By Heather Mundt - Heading to a park in Anchorage, Alaska on a wintery afternoon in March, we'd expected to find a ghost town of forgotten, weather-battered play structures, neglected running paths and desolate parking lots. Instead we found Margaret Eagan Sullivan Park teeming with parents and their bundled-up toddlers vying for spots on the oversized swing; a steady … [Read more...]
Families Find Supreme Snow Fun at Colorado’s Keystone Resort
By Heather Mundt Editor Note: The original version of this article appeared in the December 2015 online version of Colorado Parent magazine. Located just 90-minutes from Denver, it’s no secret that Keystone Resort is a top choice for local families. Add in its Kids Ski Free program—for kids ages 12 and under who stay at least two nights—plus a claim to the state’s longest ski … [Read more...]
2016 Outdoor Gear Gift Guide
Still looking for that special gift for an outdoor-minded loved one? Check out the 2016 Outdoor Families Gift Guide, filled with fabulous finds from leading outdoor retailers both big and small. From casual to luxurious, OFM's Gear Team scoured the industry in search of unique, functional, and budget-friendly gifts to place under the tree this year. Happy holidays, and we wish … [Read more...]
Cultivating the 318 – North Louisiana’s Mahaffey Farms
By Heather Mundt - Waiting in the verdant pastures of Mahaffey Farms, we heard the eager rumblings of hungry cattle, grunting and mooing in anticipation of a new patch of grass. “We use a call that all southern cattlemen use,” says farmer Evan McCommon, who manages his family’s Mahaffey Farms in Princeton, La., near North Louisiana’s Shreveport-Bossier (BOWS-yer) City … [Read more...]
Outdoor Retailer Summer and #everyfamilyoutdoors
by Heather Mundt and Erin Kirkland Every year since 1996, the Outdoor Retailer (OR) Summer Market trade show in Salt Lake City has been the hub for like-minded gear heads and outdoor enthusiasts to gather in the Salt Palace Convention Center and learn about the latest, most innovative outdoor products for the following year's summer season. But this year's Market (August … [Read more...]
Two Great Ways to Explore Your National Parks: Just Ahead app and a parks guide
by Outdoor Families Magazine editorial team The App Gregory Morse had no idea that a summer 2013 trip to the USS Midway aircraft carrier in San Diego would be a life-changing experience. The Long Beach, Calif., father of three had opted for an audio tour of the ship for his family, including his two oldest kids, then ages eight and six, despite skepticism it would hold … [Read more...]
Kids and Key West – Good, Clean Fun for All Ages
by Heather Mundt The southernmost city in the continental U.S., Key West, may be best known as Jimmy Buffett's inspiration for his song Margaritaville. But beyond the tequila and revelry of legendary Duval Street, there?s also plenty of G-rated fun for the family. Key West is such a rich environment that it offers visitors a chance to tailor their vacation, says Carol … [Read more...]
Biking Wyoming’s Wild West – Grand Teton
by Heather Mundt The morning's bike ride had been an easy one along rail-to-trail abandoned railroad tracks repurposed as multi-use recreation trails through green meadows where cows grazed lazily as our group of riders pedaled past. As we continued along the Warm River Trail near the Idaho-Wyoming border, we finally caught a glimpse of the mountain range where our adventure … [Read more...]
Dolomites Family Adventure: Exploring Italy’s Alpine Playgrounds
By Nancy Besharah - I wiped the pastry flakes off my fingers and finished my espresso before heading outside to round up the kids. Even though we had hiked deep into the Dolomites alpine for almost two hours, the boys, then ages 5 and 7, weren't slowing down. After devouring buttery apple strudel, they raced outside to explore the Dolomites alpine playground, complete with a … [Read more...]
5 Hiking Tips To Inspire Teens and Tweens to Hike
by Traci Lehman - Like most outdoor activities, hiking offers limitless fun that can be tailored to all ages. From easy nature walks to tiring mountain climbs and challenging multi-day treks, hiking promotes fitness, entertainment and hands-on education to anyone who partakes, especially kids. Why Is Hiking Important For Kids? For tweens and teens, the outdoors is less … [Read more...]
Avid4 Adventure – Boosting Kids’ Confidence at Summer Camp
by Heather Mundt - For many kids, summer means trading school drudgery for summer-camp fun. And if they're lucky, they'll experience an Avid4 Adventure camp, where fun translates to visiting recreation areas and learning to climb, bike, paddle or hike, for starters. Little do these kids know, however, they'll be learning just as much outdoors as they would in a classroom, … [Read more...]
A Chance for Family Bonding at the Bear Grylls Survival Academies – Q&A with the “Man vs. Wild” Star
By Bear Grylls with Heather Mundt Note: I?ll admit I was uneasy last summer when my husband, Michael, and I signed up for the Bear Grylls Survival Academy 24-hour course at the only location in Colorado, Snow Mountain Ranch - YMCA of the Rockies, in Granby. Based on survival techniques from the former British Special Forces soldier and arguably television?s most … [Read more...]
What I’ve Learned from Designing Family Safaris for 20 Years-John Spence, Aardvark Safaris
By John Spence with Heather Mundt Editor's note: Both Erin and I met Aardvark Safaris President John Spence last fall when we attended the Family Travel Association's Summit at Mountain Sky Guest Ranch in Emigrant, Mont. (just 30 minutes from Yellowstone National Park). I was on crutches at the time, and he called me peg leg, which I found hilarious and endearing coming from … [Read more...]
Beneficial Backcountry Edibles – Heather’s Choice
by Heather Mundt As a collegiate rower at Western Washington University, Heather Kelly struggled to find a healthy diet that fulfilled her demanding athletic needs. And after lots of research, she had an epiphany. ?I came across the paleo diet for athletes, and it all made sense,? says Kelly, evolutionary sports nutritionist, certified psychology of eating coach and owner … [Read more...]
Family Travel: Giving Kids the Gift of Experience
by Eric Stoen - Memories last forever. It's a cliche usually printed over inspirational Instagram photographs, but it's also true. As a family with three kids under age 10, we've taken it to heart. And we've done so with family travel. Unlike many friends who choose to travel the world non-stop with their kids, which I greatly respect, we've opted to keep a home base. The … [Read more...]
An Advent of Stewardship: Adding a Twist of Gratitude in the Cup of Holiday Cheer
by Elizabeth Small There are times when my children?s capacity for empathy amazes me. Like the time my eldest daughter sat out unprompted from a much anticipated ?bounce house? simply to keep a friend with an injury from feeling left out.?Other times, I wonder what kind of future sociopath I am raising when asking the same daughter to bring me a cookie, responding by handing … [Read more...]
Q & A with Charles R. Scott, author of “Daunted Courage”
by Charles R. Scott with Erin Kirkland By 2013, National Geographic-featured adventurer and speaker Charles R. Scott and his two kids had already spent the three previous summers cycling more than 7,000 miles together in Japan, Iceland and Western Europe. So it was no big stretch that summer to embark on a fourth adventure in their own country: riding 1,700 miles of the … [Read more...]
