Ohio can be a perfect place to hike, if you do it at the right time, or if you don’t mind hiking in the snow either. Finding places to hike is easy, the hard part is deciding which places to go. There are many different parks throughout all of Ohio that offer from 2 all the way up to 20 trails to hike on. Of course you are only going to want to choose parks that are close to where you live so that its convenient for you, and you might now the trails pretty well. Many parks offer self guided nature trails with interpretive signs or brochures, and there are a few that offer lengthy backpacking...

A Day in the life of a Letter Perfect Farm Camper By Noelle Fowler Each morning for a week in June, young campers arrived at Letter Perfect Farm excited for a day of horses, fun and learning! LPF Summer Camp 2006 started off with great, sunny weather and a great group of kids. Kelli Mason, owner and trainer of LPF, and I organized this year’s camp. We also had the wonderful help of Junior Campers Amanda Gildea, Olivia Gildea and Stephanie Giguere. Each day, we split the campers into smaller groups of 3 or 4 members and headed to the barn, discussing barn rules and safety tips as we...

Is Tucson hot in the summertime? Well do monkeys like bananas? Yes, Tucson is a very warm place in the summer, this is why there is a large assortment of people who only live here in the winter. Snowbirds from other states and a portion of our U of A students return home during the swelter season. If you happen to be in Tucson when our summer sun is shinning there are still ways to keep cool. The greatest invention since sliced bread in Tucson is of course, air conditioning. Most homes have evaporative coolers that work well most of the summer when it is a “dry heat” but during the...

- Take a Hike: Unlock Treasures of Nature in Flagstaff – Hiking feels right in Flagstaff, Arizona. It’s a strenuous and rewarding activity that fits in with the rough-and-tumble pioneer spirit upon which the city was founded. On Independence Day in 1876, a party of explorers carved a Ponderosa Pine flagpole and erected it near the Colorado Plateau’s southwestern edge to celebrate the nation’s centennial annivesary. The pine tree was cut from the largest contiguous Ponderosa Pine forest in the country, which lies adjacent to Flagstaff. Over time, the name of that location...

The most important rule when packing a backpack is never taking an item that “you may need”. You will hate it if you have to carry something you are not going to use. Every little bit of weight counts. When you pack a backpack, it is not like packing a car with every possible thing you may need. I spent two and a half years walking across the United States to show what you can do on faith in God. I was on the walk for about a year when my brother wanted to join me while I was in the Mississippi Delta. His bus arrived in Greenwood, Mississippi. I went to pick him up at the bus station and...

Do you like to take one day hiking trips? Do you want to take hiking trips on trails near your home? One day hiking trips have a number of advantages. They are great for the recreational hiker. Minimal hiking gear is required and you can take pleasure in the fresh air and beautiful surroundings. Short day hikes are also a beneficial form of exercise. You can control your speed and terrain elevation. One day you can focus on endurance over flat trails while another day can be spent sprinting and climbing up steeper terrain. One day hikes commonly take place on easily accessible trails in your area....

Backpacking is always a great way to enjoy the outdoors and gain some exercise. Taking in the scenery and enjoying what mother nature has laid out right in front of us. Making a backpacking trip even more enjoy come with packing the right essentials to make the best of it. Here is a list of what I consider to be the top 10 items to pack along in your backpack. -water/liquids- You can never get enough to drink and to stay hydrated when out in nature, especially if its in the heat of the summer. -food/snacks- Having something to give you more energy is always a good thing. Light snacks are usually...

Buying the right hiking boots means not spending more than you have to and not buying more boot than you need. Before you head to your favorite outdoor sporting goods store, give some thought to the type of hiking you plan to do in the boots. Buying a boot that fits every foreseeable adventure may sound like good planning, but that waterproof boot will leave you with sweating blistered feet after a long mid-summer hike through dry terrain. Consider when, where, and how far you will be hiking. Will you carry a 25 pound pack for several miles over a weekend or 40 pounds over a six-day off-trail trek...

Day hikes are a wonderful way to spend time in the outdoors and to get lots of good exercise. Some of the things you may want to consider for day hikes differ from that on long camping adventures. A lot of the materials are the same but in smaller quantities. Items that you will want to include on taking will vary from day-to-day trips but a general list is always a good place to start. Here a few essential things that you will definitely want to include in your pack: -cell phone *emergencies and accidents can happen at anytime, it never hurts to be prepared -navigation *maps, compass, and if you can...

I remember my family’s last camping trip, we went to the Guadalupe River in Texas. It was great, even though it rained one night, and we had to get up quickly to put the covering on the tent, our camp was broken into, but luckily we had our big dog Lucky with us and he scared them off, and we all got sun burnt, because we forgot the sunscreen. As I have already mentioned, camping is a lot of fun, it is even more fun if you have your family, and friends around you. For some people camping is still even enjoyable if you do it outdoors. Especially if your family is on a budget, camping is a great...