, lighthouses, botanical gardens, and wineries. With many of the tours, guests receive a midday meal such as rustic oven pizza served at an apple-orchard picnic site, or mutton legs aged to perfection in a castle's meat cellars.

Brightly colored pennants embellish the ceiling at Port Jeff Bowl, but bowling skills demonstrated in the lanes below are what attract attention. Players hurl balls toward pins for fun or team up with peers to play in one of many leagues, divided by age and whether or not a player is tall enough to ride a roller coaster. On Tuesday nights from 9:30 to midnight, athletes enjoy an unlimited amount of fun during Bottomless Bowling. And after hours spent satiating competitive impulses built up over years of being benched during tag, patrons can quench thirsts and appetites with a beer and bite at Splitz Sports Bar. The alley also hosts parties and private events for up to 200 guests, which lets partygoers pair play with pizza, soda, or buffet fare in the 11th Frame Lounge.

Hampton Luxury Liner ferries its passengers around in a lavish motorcoach that boasts five flat-screen TVs, complimentary WiFi, and an on-bus library. The luxury buses travel to destinations ranging from the Hamptons to Atlantic City, with specific stops at wineries, resorts, and casinos. Reclining leather seats with space for laptops and maximum leg extension typify the cushy interior, and each road cruiser also comes equipped with a snack bar, library, and refrigerator, useful for storing steaks to distract the thousands of chasing dogs such a luxurious bus usually attracts.

Settle traffic arguments by challenging an opposing driver to a duel on Boomers!'s speedy go-carts. Or just cruise solo, banking curves and outdriving total strangers in a wild day of rubber-burning and dust-eating. For crashtastic thrills, climb aboard a bumper boat and drift on the waterscape, floating amok and gleefully broadsiding fellow captains. A bit of the briny seeps into Boomers!'s mini-golf range, where it creates a sparkling blue hazard to complement the verdant greens. Finish the day with a feeling of accomplishment that comes only from climbing Boomers!'s big, giant rock wall. The 32-foot climbing surface has a variety of handholds and different climbing options, so explore them all with the three climbs. Be sure to check Boomers! Medford's hours before heading out.

Self-improvement is a highly personalized goal that can take any number of approaches to achieve. Satya Yoga & Pilates attempts to incorporate as many of these approaches as possible, giving students the means to relieve stress, become more physically fit, or bolster their holistic well-being. There, students can design their own well-rounded workout regimen that emphasizes physical as well as mental health through yoga, dance, and Pilates instruction.

The yoga classes exemplify this flexibility through dynamic Vinyasa lessons that link poses to create seamlessly flowing sequences as well as gentler workouts that emphasize deeper, controlled stretching. Regardless of style, advanced yoga lessons continue to challenge attendees by introducing inverted poses, breathing techniques, and sudden-death overtime. The dance classes adopt a similarly broad approach, using belly dance and Zumba choreography to create cardio-intensive workouts or guiding students through the basic steps of international ballroom styles. Although Pilates focuses a bit more on building core strength, the sessions also emphasize the importance of measured breathing and controlled, mindful movements.