ALL TRAILS LEAD TO ICE CREAM

  Thomas Jefferson described Meriwether Lewis (Jefferson's personal secretary and man chosen to lead the Corps of Discovery) as having undaunted courage and "firmness and perseverance of purpose which nothing but impossibilities could divert from it's direction..."  I tell kids that Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were  ordinary people who did extraordinary things.  Their story is one of perseverance, determination, and courage.  For that reason, Lewis, Clark, and the Corps of Discovery has always been a favorite of my history students.  On a personal level, I enjoy the story of Lewis and Clark because it focuses on exploring, learning about, and enjoying the natural world around us.  There is a lot that we, over two hundred years later, can still learn from the Corps of Discovery.  Thanks, once again, to the good people at YOUR TRUE NATURE , those lessons can be learned through seven pieces of simple advice.  So here is my own personal t...

I first heard of REI's  #OptOutside initiative back in November.  GUNG HO BIKES , the bike shop at which I work, followed  REI 's lead and decided to close its doors on Black Friday to host a series of rides.  What a great idea...encouraging more and more people to take a break from the stress of everyday life, disconnect from screen time, and enjoy time outdoors...reconnecting with nature and spending time with family and friends!   The three inches of snow that fell overnight might keep me off my road bike...but it won't stop me from opting to be outside! -- January 13, 2019 The new year is a time for new resolutions.  Typically, I don't make them...but this year, at the suggestion of my wonderful wife, Robin, the two of us have one.  We are going to try to commit to doing 52 hikes in 2019.  That's at least one a week for the next year...and, as of right now, we are three for three:  three weeks in and three hikes in ...