From tall peaks to deep forests, the Northern Forest has a rich diversity of places to visit, all within a day’s drive for those who live on the East Coast.
The Northern Forest is a major outdoor recreation destination with activities for everyone, from summer hiking to autumn leaf peeping to some of the best skiing in the East.
President Obama has just declared September National Wilderness Month, and this weekend is the end of the traditional summer camping season in Washington. The presidential declaration is a nod to the 45th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, as Washington is home to several of the nation's first wilderness areas, including Mt. Adams and Glacier Peak. Those sites, as well as areas on the wilderness docket, are top destinations for many seeking outdoor experiences this Labor Day weekend.
With fewer people participating in outdoor activities, retailers and park officials are doing everything they can to coax them into the great outdoors. Hard-core campers may sniff at the level of hand-holding — air mattresses equipped with built-in speakers for MP3 players — but some environmentalists and outdoors advocates applaud the efforts. That's because they worry that a population more familiar with Google than the Grand Canyon ultimately could hurt conservation efforts.
The Bargain Babe blog (chock full of tips for savvy spenders) chats with our own Kevin Mack about how to get outdoors and pay little or nothing for camping. For instance...
There aren’t many repeated phrases that can really make a guy smile, but this one – said several times by eager youngsters ready to get their boots on the trail – had me grinning from ear to ear.
My favorite weekends of my childhood began with my dad stuffing duffle bags, lanterns, mess kits, sleeping bags, a tent and cooler into the trunk of our car. Everything else was strapped to the roof with bungee cords. My family—including our beloved dog, Gibson—would set out on our camping trips. Sometimes we took 94-East to the Indiana Dunes National Park.
Six interns, three men and three women, all in their early twenties, all temporary residents in our nation's capitol, all from all over America — decided to leave the city for a weekend last month in search of an adventure.
