5 Ways to Enjoy the Outdoors

At the beginning of March, the Washington, D.C. area was attacked by snow. I don’t know about you, but I’m over the cold weather. I’m ready to put on shorts and short-sleeve shirts and enjoy everything the spring (and summer) months being in the great outdoors.

We got our glimmer of hope last weekend when the temperatures got up to 50 degrees (insert happy dance) and the snow began to melt! The weather is now continuing to warm up, and my husband and I are making plans to tune up our outdoor gear.

The great outdoors has a special place in our heart. Wherever the military takes us, we make an effort to explore the area. We never know when we’ll have the opportunity to be there again. Another important reason is that we pretty much started our relationship outdoors. Hitting the trails gave us a lot time to talk about anything and everything. As a result, our relationship grew. I highly recommend that you and your family get outside and do what you can in your community.

Here are five ways to enjoy the outdoors:

1. Hiking

Fort Drum had some great on-post trails, and when that got old, we explored local and regional parks that had trails, too. It was amazing to be able to see the seasons change while walking down familiar trails. When my husband spent time at Fort Huachuca, we explored what Arizona had to offer and now, we are hiking the trails on and around Fort Belvoir. If you are stationed in the continental United States, you can get a U.S. National Parks Pass, which is absolutely free to military families (it’s typically $80 annually). With the annual pass, we’ve hiked through Grand Canyon National Park and now Shenandoah and Prince William National Parks in Virginia.

2. Camping

I was born and raised a city girl, but I’ve grown to appreciate staying overnight in a tent and soaking in nature (at short bursts, of course). It’s a great way for us to work together to pitch a tent, cook meals by campfire, and leave technology behind.

3. Biking

I haven’t owned a bike since I was a child. When I started high school, I lost interest, and when I started college, it wasn’t practical at my location. My husband and I decided that biking might be a different way to explore the area around us. Also, it’s great exercise, and you can travel longer distances. Here in the Northern Virginia area, we love traveling on the Mount Vernon Trail. It lines the Potomac River and has amazing views. Remember to bike safely with a helmet and proper gear.

4. Swimming

I may have been a city girl, but my family used to take lots of beach vacations, so I’m practically a beach bum. I can spend hours sitting by the water and swimming. My husband shares my same love for the beach, and even when we’re not at a coastal location, we’ll find a nice lake—anything with an outdoor swimming hole will be enough.

5. Miscellaneous.

This is a new category for us. My husband and I took skiing lessons last month. We loved it so much, we plan on skiing again next winter. Also, we zip-lined last year on a cruise and have plans to zip line at Shenandoah this spring. Groupon, Living Social, and Amazon Local Deals are great websites to see what activities are in your area.

What are you looking forward to do outside this spring? Share with us!