The Ultra Light Gyroplane is a vehicle that weighs no more than 254 pounds, can fly in the range of 60 to 90 mph, can go as high as 10,000 feet, and does not require a pilot's license to fly. They may look like go-carts with propellers, but they have more style, spunk and speed. We venture out to Souza's Gyroplanes in Marysville, to learn how to fly and build one of your very own. His one-on-one instruction will take you inside the vehicle to teach you about the mechanics, the physics, and the fun of flying one of these unique machines.
www.rotorcraft.com/bandit

ATV Tour
We go off the beaten path with Lake Tahoe Adventures' all terrainvehicle (ATV) guided tours of the Sierras. The ATV is able to get over and around almost any obstacle in its path, making it perfect for the beautiful and rugged 50-mile Rubicon Trail that winds past incredible views of Lake Tahoe and Alpine Lakes that date back to the last ice age. With the preservation of the trail's natural beauty being one of the guide's top priorities, you will be taught the proper way to ride and at the same time be given information about the trail and its surroundings.
www.laketahoeadventures.com

Sailplane Lessons
Sailplanes (glider planes) are planes without engines that achieveflight with the help of a motored tow plane, released, and then left to independently fly and land. We get a lesson at the Williams Soaring Center from award-winning Chief Pilot Kenny Price who shows us how easy and relaxing it is to learn to fly to view Mt. Shasta, Mt. Diablo, and Mt. Lassen from the prime position in
the sky.
www.williamssoaring.com


Wakeboarding
Blame it on the popular X-Games for turning wakeboarding, a cross between snowboarding and surfing on water, into an international craze that's rivaling water-skiing. We head to Shasta Lake to get a lesson at the Ensane Wakeboard School where head instructor and owner Ian Kirk teaches us not only the easiest way to get up and have fun but all the latest moves.
www.ensanewakeboarding.com

Blue Waters Kayaking
Head off land to learn about the geology of the beautiful and tranquil region of Tomales Bay, situated in the heart of the Point Reyes National Seashore, with Blue Waters Kayaking located in Inverness. Rent a sit-on-top kayak to take a leisurely paddle down the Bay, or join a closed-deck tour guide trip to cruise directly over the San Andreas fault and to learn why blue-green algae looks orange. Plus, you might just see harbor seals swimming next to you and birds dive-bombing the water in search of food.
www.bwkayak.com

Sonoma Racing School
We visit the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma for a spin with Jim Russell Racing Drivers School that gives racing enthusiasts the chance to gain real-life racing skills from professional racecar drivers. The Russell Test Drive Course gives first-time drivers more than three hours of racing fun in real formula racecars and teaches participants racing maneuvers such as heel and toe downshifting and threshold braking. With final pointers, participants are ready to lap the racetrack on their own.
www.russellracing.com

Other Stories
We also go fishing in the Sacramento Delta and explore the Granite Arch Climbing School in Rancho Cordova.

Season eight of "Central Valley Chronicles" is underwritten in part by Classic Living.