To Do Outdoors

During these uncertain times, you may be feeling anxious or overwhelmed. Did you know that nature can help you de-stress? That’s why Outdoorosity is creating a special (and timely) de-stress kit! As part of the kit, author Jo Watson Hackl presents this video to help you discover things you can do in the evenings to …

What would you do if you had an invitation to see a sunrise off the Blue Ridge Parkway? Last fall, I received just such an invitation from some friends, so I jumped at the opportunity. Waking up at 4:15 in the morning was harder than I that it would be, but I managed to roll …

One weekend in mid-November, some friends and I decided to hike up to the Chimneys in Linville Gorge near Morganton, North Carolina. It was a bit of a drive from where we started, especially when the pavement slowly turned to gravel, and the potholes became bigger. However, we continued driving up the mountain on the …

The months have rolled on, and the seasons have changed, but sure enough, COVID is still here. And although everyone’s lives are shaped differently, in various places and at different stages, uncertainty is a collective commonality. I’ll say it: new “normals” are hard. Working from home—adjusting to online college—not being able to turn on the …

It’s the first day of fall! Here are 25 ideas to help you enjoy the season!  Create a Nature Discovery Center. Go apple picking. Choose different varieties of apples and try some new recipes.  Go leaf peeping.  Start a Nature Wonder Hour tradition. Find your way out of a corn maze.  Go on a hayride.  Go hiking.  …

Imagine  you’re on a trail run, a bike ride, spending the afternoon swimming at a lake, or maybe even on the top of Max Patch Mountain with no spare clothes or cell service at 9 o’clock at night like me last Friday… And it starts to rain. The fact of the matter is: it happens. …

Explore Nature this summer with the Cricket Challenges!  You can find them all here!

Learn 3 easy ways that you can incorporate nature into your evening routine to relax, unwind and create conditions for a great night’s sleep.          

Learn how to start the day with a 5-minute flower arrangement to help reduce stress, increase productivity and increase happiness throughout the day.   

If quarantine has taught me anything about everything, it is that more free time can give rise to remarkable moments.  As the pause in normalcy set in, and walks became the novel event of the day for many of us, an idea hatched.  While walking on a newly discovered trail through the state park near …

Learn 3 easy ways to start your day in nature to begin refreshed and increase productivity and happiness.       

  Outdoorosity has teamed up with author Jo Watson Hackl to put together a series of backyard and reading adventures to make your summer more fun.  We’ll have book swag giveaways on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and outdoor challenges on Jo’s YouTube channel. (You can subscribe HERE!)  Watch for the latest Adventure Challenge videos and …

The Toccoa and Ocoee Rivers are located in Tennessee and run a stretch of 93 miles long. This river is best known for being the only natural river used in the Olympics, and athletes rafted on it in the 1996 games. Natives refer to parts of the river as the “Upper River”, “Middle River”, and …

A friend and I went on a search for this hike one Saturday afternoon, and we had no idea what we were in store for. We drove around where we thought the base of the mountain was for a few hours. Finally, we  hopped out of the car at a nearby farm nearby to ask …

A great way for your family to enjoy an activity together and stay healthy is to create a routine of working out together. This could be once a week, a few times a week, or something short once a day. Below is an example of a workout that you can do together, but don’t hesitate …

Black Balsam Knob is  one of the most popular hikes in Pisgah National Forest. The “knobs” are rolling hills of brush and bald patches, stretching as far as the eye can see.

You may be thinking, “What 29 year old spends her Saturday afternoon building a solar pizza oven?” Well, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Leigh Ann, I love crafts, I love a theme, and I love to eat. I work for Duke Energy as a Public Relations Associate and I’m tasked with educating …

It’s the first day of winter! You may be tempting to stay bundled up indoors, especially if it’s snowing. But you can make the most of the season by heading outside. Here are some activities to get you started. If it’s not snowing in your area yet, start making plans!        1. Go …

It is tempting to sleep in on Saturdays, but if you can get out early and catch your local farmers market around 9 am, you will beat the crowd and have the chance to see things first and meet some amazing small business owners.

If short winter days have you longing for more time outdoors, how about bringing a bit of the outdoors to your desk? Research shows that indoor plants can improve your outlook and even reduce stress (see, for example, this article on the benefits of plants). Our family has a long-standing practice of keeping fresh flowers …