Tandem Jump in Minnesota

Minnesota's drop zones sit within an hour or two of the major metros, which puts a lot of variety under the airplane. On one load you might see the sprawl of the Twin Cities; on the next, open water: this is the state of 10,000 lakes, after all. It makes the North Star State an easy target for locals and visitors alike.

Tandem skydiving is the usual first step here. Strapped to an instructor, a beginner can just take in the ground: the winding Mississippi, the crop fields of the south, and the thick forest of the central and northern counties, which turns loud with color come fall. No solo navigation, no pressure, only the view.