kayaking in Huntington Beach State Park

If you’re a fan of kayaking like I am, you probably enjoy the sensation of  of gliding across the water and feeling the gentle waves below you. Well I discovered a different sensation while kayaking  through Huntington Beach Sate Park, near Myrtle Beach.  I felt it shortly after I started paddling and felt something stuck  on my paddle. It was smelly, greenish brown  and it’s called pluff mud. Read More »

A farmer volunteer guide at the living history farm.

Farming is the foundation of American history but sadly, farms are quickly disappearing from the daily landscape of  the typical American experience. Generations of kids are growing up without a clear understanding of where their food comes from and how it’s produced. The L.W. Paul Living History Farm provides an active example of how small, one-horse family farms operated generations ago. Read More »

Biking along Lake Michigan

So you thought the biking craze was regulated to balmy climates and hippie-focused cities? Think again. Despite bone chilling temperatures for most of the year, Chicago hosts a sizable biking community that cycles year round, wind chill and snow be damned.  That means today’s “Critical Mass Bikers Parade” through downtown is just business as usual for  fleece-covered bike fans. Read More »

Wonderland Express

Chicago beckons with holiday events galore, from ice skating in Millennium Park to Navy Pier’s Winter Wonderland. But no tradition excites kids (and the young at heart) more than the miniature trains that chug through the Chicago Botanic Garden during the annual Wonderland Express event. Read More »