Gift Ideas: Give Them a Once-in-a-lifetime Experience

If there's a name on your list that always seems to be the last to be scratched as "bought," consider buying them something that won't end up gathering dust on a closet shelf. Instead of a heartless gift certificate or wild guess gift, give them a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience that will enrich their lives and survive in their memories long after the other gifts are forgotten.

The best part? You can buy them online at www.excitations.com.

Gift ideas under $100
1. Send the truly adventurous to go face-to-face with Jaws himself on a great white shark dive for less than a thousand bucks - just $815. All of the equipment and training are provided, including the metal shark cage they'll be thanking God for once the big guy is there for some one-on-one time. Throw in a disposable underwater camera so they can prove their claims once they've come home.

2. If your loved one is still getting around like he or she did as a kid, they might enjoy a trapeze lesson from a professional acrobat, which is available for just $55 (or a private trapeze "party" session for groups at $310). They'll start with simple swinging and work up to release and catch. Net, harness and all are in place to ensure their safety.

3. Those interested in the unexplained can take a guided tour through one of five "most haunted" cities - Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta or Washington D.C. The tour, which is just $65, will take them on an after-dark jaunt through legendarily haunted houses, buildings and cemeteries with the company of a guide who is rich with spooky stories.

4. The adventurous eater can make his own sushi under the guidance of a master sushi chef for $100. They will learn California rolls, vegetable rolls and spicy tuna rolls, then end the experience with a chef-prepared gourmet sushi feast.

Gift ideas for $100 to $500
1. The wild blue yonder calls thrill-seeking seniors, who can learn to hang glide for $145, skydive with an instructor (and get a DVD and up to 60 digital pics) for $385, or go on a physics-defying aerobatic plane ride over the Palm Desert for $345.