Outdoor Adventure Blog

Many people have asked the question "How long do Fivefingers last?" While I think this is a good question, in principle, it's much more difficult to explain than one might think.

Holes in My Fivefingers »

WESTSIDE

I lived on this side of town for approximately three years, and these parks were like a lifeline to me—as I knew needed green grass all the more when I moved to town and knew little about it. Particularly, one of the honorable mentions, which is a tiny little park, made a big difference for me because it was so close to my home. The other two, however, remain in my park reportoire even as I live on the other side of town.

Mapping Orlando City Parks (Part 4—West & South) »

COMMUNITIES NORTH OF DOWNTOWN

This is my favorite area of town, by far. It's close to many things in the city, yet it resists the temptation to be over-bearing. The communities are Florida old (i.e. I have a delightful 86-year old neighbor who remembers when there was only one house within a mile and half to the east of hers, only 70 years ago...yet, the houses all seem well-lived, in a charming sort of way) and have a lot to offer, particularly in the way of green space.

Mapping Orlando City Parks (Part 3—North of Downtown) »

Here's the next installment of my favorite parks in Orlando: 

Mapping Orlando City Parks (Part 2—Maitland/Winter Park) »

Last month, at Creative Mornings, a Rollins College urban planner named Bruce Stevensen laid out some of his plans for making Orlando more awesome (which apparently means, 'a lot more like Portland').

Mapping Orlando City Parks (Part 1—Downtown) »

I have been in Virginia for 7 months now and have experienced the ins and outs of the trails here, both on bike and my own two feet. On a side note, there are hills everywhere! I used to live in Florida and we don't exactly have (m)any hills, but I must say, they're actually a fun challenge compared to what I was always used to. But regardless of locale, I want to talk about a couple essential items for day-to-day trail experiences (I could go on and on about how I like different options for trails shoes but you can check out my last post about that!)

Trail Running and Biking Essential Accessories »

I've realized recently that wherever I've lived, I haven't taken enough advantage of the wonderful places in those areas. In Michigan, I never made it to Traverse City, for example (which is apparently like a delightfully mild Caribbean town in the summer months). In Virginia, I never visited the famous Appomatox courthouse (which was just down the road from my alma mater). And in Missouri, I never once went to see Yakov Smirnoff's comedy show (which, may or may not end up having been a #win on my part).

Loving Virginia Again »

Normally, I see animals on hikes in the middle of the wilderness, but this time (maybe the first), I was pleasantly surprised by a different kind of animal. Walking through downtown Dallas, I found myself in the last place I thought I'd see in the middle of a city, a Texas Longhorn cattle drive. Yet, there I was in disbelief, eyeball to eyeball, staring at a line of cattle emerging from a ridge top, descending down a small cliff, crossing a stream and walking past me. And, to top it off, three cowboys on horseback accompanied the steers to make sure they didn’t stray.

Not All Hikes Have Live Animals »

I had to do it, to go back to the scene of the crime. So once I got back to my parents country Michigan home, I walked past the gunfire, through the poison ivy, and thorny arcs of raspberry bushes silently waiting to make contact with skin. I tramped downhill, through fields, then through the swarms of mosquitos to put it up—my new hammock. The location: over the same creek where my last hammock broke and dumped me into the muddy water.

Crimes Against Hammock »

The first time I visited Travel Country, I was visiting Orlando on a vacation. I walked in the door and my heart said "yes." I had no idea there could be a successful outdoor retail store so far from the mountains (and so centrally located to the humid flatlands). When I moved to Orlando four months later, I soon found out.

Outdoor Experience »