Are you planning an 80th birthday party for someone who is full of life? Then don't throw them a typical, quiet, age-appropriate celebration. Instead, make this special occasion lively, fun and memorable. Here are five unique ideas to consider.

1. Take a real trip down memory lane. This party idea goes on the road for reminiscing. Gather your guests into a hired limo, rented bus or caravan of cars and take a tour of significant places in the guest of honor's life. Start with the house he lived in as a child and travel to places he went to school, worked, lived, attended church, shopped and socialized with friends.

Make a flyer with a map that highlights each of the stops. Include old photos of those places, if you can find them. Give out copies to everyone attending. Encourage the celebrant to share memories about these locations. Arrange for the tour to finish at a restaurant that means something special to the guest of honor for a dinner with all his friends and loved ones.

2. Dance to his music. Most people have a soft spot for the music they grew up with. If the guest of honor is still humming tunes from his youth, then have a retro birthday party. Whether he prefers big bands, ballads or rocking 50's, play the songs from that era. Decorate to match the time frame. If he's an energetic eighty year old, you might be able to persuade him to demonstrate some dance steps. Even for those who don't dance, it's still a lively atmosphere.

3. Make it about what he likes. A gathering with balloons and cake is nice. But you can go beyond generic and make this 80th birthday party personalized with his interests. If he's always loved to fish, then plan a picnic by the lake, where he can fish with some of the guests. If she is known for her culinary creations, hire a chef to do a cooking demonstration and ask everyone to bring her a cookbook gift. Does he or she love to travel to tropical locations? Then have a luau. Is he a sports fan? Then decorate with his favorite team and play sports trivia.

You can base the party around his or her favorite television show, hobby, place, beloved pets or whatever captures the guest of honor's attention and affection. When you create a celebration around a theme, you have built-in entertainment and it shows that you care about what interests him.

4. Bring back the old gang. Track down missing persons from the celebrant's life. Are there old friends, neighbors and coworkers that the guest of honor has lost touch with over the years? Well, it's easier than ever to find people who have drifted away.

If you can't locate someone from the phone book or by asking those who might know the person, try the internet. Check their name on Google and try websites like Classmates and Facebook for their presence. You can also try searching for known relatives. If you find someone related, they may be able to steer you in the right direction. This 80th birthday party could be a nice reunion that would reestablish some long lost friendships.

5. Have an adventure. What did George H. W. Bush do to celebrate his 80th birthday? He jumped out of an airplane! He went skydiving to commemorate his 75th and 85th years, too. Although your guest of honor may not have that on his wish list of things to do, there might be something else he'd love to try. Ask him.

An adventure doesn't have to be big and scary; just something the celebrant wants to experience. It could be as simple as a trip to a new restaurant, a dinner cruise, tickets to a play or an excursion to the beach or zoo. But he or she may surprise you. Find out if they have any unfulfilled dreams, and see what you can do to make it happen.

So, go beyond ordinary and traditional. Give your favorite octogenarian a unique celebration, designed to reflect his personality. Make it an 80th birthday party to remember!