Ashland, Oregon Rafting

Whitewater rafting in Ashland, Oregon

Ashland is located on the border of Oregon and California along the I-5 corridor and is most famous for its world-class Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which runs through November. While the festival is certainly a destination in its own right, Ashland also borders on the Klamath National Forest, with its countless outdoor opportunities. Crater Lake is also nearby – just a couple hours to the north. One of the most popular activities is enjoying a half-day rafting trip. This year in particular, with more visitors expected and temperatures heating up, the Rogue River will be the place to escape and get off the beaten path. Continue reading

Grizzly Bears Playing

Kachina and Kiona are two grizzly bear sisters that the San Francisco zoo adopted from Montana.

We have been in Silicon Valley for nearly six years, and yet we have never been to the San Francisco Zoo. We made the trek into the city, this past weekend, and the kids had a great time seeing all the animals. The star attraction, though, were Kachina and Kiona, two grizzly bear sisters that the zoo adopted from Montana. Continue reading

Florida Program Gets Inner City Youth Outdoors

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The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has a program called Get REAL! (Recreational Environmental Adventures in Learning) that marries inner city youth programs and the Florida State Park system together, providing opportunities for kids to experience camping and the great outdoors – very cool!

“She kept saying you should come – it’s going to be fun,” Johnson said. “I was, like, no because of the mosquitoes and sleeping in the tent. But now that I’m here, I really like it.”

This is not only great because of the outdoor experience that it is providing to the kids, but it’s also a great use of state parks resources. More states should look at what Florida is doing, here.