Beyond snorkeling and SCUBA diving, most of us have limited ability to explore underwater.  Even given these skills, we are still limited by depth and the amount of time that we can stay under water at one time.  A select few have access to submersible vehicles and can extend this a bit more, but serious […]

If you have the urge to explore, but are unable to get outside, there are a variety of ways to explore spectacular places through your computer.  We often use Google Earth to research places we want to explore.  It provides an aerial view of anywhere on the earth. Google Maps also offers a Street View […]

When exploring, our primal senses kick in to alert us to anything that moves.  It could be food or danger, but either way we need to know about it so we can choose fight or flight.  Beyond that it’s pretty easy to focus on some pursuit whether it be tracking an animal through the woods […]

One of the major factors that cause explorers to miss out on winter adventures is the fear of driving in snowy and icy conditions.  Most of us need to drive somewhere to get to a new adventure, so it is critical to know how to drive in winter conditions. Advice from the American Automobile Association […]

One front in the effort to get kids outdoors enjoying natural play is kindergarten.  The idea is that if pre-kindergarten and kindergarten-aged kids spend everyday exploring outdoors they will develop the ability to truly play and learn important life lessons and skills along the way. Switzerland Several years ago a public school effort in Switzerland was proven successful. […]

Roxanne Quimby is a successful businesswoman, most noted for co-founding Bert’s Bees personal care products company, a philanthropist and conservation advocate.  When she sold Bert’s Bees, she purchased 120,000 acres of forested land in Maine.  Now she would like to donate 70,000 acres of that land to the citizens of the United States as a […]

When visiting National Parks we expect to enjoy the quiet beauty they offer.  At some National Park facilities, however,  electricity is is not available from the grid and noisy, polluting, fossil-fuel powered generators are used.  This just doesn’t fit well with the ethos of the National Park System. Off Grid at Lamar The Lamar Buffalo Ranch […]

Regardless of the type of camping you do, you’ll probably need fire of some sort, at least for food preparation.  Fire and dry vegetation do not mix well and the results of neglecting campfire safety can be disastrous.  With that in mind here are some helpful hints offered by the Tennessee State Fire Marshal with […]

The United States is a big place and because of its size it is a difficult country to navigate by bicycle.  While the distances remain large, a major effort resulted in a national corridor plan this May. Working together,  the Adventure Cycling Association, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the Federal Highway Administration, League […]

According to the U.S. Forest Service: “A campground host is a volunteer who agrees to spend part or all of the year in a National Forest campground. A host helps other campers by answering questions, providing information about the local area, and acts as the “eyes and ears” for identifying problems when Forest Service employees […]