Nature calls

Photograph by Amy Braswell

CAP: Hair and makeup, Mark Bazant; Wardrobe, Chris Jakab; Model, Molly Topper, Planet Earth

SPLURGE A water-loving friend will spend the rest of the winter looking forward to cashing in this certificate, good for three hours on a sailboat cruising Lake Michigan with five buddies and all the booze and grub they can haul onboard. (Save the gift of sailing lessons for when your friend becomes officially hooked after a day at sea—and proven totally free and clear of motion sickness.) $390 for a weekday, $450 for weekends, Chicago Sailboat Charters. CSC is offering a 15 percent discount for TOC readers through Jan 15. Go to chicagosailboatcharters.com/timeout.aspx to sign up.

BUDGET Ever wonder what it’s like to swim in the ocean with dolphins and other sea creatures? We imagine it’s awesome. The experiential gift site excitations.com—which offers adventures ranging from kite-boarding to hang gliding to fishing—will hook your friend up with a scuba-diving lesson that teaches basics such as buoyancy and underwater breathing in a one-day pool workshop in Aurora.

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