Leisure

Father Time

Extreme Father’s Day Gifting

Father’s Day is coming. And nothing says “Thanks for everything, Pop” like a heartfelt, well-meaning... life-threatening incident. Yes, this year (and for the first time in over a decade), something besides a tie. Below, a bunch of extreme, adrenaline-pumping bonding experiences. For you. For Dad. For someone with a death wish.

FOR THE MARIO ANDRETTI

Racing Your Old Man in an Indy Car

The Experience: You: in one 600-horsepower Indy car. Dad: in another. The race: zipping around the Texas Motor Speedway at 150 mph as a driving coach feeds you both tips on the in-car radios. Like: avoid the wall.
The Risk: Not being able to avoid the wall.

FOR THE CHUCK YEAGER

Soaring Over Texas in a WWII War Bird

The Experience: A pilot from the Cavanaugh Flight Museum will take you and Dad up over Texas in a pair of vintage WWII fighter planes—the closed-cockpit Skyraider or the open-air Kaydet. Then, he’ll do figure eights.
The Risk: Lunch gets ruined.

FOR THE JOHN J. RAMBO

Hunting Hogs from a Helicopter

The Experience: A helicopter ride over a private West Texas ranch with a former Desert Storm pilot. And a bunch of rifles. And unlimited ammo. And 2 million feral pigs on the ground below.
The Risk: Severe bacon fatigue. Also, severe falling.

FOR THE HONDO

Dinner with Dad... and a SWAT Team

The Experience: A SWAT sniper, an Army medic and a paratrooper are cooking you deer steaks at Dad’s house. Then, for dessert, they’ll give the old man a crash course in how to stop a home invasion.
The Risk: He mistakes you one day for a home invader.

FOR THE CAPTAIN AHAB

A Competitive Sailing Course

The Experience: Picture a 40-foot-long wooden catamaran. Now picture you and Dad steering that catamaran as you learn to navigate the waters of Lake Ray Hubbard from a vet of the Transatlantic Fastnet Race (the Masters of sailing).
The Risk: Mutiny brought on by unresolved childhood issues.