I recently wrote about my favorite places to hike in Kansas City and I would be remiss to not provide insight to ensure you have a perfect day in nature.
If you're new to hiking, or need a refresher, here are a few tips to get you started:
Riding your bike through the Flint Hills under a full moon is more than just another bike ride, it’s almost a spiritual experience. Gazing out at the horizon, the brilliant moon emits just enough light so you can see the rolling hills meet the sky. The hushed peacefulness connects you with the people that have been there before, the vibrant life surrounding you and the journey that has brought you to this point
Welcome back! In Part 1 of this post, I explained five of the life lessons I've learned from riding my bike:
Few things give you the simple freedom and joy you get from riding a bike. Having ridden thousands of miles, I can attest that cruising down the road is good for your body and mind. Riding a bicycle allows you to see the world in a new light – both the scenery around you and your own thoughts.
My husband and I love camping. It’s not uncommon for one of us to text the other on a Friday afternoon with the message, “Camp tonight?” and within minutes we’ll decide to make it happen. We’ve become super efficient at packing up my truck and grabbing some Local Pig, beer and firewood on the way out of town.
Cinder Block Brewery is aptly named after the founder's home brewing passion: what was once a small operation out of a cinderblock basement is now a top-of-the-line craft-beer establishment in North Kansas City. And it’s not just the quality beer that makes this place worth the trip. The open space allows for a full view of their beer-brewing operations, while big windows and a rustic bar give it a cozy feel that make you want to stay and hang out for awhile.
Long rides are sort of an initiation into the biking community. While bikers are generally friendly people, you get to a new level of cool when you can boast of your painful hours in the saddle, riding 50, 75 or 100 miles (or more for the real crazies). Working your way up to these long rides is challenging and intimidating, but can also be very rewarding. If you want to hear my story, you can read about my first century in my post, "My Love Affair With Bikes: The Beginning"
It wasn’t very long ago that the thought of a road trip made me kinda nauseous. Why would anyone want to sit in a car for hours on end… all I could think about was the boredom (dun dun dunnnnn).
I’ve written a lot about camping (check out my "Get Your Butt Outside" tips here and here), because I think camping is the best. But it's winter… in the Midwest… it's too cold for camping, right? Wrong! Camping in the winter can be just as fun, and even more rewarding, than camping in warmer months (when everyone else is doing it!).
I am a huge proponent of riding bikes: those leg- and lung-powered two-wheeled bad mama jama machines. Biking is really fun, liberating and happens to be great exercise. Plus, you get to wear fancy shorts that make everyone look good (hello, spandex!).