Josh & Michele

Having once been part of the mainland, Deer Island is no more than a 5-minute paddle from Biloxi Beach. The island has been lengthened hundreds of feet in the past decade to protect against hurricane damage. Breakwaters/berms have also been created to reduce the effects of erosion on the island. The best place to park is at the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor next to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino...

For this trip, I went through Okatoma Outdoor Post, a local Seminary business that rents out canoes/kayaks, hauls private canoes/kayaks, and shuttles customers to their landing. They offer three float trips between Seminary and Sanford (I chose the Upper Short to Fairchild trip). Float Trips The Lower Run begins at Fairchild Landing and ends at Sanford. This trip is approximately 6 creek miles ...

There are multiple different boat ramps to launch at along Black Creek. I chose to paddle roughly 11 miles from Moody's Landing to Cypress Creek Landing, but you could do all 21 miles of the creek if you desired. It is about a 5-7 hour paddle to Cypress Creek Landing from Moody's Landing. That's including time for a few short breaks on a couple of sandbars along Black Creek. Though the water is...

Jamestown Crag is just a few minutes south of Batesville and is one of the largest, most exposed areas of Atoka sandstone in Northeast Arkansas. There are 70+ well bolted sport routes ranging in difficulty from 5.5 to 5.13. The crag offers many top rope and lead routes, the tallest of which being 90ft. Three brothers, Nathan, Aaron and Kyle Christopher, own the property under the name "Nomads."...

The Davis Bayou Area is an estuary teeming with wildlife. Its salt marshes serve as nurseries for crabs, fish, and other marine life; its coastal woodlands are home to pines, magnolias, and saw palmettos. The William M. Colmer Visitor Center is where visitors can view the park oriented film and exhibits, purchase items at the bookstore, and on most weekends enjoy a ranger-led program. Here visi...

Tired of walking on a boring treadmill? Then come walk or bike along Front Beach in Ocean Springs. It is a very popular walking path because of its beauty and amenities. Fort Marpaus Park is located about halfway down the path and has a shaded pavilion, benches, and restrooms. There are two piers and several volleyball nets right off of the path as well, so if you aren't in a hurry, go explore ...

SCUBA dive the Air Force Barge, AKA Englin Barge, located at Latitude 30.35415°, Longitude -86.49302°. For this trip, I went through ScubaTech, a local Destin dive shop that rents dive gear, fills tanks, and takes groups out on various reef and wreck dives in the Destin area. They offer 3 hour and 4 hour trips.  ScubaTech took us out on the “Sea Cobra,” "...the fastest, most comfortable dive b...

At times, this can be a very strenuous hike due to its steeply sloping loess bluff hills and frequent creek crossings. The trails are all marked with blazes and the occasional trail map. Clark Creek has over 50 waterfalls, many of which range from 10 to 30 feet. One of which along the trail has a good sized swimming hole to play in. There are even a couple of good boulders to climb if you look ...

The Choctaw Lake Recreation Area is great, as it provides opportunities for so many different recreational activities. Its two lakes can host various water activities (i.e. swimming, paddling, fishing, etc.). Cabin Lake is the smaller of the two lakes and is also the calmest. Then there is the 100-acre Choctaw Lake, which feeds into the Noxubee River and offers boating, swimming, and fishing. A...

The Tuxachanie trail crosses a variety of wetland locations including sloughs, creeks, ponds, pitcher-plant bogs, and lowland swamps. There are bridges and wooden planks to aid in crossing most of these wetland environments. I only came across one crossing that seemed rather sketchy, and that one was an old fallen log with a rope to act as a handrail. Intermixed with these wet habitats are acre...

SCUBA & Free Diving: Established in 1972 by Doc and Ruth Dockery, Vortex Spring is home to the Red & White "Diver Down" Flag and is one of the largest diving facilities in the state of Florida, with 28 million gallons of crystal "gin" clear water daily at a year round temperature of 68 degrees.  The spring basin is 50 feet deep at the mouth of the cavern. Surface lit during the day and ...

So first off, to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, you have to hire a licensed guide as it is illegal to climb Africa's highest peak without one. The trip can take anywhere from 5-9 days depending on what trekking agency you are with, so do your research and choose from one of the many who offer guided trips to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Because of the fact that each trekking agency is different and e...

SCUBA dive the "Miss Louise" tug boat wreck, located at N 30:22.287, W 86:25.317. For this trip, I went through ScubaTech, a local Destin dive shop that rents dive gear, fills tanks, and takes groups out on various reef and wreck dives in the Destin area. They offer 4 hour (2 dive) trips on their boat, the “Sea Cobra.” The "Miss Louise", an 85' steel tugboat, sits in around 60' of water on the ...

The Longleaf Trace is an old railroad line that has been paved over to convert it into a running, biking, hiking, equestrian trail. Doing the entire Longleaf Trace at once is an extremely strenuous task - Took me 7.5 hours! Luckily, there are plenty of waypoints along the Trace. This allows you to complete the trail in sections or to start the trail at a station/depot of your choosing. The trai...

Orange Beach is roughly 7 miles long and features many public beach access areas; I parked at the Gulf State Park Cotton Bayou Beach Access area. This small beach area is found at the intersection of Highway 182 and Highway 161, nestled between some of the most popular condominiums in the area. There are restrooms, outdoor showers, and ample free parking on site. The beach is easily accessible ...

Enter Arusha National Park through Ngurdoto Gate on the South side of the park or through Momela Gate on the North side. You will have to pay some park fees, but the prices depend on many factors, such as whether or not you are a Tanzanian citizen, if you are going on a safari, if you are camping, or if you are climbing Mt. Meru. Do your research ahead of time to anticipate the costs. There are...

Cypress Spring is only accessible by water due to it being surrounded by private property, so bring your canoe, kayak, SUP, or boat to one of the many landings along Holmes Creek. The shortest and easiest way to get to the spring is to launch your vessel at Cotton Landing. From there, it is a short quarter-mile float downstream to the spring turnoff. The turnoff will be on your right and is mar...

This walking path is very popular among locals, and for good reason. The perfect excuse to get outside and soak up the South Mississippi sun, this path offers a great place to train for a 5K, go for a relaxing walk, or ride your bike. There are three benches on the bridge if you need to take a break or just want to enjoy the view. You'll also come across several bronze artwork plaques created b...