With your world essentially shrunk to your neighborhood, there’s never been a better time to get out and explore your immediate surroundings. Our coverage in the spring of 2020 has focused on this topic, on how to help you sate your love of adventure — within 10 miles or so from home.
Below are quick descriptions of our coverage, with links to learn more.
“Explore Your Neighborhood: A Guide to Discovering the World Immediately Around You.” We’ve written a 53-page guide, available in both paperback and as an ebook, that outlines what you need to know to enjoy exploring your own neighborhood, including:
- What provisions you’ll need (you probably already have them)
- How to scout your neighborhood (starting with Google Maps)
- What to look for (in the woods, in the ditches, in your neighbor’s yard
- The best times to look (and best maintain your Social Distance)
- Health benefits of walking and being outside
- Outdoor videos to check out between neighborhood forays
Consider your stay-at-home time as something akin to how you viewed Saturday as a kid: all week your time, your comings and goings, your very thoughts, were controlled by The Man (or, more likely, The Woman). But come Saturday, the world was yours to be discovered. Think of this as your Saturday, and “Explore Your Neighborhood” your guide to making the most of it. April 9, 2020
Learn more about the paperback and buy it here, the ebook here.
Hiking in the Rain (But Not Under a Tornado Warning). One of the keys to having the trail to yourself: hike when no one else is. Like in the rain. Try it, you might like it. Read it here. April 13, 2020
GetOut! Explore Your Neighborhood this Weekend. More tips on how to find adventure in your own backyard. Read it here. April 10, 2020
GetOut! (But Pick the Right Time to Go). Timing is everything in these days of social distancing. Tips on when to hike to avoid fellow hikers. Read it here. April 3, 2020
Social Distancing on the Water. We’re mostly about hiking. But when the trails get crowded, it’s time to look for alternatives, and we discovered a good one in paddling. Read it here. March 30, 2020
GetOut! And Explore Your Neighborhood. My neighborhood? you ask. What could possibly be there? I asked the same question when I moved to Hillsborough. The answer was surprising. Read it here. March 27, 2020
Explore the Wilds of Your Own Backyard. More tips on how to discover what’s in your own backyard. Read it here. March 25, 2020
Local video adventures
To help you get a feel for what might be in your neighborhood, we’ve been shooting short videos of our adventures in our neighborhood.
Explore Your Neighborhood: Kings Highway Park. Just 18 acres and barely a mile of trail. But a world of escape in dense woods along the Eno River. 1.5 miles from home. Check it out here. April 27, 2020
Explore Your Neighborhood: Confluence Natural Area. This 200-acre preserve with 3 miles of trail sits at the confluence of east and west forks of the Eno River. 6.8 miles from home. Check it out here. April 22, 2020
Explore Your Neighborhood: Seven Mile Creek Natural Area. Located on a gravel road that’s off a gravel road that’s off a little-used country road, solitude is all but assured here. 1.5 miles from home. Check it out here. April 20, 2020
GetOut! And Find Your Backyard Adventure. A quick primer on finding adventure in your neighborhood. Includes video of an unlikely summit bid up 620-foot Couch Mountain. Check it out here. April 17, 2020