John Clairmont

The feeder area is located in Peace Valley Park, tucked right behind the Peace Valley Nature Center. Here is where you'll find many unique smaller species. The shelter is covered and has several benches to relax on as you watch and photograph many varieties of birds. I've seen many blue jays and cardinals here, which are my personal favorites because of their bold colors. Don't forget to also t...

Begin the run at Connor Bayou, where this adventure's directions lead to. You will follow the Idema Explorers trail into the woods, where you will wind around for about 0.4 miles. As soon as you exit the woods, continue to follow the paved trail that leads to the left along the road. After another half mile, you will reach a parking lot just before the bridge. Pass the lot and take a left up th...

Holland State Park has a variety of activities available, the most prominent of course being swimming and relaxing on the beach. You can lay out towels and sunbathe, throw a frisbee or football in the large sand area away from the water, or play sand volleyball on one of the many courts. There is also a basketball court and a few good trees to set up hammocks. When the conditions are right I've...

You'll walk on the concrete pier just barely out of reach of the waves (for the most part), allowing for some pretty cool wave and shoreline photos. An occasional wave may wash over low areas of the pier, so always be alert! Also, be careful of the slippery algae, especially close to the edges. There are ladders if you accidentally fall in the water, but the waves can be pretty rough here so it...

The best part about this adventure? It is FREE!  Free parking, free WiFi, and yes, you can see all sorts of planes from the SR-71 Blackbird to past Air Force Ones, all without paying a dime. Some planes you are even able to walk through to get a good look of the interiors! This is one of the best museums I have been to, and there are extremely informative signs all along the way. Most of the st...

Start your journey in Stokes State Forest at the Culver Gap Parking Lot, located at 41.180239, -74.787954. From the parking lot, jump on over to the Appalachian Trail and hike Northbound. You know you're headed the right way if you are going away from the small town and cross over Sunrise Mountain Rd after about 800 ft on the trail. The hike to the Tower is about 1.6 miles from the parking lot ...

Beginning in Rocky Mountain National Park near the Deer Ridge Junction (where US 34 & US 36 meet), park your car in one of the 20 spots on either side of the road. Start at the trailhead booth and head north, keeping to the right-side trail at the first intersection about a tenth of a mile from the start (following South Deer Mountain Trail). You'll follow the very obvious trail, skirting a...

The Dayton area is home to many major technological advances, including the cash register, the Bombe code-breaking machine, plutonium triggers for early atomic bombs, car self-starters, self-cooled refrigerators, and so much more. Probably most well known is the Wright airplane, which was developed and built in Dayton but first flown in North Carolina. This is why Ohio is known as the "Birthpla...

This pavilion is one of the key features along the New Jersey section of the Appalachian Trail. There is a parking lot a very short hike part way down the mountain, but I recommend backpacking in from a different area to take in more of the beauty of the trail, mountains, and views in this area. Depending on the time of year, you may encounter resting thru-hikers who are willing to share their ...

This beautiful lake and small town are tucked away in the Dolomite Mountains. It is the largest lake in Cadore, and also was the last outdoor location ever used for an Olympic speed skating event. There is ample parking alongside the lake along with a dock where you can set up your tripod. On a clear day you'll be able to see the famous Tre Cime di Lavaredo, though this area is just as pretty o...

Brown County State Park is made for mountain biking. There are literally more mountain biking designated trails than there are hiking trails, though you can hike on the mountain biking trails if you're aware of your surroundings and willing to jump out of the way for bikers.  At the time of publishing this adventure, there are 4 beginner trails, 4 intermediate trails, 3 advanced trails, and 3 ...

Start your adventure by parking along the road or by the church. Head north up what initially looks like a driveway, though you'll want to stay to the right and follow the path. From there keep following the path straight, and when in doubt follow the red/white blazes or the signs for the cross (croce). The path is fairly wide, and you may have to share it with bikers at times since this is jus...

The Dolomites in this area are absolutely stunning, and you can pair these massive mountains well in pictures with small towns like Auronzo, Reane, and Misurina. It may be a bit cold, but going in October or later will allow you to see the mountains with some snow sprinkled among the peaks. If you enjoy more strenuous adventures, there are tons of great hikes in this area including the famous ...

This loop was a phenomenal trip for a beginner/intermediate canoe group. There are longer or shorter trips that can start in the same area, so get creative and draft a schedule that works best for your group! The Lakes: Beautiful and clear, quite deep. The paddling is mostly easy, although you may battle some winds across the bigger lakes. We happened to be out on the first lake during a heavy ...

Tours are offered in English or Italian, and a wine tasting is included. You can chose between 3 or 5 wines, and for an additional fee they offer local salami and cheese to accompany your tasting. Overall the price is very affordable considering you get to experience the whole process and have a few glasses of wine at the end, including a glass of their most expensive (100 euro) bottle.  Their...

Take the whole family out on an afternoon adventure to Bill Yeck Park!  This park has over 6 miles of hiking trails, spanning all levels of difficulty and terrain, including pavement, crushed gravel, mowed grass, and dirt paths. They range from 0.5 miles (red trail) to 3.0 miles (yellow trail), with the longest one following and crossing over Sugar Creek several times. If you enjoy hiking or ba...

Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, these massive water fountains operate several times each day according to a rigid schedule: 10-minute intervals at the top of the hour, Mon.-Fri., 6:55 AM-9:55 PM and weekends 10:55 AM-9:55 PM. The five fountains shoot 2,500 gallons of water per minute 200 feet high and 400 feet wide, with the central geyser also shooting water 200 feet high.  Each fountain s...

The start and end of this adventure is at the dead end of Holly Drive. There is a small boat launch parking lot that sometimes has a porta-john, although I would not count on it. You can kayak upstream (to the right) to enjoy a peaceful paddle around and through the reeds, and I have seek many muskrats up that way. This adventure focuses on paddling the ever increasing difficulty that downstrea...

You will need to take a ferry to the island to access this hike, but the fare is cheap and is worth it for a day trip. This hike starts at the very popular (and thus usually crowded) Arch Rock and takes you halfway across the island to British Landing. Even with the initial crowds, you should be able to capture some great pictures at Arch Rock without people getting in the way. Once you begin t...

Unicoi State Park is a pleasant, refreshing park just outside of Helen, GA. There is a hiking trail, kayaking/canoeing launch, paddle boat rentals, camping area, and even a 3 segment zipline course (all three were fantastic)! Fishing is allowed, and when we went last there were a few kayakers fishing along a bank of the lake. There are bathroom facilities and a park office on-site. There are se...

Hills & Dales MetroPark is surprisingly large, spanning 63 acres and nestled between two golf courses. When hiking here, it is quite easy to forget that it is surrounded by a city and is just a couple miles south of Dayton. The Adirondack Trail is the most prominent trail in the park, winding around to run through or adjacent to most of the main features of the park. These include the seren...

The main attraction at the park is of course the large pond, with paved walking trails leading around it. Jutting out into the middle is a covered fishing pavilion, and you're likely to see several people casting rods there and along the southern banks. This metro park also has high quality sand volleyball courts with officiating platforms, four softball diamonds, and several soccer fields. If ...

Officially opened in 1975, Buck Creek State Park is home to a 2,120 acre lake with 1,896 acres of land consisting of forests, meadows, a beach, and two dams. On a warm summer day, this beach is the place to be! Plenty of free parking and plenty of space to spread out. It is the only beach in Springfield, and only one of a few in Ohio. Sure, the sand more closely resembles small pebbles, and in ...

Before you get your hopes up too much, I do need to disclose that the castle grounds are barbed-wire fenced and off limits. Hence why this adventure is focused on photographing the castle, not exploring it. The castle was originally built to control the valley floor paths running in the area, with the more popular castle in Soave also supporting this endeavor. You can get some great pictures f...