(FORTUNE Magazine) – As every manager knows, it's amazing what a little gift can do for morale. Problem is, when you're the one giving and receiving the gift, people tend to call it a midlife crisis. But so what? You've made your money. You've earned the right to spend it as you see fit. And you know you deserve it.

01. Skydive

02. Buy a motorcycle

It has to be a machine that performs with competence and flair. BMW's R 1100 S, seen here in a limited-edition two-tone paint job, makes an excellent candidate. Its chassis is sure-footed, and the flat-twin boxer engine has enough grunt to push the S down a curvy road at a satisfying pace. An antilock braking system adds confidence; heated hand grips add comfort. BMW borrowed the idea of sweeping the stainless-steel exhaust up under the tail from an Italian design, but it looks just as hot on this $16,400 German roadburner.

03. Create a house cocktail

Master bartender Dale DeGroff explains how to mix it up.

Webster's says a cocktail is "an iced drink of wine or distilled liquor mixed with flavoring ingredients." To expand on that sorry definition, start with a base spirit--one that lends itself to mixing, such as rum or gin (vodka is too easy). Then pick a modifier that will complement your base. It might be a flavored spirit, juice, a soft drink, even milk. If you see the need, there can be two or three modifiers.

While many cocktails have only these two parts, you can mix in a third part, the flavor additive. (Examples: bitters, grenadine, Rose's lime juice, dashes of a cordial such as Pernod, fruit syrups.) These ingredients can dramatically change the flavor. Tread with caution.

As for tools, you could get away with a Mason jar in a pinch; we're inventing a cocktail, not redecorating the den.

Here's a cocktail (left) I created at the Rainbow Room in Manhattan. I started with 1 1/2 oz. gin, added 3/4 oz. lemon juice and 1 oz. simple syrup, and threw in four dashes of Angostura bitters. I shook it and served it on the rocks with a lemon wheel. I eventually named it the Fitzgerald at the suggestion of a regular, a writer from The New Yorker. It stayed on our menu for years.

04. Upgrade your tuxedo

If only it were black and white. Bill Downes, veteran buyer at San Francisco clothier Wilkes Bashford (415-986-4380), sheds some light.

--"Buy the highest-quality tuxedo you can afford." If you can't swing the $3,850 handmade Brioni--with 25 to 30 hours of handwork--then go for a hand-finished job ($2,275, from Zegna); the handwork is visible where it counts. Remember: The more you spend, the more incentive not to gain weight.

--"Think J.F.K., Cary Grant, or James Bond--i.e., the classic idea of black tie." The most timeless style is the single-breasted peaked lapel. It leads the eye up and broadens your shoulders. Double-breasted peaked lapels and single-breasted shawl collars are close seconds. The side stripe on the pants is de rigueur.

--"It's not about trends, it's about doing it right." You don't fool anyone with your black suit shoes. Buy a shoe designed for a tuxedo. Splurge on studs and cuff links. Opt for a hand-tied bow tie. Impeccable accessories are especially necessary if you can't afford a stunning tuxedo.

05. Be a beach bum

Fregate Island Private, the Seychelles. This tiny, tony resort is a long flight from anywhere, but worth it: sumptuous villas, each with its own Jacuzzi, overlooking a perfect beach. $1,500 a night; 49-69-83-83-76-35; fax 49-69-83-83-76-36; fregate.com

Hotelito Desconocido, Mexico. When you wake up at the eco-friendly Hotelito--on the Pacific Coast, south of Puerto Vallarta--hoist a flag to alert the staff that you're ready for coffee. No electricity means candlelight at night. $390; 877-486-3372; hotelito.com

Mauna Lani Bay, Hawaii. Hike among the ancient Hawaiian fish ponds, petroglyph parks, and sheltered caves nestled within the 3,200-acre resort on the Big Island's Kohala Coast. $350; 800-327-8585; maunalani.com

Ritz-Carlton Rose Hall, Jamaica. A new Ritz-Carlton with all the amenities (golf course, spa) you'd expect. A discount opening rate of $150 is available through December. 888-564-8660; ritzcarlton.com

Daniel's Head Village, Bermuda. Also new, Daniel's Head is, as its brochure puts it, "in sync with nature"--people-powered watersports, ten gorgeous beaches, and over-the-water tent cottages with windows in the floor. $135; 877-418-1723; danielsheadvillage.com

06. Get stoned

by Rebecca Ascher-Walsh

Just when you were warming up to the idea of being wrapped in seaweed or sloughed with Dead Sea salt, another funky treatment has been added to spa rosters: hot stone massage, a practice based on a Native American healing rite.

At Arizona's Miraval spa, they're special rocks--some of them, in fact, live better than most of us. Plucked from the Mesa River, these babies are transported to the spa beside their mates--"They're always nested together," says spokesperson Mary Valker--and once a month they're "allowed to lie outside in the moonlight." It's not just Miraval: At Mexico's Rancho La Puerta, the stones sunbathe; at the Golden Door, in California, they're treated to time inside a medicine wheel and "rejuvenating soaks" in Epsom salts.

Bully for the stones, but what's in it for me? I sign up at the Susan Ciminelli Day Spa at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City (212-872-2650), where Ciminelli catches me eyeing the rocks, sussing out their magical powers. She assures me these are merely lava stones, steeped in a bucket of water and heated to 120 degrees, and then begins piling them on my belly, rubbing my body with the smaller ones. I don't experience what Ciminelli describes as the "magnetic pull" of the stones, but by the end of the hour, I'm as deliciously comatose as can be. Rock on.

07. Go to the Olympics

Forget Sydney: In 2002, you can root, root, root for the home team. Tickets for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics (Feb. 8-24, 2002; saltlake2002.com) will be available from Tickets.com beginning this Oct. 10. As for hotels, top spots like the Stein Eriksen Lodge, the Hotel Monaco, and the Inn at Temple Square are already full. The Sundance Resort (800-892-1600) is waiting until January to accept reservations. House and condo rentals are an option: Utah Homes (utahhomes.com) will e-mail listings, and the Salt Lake City tourism bureau (slctravel.com) will mail brochures. All-inclusive types should try Cartan (800-818-1998; cartan.com), which starts selling packages next month.

08. Drink too much Dom Perignon

09. Play Pebble Beach

FORTUNE deputy art director Joan Hoffman surprised her husband, Chris Green, with a trip to Pebble Beach for his 50th birthday. (They're going back next month.)

Chris: After 20 minutes on the plane, they said it was going to San Francisco. So I knew where we were going, and I knew we'd shipped our clubs.

Joan: When we went past the road to Pebble Beach, he said, "You're sure you don't want to take this exit?" I said no.

Chris: We ended up at Quail Lodge, in Carmel. It was a beautiful place, and their course was very good, but it wasn't Pebble Beach. After a day, Joan said, "Load up the car. We're checking out."

Joan: Let's go!

Chris: We went to the Inn at Spanish Bay, where we had a room overlooking the first fairway. Absolutely beautiful. The next day was my birthday. We went downstairs--they take your clubs for you, in vans that go to each of the courses--and the driver said, "Where are you playing today?" Joan said, "Pebble Beach."

Joan: The pro shop gave him a free sleeve of balls because it was his birthday.

Chris: But I didn't want to use them--I didn't want to lose my Pebble Beach balls on the first few holes.

Joan: We played with two other people who had a caddy, and the caddy was really nice about the fact that, as a golfer, I'm not nearly ready for Pebble Beach. But if I wait till I'm ready, it might be my 80th birthday.

Chris: I wouldn't play there again without a caddy--for the knowledge of the course more than anything else.

Joan: You had some really good shots.

Chris: Yes, I hit some really good shots. The highlight was the second shot on the eighth hole, a long shot over the water to a postage-stamp green.

Joan: And you made it.

Chris: And I made it. Right on the green, ten feet from the hole. What I didn't realize is that the green is sloped severely from back to front. And it's really fast. I touched the ball with the putter, and the ball rolled right off the green. I took two putts from there for a 5. I didn't even keep score after a while. I think I shot a hundred, but it didn't matter. I'll be lucky to get a second chance at Pebble Beach. But if I don't, I'd be very happy just having gone once.

10. Celebrate Carnival in Rio

Sweaty, half-naked dancers in rhinestone-studded G-strings, fevered sambas that pound until dawn--nights don't get much hotter than in Rio de Janeiro during Carnival, the five-day pre-Lent blowout (in 2001, Feb. 23-28). Rooms at the Copacabana Palace (five-night minimum starts at $2,075; 800-223-6800) sell out a year in advance, but you can get tickets for the Copa's high-society ball--Jayne Mansfield bared her breasts there--a week or two ahead ($250-$500). There are always last-minute hotel deals you can package with flights, says Adam Carter of Brazil Nuts, a tour company, but it's wise to book by September to get a reasonable fare and hotel choice (his top picks are Le Meridien Copacabana and the Caesar Park Ipanema). September is also prime time to nail seats in the Sambodromo stadium to view competing samba schools ($185 to $350 per person). As for safety: Some pockets will be picked, says a U.S. government employee living there. But chances are the worst that will happen is that parties back home will forever pale in comparison.

11. Start collecting art

"The best strategy is to collect the best of whatever's available," says Amy Cappellazzo, president of Curator Inc. in Miami (305-538-6766). She suggests buying contemporary because your chances of getting a good piece skyrocket. "The truth is, you just can't get the best Pollock anymore. It's at MOMA."

With contemporary art, you can home in on emerging artists. "It's the market equivalent of investing in a startup," says Cappellazzo. Their works come cheaper, and the potential is huge. But of course so is the risk, which is why she also advises people to buy art they love. Her picks: Jeremy Blake, Naomi Fisher, Karin Davie. Minimum annual budget: $10,000.

Loaded yet risk-averse neophytes might turn to "blue-chip contemporary." These artists have already received what Cappellazzo calls an "institutional vetting"--museums, collectors, and foundations have established a market value. Plus, there's a certain liquidity: "You should usually be able to sell for the price you bought it at." Her picks: Andres Gursky, Damien Hirst, Anish Kapoor. Minimum annual budget: $500,000.

12. Smoke Cuban

13. Give away a serious amount of money

No sweat, right? Write a check, and feel your cold, selfish heart begin to thaw. But according to Peter Karoff, president of the PhilanthropicInitiative (617-338-2590; ipi.org), a not-for-profit consulting group in Boston, every good donor has his challenges. In charitable fashion, Karoff passed on some free advice.

1. Figure out what your values are--"It drives everything else," says Karoff.

2. Avoid the pitfall of hubris: "Very often, when people turn to philanthropy they get into trouble." He gives as an example a man in Wisconsin who gave a $100 million gift to build an arts center that no one wants but him.

3. Finally, Karoff suggests you "think about giving the way you think about investing. Be demanding of both yourself and the organization to produce results." Of course, you don't want to be a pain. "It's not appropriate to tell a youth group how to work with kids. But it is appropriate to say, 'How are you going to measure your results?'"

14. Wear a nice watch

When it comes to luxury, our theory is this: Your money is best spent on things you see and wear every day. Center: Rolex Air-King Oyster Perpetual ($2,525; 800-367-6539); surrounding it, clockwise from top: Hermes stainless-steel Clipper Chrono ($2,800; 800-441-4488); IWC 18-karat gold GST Chronograph ($15,500; 800-432-9330); Bulgari Chronograph ($4,400; 800-285-4274); IWC stainless-steel Portuguese Automatic 2000 ($10,500).

15. Join a museum

Becoming a member has benefits besides getting in free. Almost every museum--like the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston--throws in store discounts and guest passes, as well as invitations to previews and events where members can see exhibits without the riffraff. Some even offer reciprocal deals at other museums. And unlike almost everything else in this story, part of the cost is tax-deductible.

16. Never fly coach again

17. Overhaul your underwear

We've never bought into the idea that it matters what you're wearing if you're hit by a bus--in that situation, one's priorities change--but there's something to be said for replacing all your old skivvies (especially the last-resort novelty pairs) with a drawerful of the crisp, the clean, and the new. Better brands: Harry & Sons, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Brooks Brothers. The briefs/boxers conundrum is up to you.

18. Cut a record

FORTUNE deputy managing editor Rik Kirkland took his band, the Prowlers--featuring assistant managing editor Brian Dumaine on sax--into the studio. His report:

The key difference between bigtime rock stars and the rest of us: roadies. The cure for your aching, amp-hauling back: a recording studio. Yes, friends, for just $60 an hour, you too can book time in a real studio like Manhattan's Tin Pan Alley--and best of all, the talent of a real recording engineer like Giovanni Fusco. After 14 hours, split evenly between recording tracks and mixing them, our seven-person R&B band emerged with a good-enough-for-rock-&-roll CD. Cost: $928.53, not including pizza and beer. Value? Put it this way: If you're a halfway decent musician and can afford a subscription to this magazine, nothing you can buy--legal or illegal--will get you higher.

19. Become an audiophile

"My name in the audio world is sort of like Ferrari in sports cars," says Mark Levinson, in an uncharacteristic boast. The founder of New York's Red Rose Music, who has been developing high-end audio equipment since 1971, has just played a recording of his wife, Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall, reading poetry in East Hampton, N.Y. The sound is so crisp you'd swear there are crickets in the room.

They may not seem like it at first, but Levinson's sleek Model 5 Integrated Amplifier ($8,000) and R3 Ribbon speakers ($3,000 for two) are a bargain, especially when compared with top-quality surround-sound systems, which start at $20,000. He argues that retailers suggest extra speakers and expensive cables simply to encourage spending. "That's the party line: Buy more speakers, buy more amplifiers," he says. "I'm not doing it."

20. Eat Kobe beef

One of many types of Wagyu--literally, "Japanese cattle"--Kobe is "so rich you can't eat more than a few ounces at a time," says Hiro Sone, chef at Terra in St. Helena, Calif. While Wagyu are now raised in Canada, Australia, and even the U.S., Sone advises, "If you really want to eat Wagyu, go to Japan." It costs as much as $150 for three ounces, but Japanese cattlemen still fatten their Wagyu with beer and massage them with sake (it keeps them supple--and, presumably, pretty darn happy).

21. Stargaze

22. Send your parents on a cruise

Choose wisely or risk putting your parents through Misery on the Bounty.

--On luxe lines like Silversea and Crystal, says Cruisecritic.com editor Sharon Dodd, "you pay for what you get, but what you get is pretty remarkable." Another benefit: Unlike many other lines, excursions, pre- and post-travel, and alcohol are actually included in the "all-inclusive" price.

--Classical Cruises and Lindblad Expeditions take passengers anywhere from ancient Roman ruins to Antarctica in the company of naturalists and archaeologists who lecture and lead excursions.

--Windstar and Star Clippers use smaller motorized sailing vessels, says Dodd. A more personalized experience, however, comes at the expense of amenities and activities.

--Massive (up to 2,100 passengers) and packed with activities, Princess and Holland America offer the "classic cruise experience" and tend to appeal to folks of a certain age.

--Don't just choose the line--choose the ship. For instance, Seabourn has only six ships, but each offers a totally different experience. The yachtlike Seabourn Goddesses I and II hold 116 passengers, while its newest ship, the Sun, holds 758.

23. Splurge on someone else

24. Invest in a weekend house

MOUNT DESERT, ME. 4 BR, 3.5 BTH, 3 flrs, on 4.17 A. Cathedral ceilings, views of Cadillac Mountain. $425,000. Swan Agency, 207-288-5818

EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. 6 BR, 7.5 BTH, 11,000 sq. ft. on 1.9 A. Pool, plhs, 6 frpl. Named Waterlily. $7,900,000. Sotheby's Intl. Realty, 631-324-6000

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. 2 BR, 3.5 BTH, overlks 13th green Turtle Point. Less than block frm beach. $1,695,000. Kiawah Island Real Estate, 800-277-7008

UNION PIER, MICH. 3 BR, 1 BTH bungalow, two blocks from beach. Deck, screened porch, 2 BR guest cottage. $289,000. Nadra K., 616-469-2090

KERRVILLE, TEXAS. 3 BR, 3 BTH ranch on 31 A. Native stone frpl. Covered deck. Blt-in cabinets. $325.000. Crocker Real Estate, 830-896-8688

CALISTOGA, CALIF. 3 BR, 2 BTH, on 3.8 A. Japanese tub, indr/ outdr shr, rftp deck, cdr flrs upst. View hills. $795,000. Up Valley Assoc., 707-963-1222

25. Learn to ballroom dance

by Erik Torkells

A chimpanzee could learn the steps. It's leading, the art of moving someone else around a dance floor, that comes hard.

My partner, Margaret, had no sympathy. "Push me around!" she insisted. "Take control! Just do it!" We had each signed up as singles at a class taught by Pierre Dulaine, co-founder and co-director of the American Ballroom Theater. Over the course of five weeks, Margaret and I learned to merengue, foxtrot, waltz, tango, rumba, and lindy. Our bodies became fairly intimate; our souls did not.

Perhaps she sensed I was cheating on her. I was taking private lessons from Pierre's partner, Yvonne Marceau (the two of them were the best thing about the Broadway musical Grand Hotel). Yvonne moved like a breeze, but I still had trouble leading.

"Move me around as if I had a handle on my back," she suggested.

"Would that you did!"

"Actually," she said, "it's an old joke that women should dance turned around, so the man has something to hold on to."

After the lessons were over, forsaking gentle Margaret and Yvonne (whom I'd have to pay), I took my friend Michele, a dancer since childhood, to the ultimate test: the Rainbow Room. We didn't wait for our champagne to arrive. We waltzed slowly to "Moon River," slithered a slinky rumba. Everyone else left the floor. The band picked up the tempo. I held on a little tighter, and quickly spun Michele around, moving from the fox trot to swing in the middle of a song. I could've danced all night.

PIERRE DULAINE DANCE CLUB, New York, 212-244-8400, pierredulaine.com; five-week introductory program, $100. Yvonne Marceau, 212-362-7997; lessons, $80 an hour.

26. Charter a yacht with old friends

It's the ideal reunion: you, your closest buddies, the sun, and the sea--and, of course, one dazzling yacht (while we're at it, throw in a crew to steer the damn thing). Tom Rowe, co-owner of 20-year-old Newport Yacht Services in Rhode Island, offers some insight:

1. Sailboat or powerboat? At the mercy of water and wind, sailboats are all about the journey. If you're into land excursions, powerboats (generally more expensive) can get you from port to port efficiently.

2. Pricing varies. Most Caribbean sailboats are all-inclusive. In the western Mediterranean, you'll get boat and crew--everything else is extra. In the eastern Med, they kick in some meals and engine time.

3. How will you split costs if all cabins aren't equal? There's often an owner's stateroom and various lesser cabins. Or some rooms may have double beds, others twins. Decide in advance or risk walking the plank.

Bandera, $11,000 a week (four passengers, Caribbean); Hinckley Crewed Charters, 800-504-2305

Thunder Gulch, $150,000 a week (ten passengers, Mediterranean/Caribbean); Camper & Nicholsons, 561-655-2121

Destiny, $55,000 a week (ten passengers, New England/Caribbean); Northrop & Johnson, 800-868-5913

Helios, $47,000 a week (ten passengers, New England/Caribbean); Newport Yacht Services, 800-234-7720

27. Buy a hammock

Above all, hammocks should be tough--you don't want to end up on the ground. "Moisture and UV rays are going to wear out your hammock," says Terry Robinson, manager of Hammock Hut in Myrtle Beach, S.C. (800-334-7111; hammockhut.com). The $109 Hatteras Olefin Rope version is a sturdy bet, with weather-resistant rope and oak slats. (Robinson suggests investing in oak because cheaper wood will crack under stress.) For a beachier feel, choose a brightly striped Caribbean hammock. Woven from cotton fishing cable, the double-sized Taino style ($99) works well outdoors. It's almost twice as strong as rope, with a capacity of 700 pounds.

If you can, lie in your hammock at the store. Your back should be comfortable and your weight evenly distributed. Two adults will need a hammock that's 54 inches wide.

28. Hole up in a kick-ass suite

In the penthouse at London's Metropolitan hotel (from $2,100 per night; 44-207-447-1047), even the shower has a window (as Leonardo DiCaprio found out when screaming fans outside reportedly got an eyeful). What you leak to the tabloids is up to you. Other high-life hideaways: The Terra Nova Penthouse Suite at the Tides ($2,000; 800-688-7678), in Miami Beach, has a sundeck with Jacuzzi--it's also the highest point on Ocean Drive; at L.A.'s Hotel Bel Air ($2,200; 800-648-4097), the Chanock Suite--home to one Mrs. Francis Chanock for 40 years--boasts a fireplace and private garden; the Four Seasons New York's Presidential Suite comes with 360-degree views and first-edition prints by Magritte ($10,000; 800-332-3442); La Belle Etoile Suite at Paris' Hotel Meurice ($8,300; 33-144-58-1010) has a 3,000-square-foot terrace and butler's quarters--the butler is included, no need to bring your own.

29. Take a bike trip

You may be put off by the idea of a tour, but would you really rather bike on your own, with your stuff on your back? Operators such as Backroads (800-462-2848) and Butterfield & Robinson (800-678-1147) take care of all the details, so you're free to ride and enjoy. "Before working here," says Christian Chumbley, who leads tours and hires and trains guides for Backroads, "I'd never have gone on one of these trips. But now I'm always dying to."

--When picking a destination, look at the miles you'll ride, but also what the region offers culturally, and how well the company knows it. "If I could go on any of our trips," says Chumbley, "I'd choose Bali. But I might also choose someplace we go often, such as Tuscany, where we have leaders with a lot of experience."

--Make sure the tour is flexible. "I've done plenty of trips where someone wanted to go hang-gliding, not biking. A good operator should be able to arrange that."

--"Get a sense of what support is there." Are there vans in case bicyclists decide they've had enough?

--"When guests aren't enjoying themselves, it's usually because they look at the itinerary and see 30 miles a day, but they don't look at the difficulty rating--the hills, the weather, whatever."

--Rent a company bike. "The majority of the bikes we rent are better than our customers'. Even our leaders rarely bring their own. Plus, that way you don't have to travel with it."

--Assert your independence. "What I like best about this business is that it's self-propelled," says Chumbley. "If you don't want to be with the group, that's okay."

30. Get a clean bill of health

Requiring a day or two of your time, executive health programs are heavy-duty physicals involving a battery of tests. One of the best is the Mayo Clinic's--in fact, its program director, Dr. Donald D. Hensrud, is FORTUNE's health columnist. The Rochester, Minn., outpost (507-284-2288; mayoclinic.com) is booked a year in advance, but there's no need to wait for peace of mind: Try the Mayo Clinic offshoots in Jacksonville, Fla., and Scottsdale, Ariz., or the Duke University Health Center (in Durham, N.C.; 800-235-3853; dukecenter.org) or the Cleveland Clinic (216-444-5707; clevelandclinic.org). The best news of all? Most programs start at about $2,000, but Dr. Hensrud says it's common for patients' companies to foot the bill.

31. Have custom shirts made

by Henry Goldblatt

I've owned one article of custom-made clothing: In second grade, my dad crafted an Eeyore costume from gray-flannel pajamas for a production of Winnie-the-Pooh. The outfit was snug, durable, and functional. (I found many excuses to wear it afterward.) Twenty-plus years later, I look for the same things in a shirt.

WHAT I PICTURED: A minimalist boutique with wannabe models measuring the necks and arms of Wall Street suits.

WHAT I GOT: Anything but. Turnbull & Asser (212-752-5700) is a 115-year-old Prince Charles-endorsed English institution. Its Manhattan store is cluttered with silky robes and crisp shirts that would fill James Bond's closet. That's no coincidence; the store has dressed all the Bonds.

THE PROCESS, PART 1: Robert, a dapper chap in a mint-green Turnbull shirt, lays out the procedure: There's a six-shirt minimum for first-timers; shirts cost $195-$295; before I order the others, Turnbull will make me a sample shirt. Robert guides me through books of 600 fabrics: The colors pop--yellow plaids, baby-blue checks, and an assortment of perennially popular pinks and lavenders. I choose a dark-blue poplin cotton, a spread collar from a selection of five, and a three-button cuff, Turnbull's signature style.

THE PROCESS, PART 2: Robert spends 20 minutes taking 16 measurements. He identifies my foibles (my neck is 15 5/8 inches, not 15 1/2 inches as I thought) and my deformities (my right shoulder droops a half-inch, yet my arms reach my thighs at the same level). He even makes my left cuff roomier than my right, so my watch will fit comfortably.

THE WAIT: The shirt sample takes four weeks (the rest, six to eight).

THE RESULTS: I'm incredibly impressed. The fabric is supple, the chest is roomy, and the collars and cuffs are stiff--just the way I like them. Much better made than the Eeyore costume. Sorry, Dad.

32. Go to New Zealand

It's a dream destination: breathtakingly beautiful, populated with friendly English-speaking natives, far enough away to be exotic but relatively easy once you get down under. Pacific Experience (800-233-4255), a custom-tour company specializing in the South Pacific and Asia, has put together a 12-day package that includes all the highlights (trout fishing, sea kayaking, scenic helicopter rides, and more), with stays at four of the country's top hotels (Huka Lodge, Blanket Bay Lodge, Paratiho Lodge, and Wharekauhau). It's not cheap--$5,300 for lodging, meals, transfers and domestic air travel, taxes, and service. But as Pacific Experience's Tracey Carpenter points out, "For most people it's a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and they want to spend the money and do it right."

33. Take off three weeks in a row

34. Break 150 mph

by Daniel Roth

"When they close the lid on the box, the game's over," Al Shrader yells to me. We're standing at the Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania, and cars are screaming by. Shrader, a retired contractor, is explaining why he's here, sporting a red jumpsuit and white helmet, waiting his turn to speed eight times around a 2.5-mile track: He wants to live a little before he dies.

I just want to drive fast.

Both goals have brought us to StockCar Racing Experience, a school that, for between $450 and $2,400, teaches you--according to its Website's testostertalk--to "climb in, strap up, and take control of a 600 HP stock car."

After some brief lessons, we're pointed to our cars. I slide in (there aren't any doors), strap up, and take control of a modified Ford Taurus. Modified, as in consisting of little more than a giant engine, a fiberglass body, three pedals, a tachometer, and a built-in fire extinguisher. I make sure I can reach that last item. Just in case.

I shift into first, following behind another student and the instructor. By the time we're out of the pit, we're up to 100 miles per hour. We're led along the outside wall on the straightaways and terrifyingly close to the infield on the curves. Each lap is faster, until my tachometer is glued at 8,000 rpm. As we coast into the pit 40 miles later, I pry my hands off the steering wheel, scramble out the window, and check a chart posted near the track that does tachometer-to-speedometer translations. My last lap: just over 165 miles per hour. Exhilarating. But keep that lid up.

35. Throw a big party for no reason at all

36. Hire a personal trainer

"Training is not just about a perkier butt," says David Kirsch (right, kickboxing with model Heidi Klum), former bodybuilder and lawyer, and owner of Madison Square Club (212-683-1836) in New York City. "It should give you a healthier outlook on life."

Say you want it all--the butt and the outlook. How do you find the right trainer? "Referrals are best," he says. "Look to a friend who's gotten results." If your friends are in no position to refer, scan the American Council on Exercise's list at acefitness.org. Kirsch suggests these questions: (1) How long have you been a trainer? (2) What was your schooling? ("You want someone with background in anatomy, nutrition, and kinesiology [how anatomy relates to movement].") (3) What are your certifications? (Look for approvals from ACE, American College of Sports Medicine, or Aerobics and Fitness Association of America.)

Most men choose to be trained by men--and women by women--but, says Kirsch, "Women can sometimes push guys a little further. Maybe the guys want to impress them." Now, about that butt: "With enough lunges and squats, your butt will stay firm till you're 80."

37. Redo your bathroom

"You want to avoid creating what looks like a hotel bathroom," says designer Thomas O'Brien of Aero Studios (212-966-1500). The man behind a bathroom collection for Waterworks (800-899-6757; waterworks.com) is giving us a few hints.

--To dodge the chain-hotel look, beware square-foot tiles or overusing a single high-end material. "I like to mix. I'm setting white marble in a polished-nickel grid in a huge deco bathroom. It looks like a building lobby from the 1930s."

--Go spacious when you can, with a freestanding tub, a steam shower, twin sinks, and a toilet tucked in its own room. In small rooms, nix the tub in favor of a big open shower. "I use a curtain instead of a door. Push it back, and you've got one big space."

--A must: as large a medicine chest as possible. "All the things you keep in a bathroom are small. Who wants to bend and be reaching under a vanity?"

--Remember, good lighting is the secret of eternal youth. "I like lights on all sides of the mirror, behind frosted glass. It makes you glow."

38. Dine at a Michelin three-star They're the best restaurants in Europe, arguably in the world. What you need to know: book a month out, or better yet, have your hotel do it. Never arrive before 8 P.M. There's no rush--the table's yours for the evening. If you're worried about the wine ask the sommelier to choose, but be sure to specify your price range. The restaurants in the country aren't so snooty, and don't forget--two-star establishments are often just as good (without the Japanese tourists taking photos of their food).

39. Drive cross-country

40. Spend some time alone

Sure, you could stay at home, but to really get away you need to be far from a phone, from other people, from your life. In the 1930s, there was a big buildup of fire lookouts by the Civilian Conservation Corps. As fires began to be detected by airplanes, the lookouts were torn down or opened to the public. Now you can rent one for $30 to $40 a night. "Most have an open room, a few cots," says Rex Holloway of the Forest Service. "Some have outhouses at the base, some require you to bring water. It's a spartan sort of adventure, but the views are incredible."