Tag Archives: outdoor sports

Get Back

by Wendy
Get back home. Get back to work. Get back to nature. Get back to the routine. Get back into a fitness routine. Get back to blogging. Get back to where you once belonged.

It can be hard to get back into the daily rhythm after a busy summer of travel. One way of easing the transition is to find something new to appreciate in your city. Jack and I recently visited the National Arboretum in DC for the first time, loved it, and went back a few weeks later. As you can see from Jack’s beautiful photography, this is a gorgeous place. Continue reading

Meanwhile Back At The Ranch

During our family trip out West, Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort was home base. This 4,000 acre ranch next to Zion National Park is about a 90 minute drive from St. George airport and 3 hour drive from Las Vegas. So yes, it is remote, but that’s part of the beauty. We stayed in a cabin, though there are many different lodging options, including camping, glamping or even Conestoga Wagon! This is a special place. Here are some of our favorite things about the ranch. Continue reading

Utah is Unique

by Joe
There is no place on earth, let alone the USA, that looks and feels like Southern Utah. It’s extremely hot and dry in summer and cold and snowy in the winter. But the warm breezes in the summer and cooler mornings keeps everything in balance for an enjoyable summer experience. The sky during the day ranges from turquoise to navy blue and as black as coal at night which allows the stars to pop like top grade diamonds. The green trees against the dark blue skies and red rocks paints a picture like no other place. The dryness of the warm mid-day breezes and the cool ones in the evening wrap around you and embrace you. It’s almost spiritual in nature and in this vast piece of nature you can see, smell, and feel the wonder of the west as so many have before us. But it is at times, stark. It is dry and the land in many places dies of thirst. It is rocky and at times desolate. It can be brutally hot in the summer and I wondered how did so many people, for thousands of years, come to inhabit and thrive in this land. But humans have lived in this area for over 10,000 years. Even if you look back only a couple of hundred years ago, how did they do it? Continue reading

I Survived the Zipline

by Cindy
On a recent family trip to Utah, we stayed at a really cool ranch resort that offered many fun activities. I knew I would enjoy the pool (even did the water slide), tennis courts, miniature golf and ping pong, but I wasn’t into the horseback riding, rock wall climbing, trampoline bungee or ATVs.

For some unknown reason though, I took an interest in the zipline. My eight year old granddaughter definitely wanted to ride, so I said I would go with her. Continue reading

Winter Sports Appreciation in Park City

by Wendy
Jack and I went skiing in Park City, Utah this past January. Just like two years ago, we missed the powder. I appreciated the warmer temperatures but residents kept apologizing for lack of snow. Jack would shake his head and say to me, “This is just like skiing on the East Coast.”

Yet we had a wonderful trip. The beautiful scenery beckons you to go outside and stay outside! Even for a hesitant skier like me, the sporty, cheerful Canyons Village lures me into believing I’m an athlete. Continue reading

Will Hike for Dessert

by Cindy
My husband and I enjoy hiking. We even plan trips around it. Recently we went to Canada. It was our first time in that country and we planned to explore Banff National Park.

Now there are many trails in the park, but the first we chose to do was a famous one we had read about. It was located at Lake Louise. It was called the “Lake Agnes Tea House Trail”. I liked the sound of a tea house! Continue reading

10 Things I Loved About A Lake House Weekend

by Wendy
1) A change of scenery. As much as I love cities, I appreciated being out in the country, surrounded by family, tranquill trees, Kentucky bluegrass and greenish lake, lightening bugs and quiet.

2) Driving a boat for the first time. Feeling the warm sun and breeze cutting through a humid afternoon as you steer through the water. Stopping in the shade for some of us to swim, all of us to relax and talk and laugh. Continue reading

A Snowy Stop in Stowe, Vermont

by Wendy
Jack and I kicked off January 2017 with full week of travel, including a road trip to a state I’d never visited before: Vermont. We spent 3 days in the beautiful snowy town of Stowe.

Last year I wrote about my determination to participate in more outdoor activities, and it is sometimes surprising how much I am enjoying winter weather. This short destination report may help anyone considering a vacation in Stowe, but especially goes out to my fellow guys and gals who might dread the cold or are apprehensive about skiing. It’s possible to shift your approach and rekindle lost love for snow days. Continue reading

Diary of a Wimpy Hiker

by Wendy
Follow me on twitter @wendylooksleaps

I am not exactly what you would call an outdoor enthusiast, but I’ve improved a lot.

As a kid I played in the yard but generally preferred sitting on the couch reading. Growing up, I favored sports like volleyball in an air conditioned gym, kickball on a freshly mowed neighborhood lawn or tennis on a nice crisp court. In other words, activities where you didn’t get too dirty and could even wear cute skirts. I never really wanted to go camping, fishing, kayaking, rock-climbing or mountain biking. Continue reading