Outdoor Project

Grizzly Gulch is a popular backcountry ski area near the town and ski resort of Alta. While you usually see people skinning up on skis, there are a handful of snowshoe enthusiasts here enjoying the terrain as well. The steep ascent keeps most hikers on the lower sections, which are perfect for an easily accessible place to get a workout after work on a winter evening. The views of Alta are extra pretty at night as the small town begins to light up Little Cottonwood Canyon.

Located off Regent Lane/Cedar Grove Road near Goreville, Illinois, Bork's Falls is a beautiful waterfall with little visitor traffic. The bottom of the falls is accessible from either side of the ravine with a very short hike. This waterfall generally flows year round, unlike most other waterfalls in Shawnee National Forest. Spend a day or spend an hour and enjoy one of the most beautiful places in the Shawnee National Forest. 

In the summer, Avalanche Lake is a staple hike along Going-To-The-Sun Road in Glacier National Park. It is spectacular in the warmer seasons, but transforms into a rarely seen beauty of a trek in the winter time.

Arestua Hut is a mountain hut owned and maintained by the Colorado Mountain Club in the Roosevelt National Forest. Its heated interiors make for a cozy stopover for backcountry skiiers and snowshoers to rest up before hitting the trail home.

The Bonneville Shoreline Trail, or BST for short, gives Salt Lake riders a ton of options along the Wasatch Front. One of the easiest ways to access a fun ride is by starting out at Hidden Valley Park just off Wasatch Boulevard in the town of Draper. Head south on the paved trail and take a left onto the dirt singletrack that heads up the mountain face.

Much like the ancient city of Pompeii, Herculaneum was destroyed in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. The site was buried under 20 meters of ash and lava. Unlike the pyroclastic flow that burned and buried Pompeii, the thick flow of lava that covered Herculaneum carbonized the wood and other organic matter preserving it, leaving behind beds, doors, food, and many other items. While most of the residents were able to escape, the remains of 300 individuals were discovered in 1997 in the boat houses near the sea wall.

The promise of sunshine and warm ocean water encourages escape to the Caribbean islands for a relaxing vacation. The Dominican Republic, the second largest Caribbean country, offers magnificent beaches and so much more. When you’re ready to get out of your beach chair for some excitement, try Adventure Boogies. The tour guiding service, one of many in the Dominican Republic, offers a unique destination with ocean beaches and a natural cave to swim in.

Near the border of Guatemala in Honduras, the Copán Ruinas Archeological Park showcases nearly 2,000 years of Mayan archeology. With intricate stone carvings, staircases, ancient masonry, and even a ball court, the site is a UNESCO World Heritage site that enshrines one of the Americas' most advanced pre-Columbian civilizations.

Frederick Law Olmstead is considered to be the father of modern American landscape architecture. He likes giving urban dwellers a place to retreat into nature and solitude that feels miles away from the nearby city. New York City's Central Park is one of his best-known masterpieces. Olmstead also focused his talents on Rochester, New York, in the creation of Seneca Park, a 180-acre park that includes the Seneca Park Zoo.

At the heart of the Adirondacks lies the former Olympic town of Lake Placid. This bustling area is surrounded by the highest mountains in New York state and home to people who have a special love and appreciation for winter outdoor activities. Whiteface Mountain, the fifth-highest peak, looms over the region, and its slopes descend to the waters of Lake Placid lake.