While the notion that D.C. was built over a swath of swampland has largely been dispelled, the city still gets maniacally sticky in the summertime. Luckily, the city and its outlying suburbs are within a morning's drive from such contiguous neighbors as West Virginia, whose network of rivers make it an ideal destination to have some outdoor fun and cool off from the summer broil.

The New River Gorge National River is often recognized for offering some of the best whitewater rafting in the country. Ace Adventure offers adventure-class rafting trips along the New River, and other activities such as mountain biking, rock climbing and ziplining. Packages start as low as $135 for an adult ($75 for a youth) and include all-day whitewater rafting on the upper or lower New River, breakfast, lunch, dinner and two nights lodging.

Ace Adventure (www.aceraft.com, 1-800-787-3982)