We found 41 results tagged with "adventures"
7 Articles
7 Articles found
Planning a Volunteer Vacation
As healthy alternatives to traditional tourism, volunteer vacations can be life-changing adventures that allow you to make a difference in communities around the world — and have fun at the same tim
Get Summer Savvy: Natural Sunscreens That Work
Learn more about natural sunscreens.
Organic Farm Adventure
At a local farm, we learned all about sustainable farming, and we made some new friends too.
Rock Climbing for Fitness and Family Fun
More than just something fun to go do, rock climbing is terrific exercise.
Try Something Completely Different
Feel like you're in a rut? Here are a few ideas for getting out of it.
Adventures in Local Eating
The best part about local eating is the adventure it creates around food and its enjoyment.
Activities for Fun Summer Weekends
Summer weekends are a perfect time to take your workout outdoors.
34 Challenges
34 Challenges found
Challenge
Enjoy a mid-week weekend
Want to beat the crowds this summer and have some fun at the same time? If you can swing it, plan a
mid–week vacation or long–weekend. Not only will you save on lodging and activities, but you’ll also
spare yourself the crowds and the hassle of weekend travel. Try checking...
Challenge
Take a “stay”-cation instead of a vacation
It’s green. It’s recession–proof. It’s all the rage. Such are the charms of the so–called
staycation, a way of taking time off without wasting gas, money, or time. Staying home — or close to home — can
be unexpectedly pleasurable, especially if your daily...
Challenge
Go climb a . . .
When was the last time you really climbed something? Something high? From urban hills and suburban nature trails to active volcanoes and remote mountains, there’s an adventure level for everyone. Today, challenge yourself to plan a hike that involves scaling heights, be they close to home or...
Challenge
Learn CPR
What better way to celebrate American Heart Month than by learning CPR? It really doesn’t take much a time and the rewards are substantial. What you learn in a short afternoon class could enable you to revive a victim of sudden cardiac arrest.
Today, find a CPR class in your area and sign...
Challenge
Try ballroom dancing
Looking for an activity that feels more like play than like a workout? How about ballroom dancing? It’s not an activity reserved for older generations anymore. Lately, everyone’s trying it. Best of all, it gets your heart rate up, which improves your stamina.
Today, do a little...
Challenge
Embrace the new ecotourism
Ecotourism used to mean flying to a developing country with a rainforest and taking a look around. You can help raise the standard by patronizing businesses that walk the talk when it comes to hiring locally, relying on local talent for brain power, supporting local projects, and enabling local...
Challenge
Survey your souvenirs
Were those stacking dolls really made in Minsk? What about the Navajo blanket you scored on a trip to the Southwest? One way to support regional artisans is to make sure “local” wares really are. Ask questions, source materials – in other words, satisfy yourself that the item you’re interested in...
Challenge
Hunt and gather
Think of outdoor scavenger hunts as a way for kids to get up close and personal with nature in all her forms. Whether they’re handling sticks, stones, or squiggly friends, touching is a form of learning children love. You can even pair up younger and older kids to encourage cooperation and...
Challenge
Do something you’d rather avoid
Not a green thumb? Plant a tree. Hate getting wet? Sing in the rain. Is there something you just can’t stand the idea of doing? Today, make an effort to face up to your fears, misgivings, or repulsions by giving something you dislike a second chance. Although you may not always end up embracing it...
Challenge
Coast on snow
Snow, speed, and simple pleasure — for many, sledding is childhood. This winter, challenge yourself to journey someplace snowy for at least one day of good old-fashioned sledding.
_Always consult a physician before starting any exercise routine._
Challenge
Go caroling
‘Tis the season to put on those boots and parka and hit the street with your friends, sheet music, and a mug of cocoa! Caroling is one of the simplest and most rewarding of holiday pleasures. Challenge yourself to find a local singing group or organize your own caroling team.
_Always consult a...
Challenge
Synchronize your pedaling
Riding a bike made for two is an easygoing adventure. Test-ride one at your local bike shop or rent one for the day to see if it’s right for you. This weekend - or the next time you get the urge to take a bike ride - challenge yourself to hit the pavement in tandem instead.
_Always consult a...
Challenge
Shop at an ethnic supermarket
Mastering ethnic or foreign cuisines doesn’t have to be intimidating – if you start in the right place. Exploring an ethnic supermarket is a great way to familiarize yourself with ingredients you have only heard about. And talking to fellow shoppers or the store owner also really helps. Challenge...
Challenge
Glad tidings
Live near a beach? This weekend, why not check the local tide report and head to some tide pools. There, you can scramble over rocks, discover hidden treasures, be inspired, and feel rejuvenated. Challenge yourself to get outside and observe new life forms – and get a workout to boot.
_Always...
Challenge
Tour an organic farm
Visiting an organic farm can be an exhilarating experience for children and adults alike. Many tours focus on sustainability, education, and farming best practices. And some even end the day with a meal cooked with the farm’s freshest produce. This weekend, challenge yourself to find an organic...
Challenge
Walk away your holiday
Some cities are made for walking. Why not make your next travel destination one you can explore on foot? From Venice and New York to Provence and the Greek islands, there are hundreds of places that are richer when seen from a slower pace. The next time you plan a trip, challenge yourself aim to get...
Challenge
Get acquainted with the stars
Most of us recall an astronomical moment from our youth: camping, the indigo sky and the awesome sweep of stars overhead. Get inspired again! This week, challenge yourself to do a little research to identify some good local sky-viewing points. Then, make a date to venture out and gaze at the stars...
Challenge
Join the circus
Many of us dream of flying. Make it reality with a turn on the trapeze. Circus arts programs are springing up around the country, but if they’re not available in your town check vacation destinations for trapeze facilities. Challenge yourself to make that dream come true. (Craving moral support...
Challenge
Team up for a scavenger hunt
Get ready for fun, teamwork, and healthy competition. The scavenger hunt idea can be applied to practically any occasion or theme. Create a Photo Hunt where teams must take pictures of hard-to-find objects. Or an ABC Hunt for objects starting with each letter of the alphabet. Challenge yourself to...
Challenge
Get to know wildflowers
Can you identify the wildflowers you see on hikes or local wanderings? Learning the names of flowers – and interesting facts about the way they grow and pollinate – is a rewarding pastime that takes your mind off how far you’re walking. Challenge yourself to grab a book about local blooms and hit...
Challenge
Scoot around town
An easy-to-master cousin to the skateboard, foot-powered scooters are a great way to run an errand, visit a friend or enjoy a workout that doesn’t feel like one. Challenge yourself to engage in transportation by alternative means: self-propelled.
_(When logging progress for this challenge, only...
Challenge
Brave the rapids
You can raft the same river over and over and it will never be the same trip twice. Guided tours are advised, as experienced guides offer both safety training and interesting insight to the local ecosystem. Challenge yourself to book a trip with friends…or make some new ones during your trip...
Challenge
Walk the city streets
One of the best ways to discover a city – even your own – is to ramble the streets on foot. The people, culture and landscape feel more vivid when you see them in real-time rather than whizzing by. And many cities offer walking tours for a range of interests and fitness levels. Challenge yourself...
Challenge
Find some fine-feathered friends
Hike to your destination, then enjoy your reward: the secret sights and sounds of nature. Prepare for your birdwatching expedition by researching native species and promising spots to explore, and invite a friend for an extra set of eyes and ears. Challenge yourself to a nature walk with a focus on...
Challenge
Make like a duck and paddle
Paddling a boat can be an easy outing or a strenuous day’s adventure - it’s your pick. Choose a local pond, lake or river and a canoe, kayak or rowboat. You’ll build abdominal and upper-body strength while enjoying the breeze you create. Challenge yourself to take to the water.
_(When logging...
Challenge
Go in circles
Flashing lights, flashback music, and laps around the rink – time to lace up those roller skates. The roller rink provides an active outing for all ages and fitness levels. Just skip the unhealthy rinkside food and pack your own picnic of snacks and water. Challenge yourself to organize a very...
Challenge
Catch a wave of your own
Less a sport than a lifestyle, surfing has a meditative mind-body aspect that earns lifetime devotees. If you’ve always wanted to try surfing but haven’t had the opportunity or courage, sign-up for a lesson or tag along with surfer friends. Challenge yourself to feel the legendary thrill of a great...
Challenge
Hop onto the trampoline
An easy and exhilarating way to see what your body can do when it isn’t limited by gravity. Take a trampoline class to master basic moves. By day’s end most students are tucked into a harness and encouraged to try forward and back flips. Challenge yourself – or a group – to overcome inertia and go...
Challenge
Trot to a stable
Almost anyone can ride a horse. To get started, just book a trail ride at your local stable. Your guides will teach you how to stop, start and steer. If you want to get more in-depth, take a series of lessons or try a dude-ranch vacation. Challenge yourself to commune with nature, get a workout, and...
Challenge
Get rolling
Once reserved for teenage boys, skateboarding is now for anyone daring enough to try it. It can be intimidating at first, so take it slow with a test run on a flat sidewalk before you hit the street. And be sure to wear a helmet and elbow/knee pads. As you gain confidence, challenge yourself to run...
Challenge
Roam off the beaten path
When there’s a group of friends, a campfire and slumber under the stars as payoff, the trail doesn’t seem quite so long. Backcountry hiking let’s you disconnect from the everyday and get closer to nature while you push your physical limits. Challenge yourself to an overnight outdoor adventure with...
Challenge
Scale a new height
Rock climbing has a counterpart that’s nearer to home and just as much fun: wall-climbing. Just head to the local climbing gym for the guidance of qualified instructors and support from other climbers. Of course, there’s also the low-tech version…Is there a tree nearby that’s always called to you...
Challenge
Try salsa dancing
Dancing is such a fun, liberating activity. And what’s really great about salsa dancing is that its popularity means there are lots of opportunities for free classes in many of the medium- and larger-sized cities throughout the U.S.
If you’ve ever been curious about salsa dancing or are...
Challenge
Discover a local farmers market
Locally grown foods are not only beneficial for the environment, they're often a lot fresher and cheaper too. Then, there's the added bonus of supporting local businesses.
Make an effort this week to find out where and when your community's next local farmers' market takes place. Plan a trip...