I was thrilled to see the Outdoor Afro facebook fan base cross the 3K mark this morning, as part of its steady and organic growth over these last two years. To commemorate the milestone, I asked our lucky 3000th fan to share more about herself, and what she cares about in the outdoors. She will also receive a REI Gift Certificate, courtesy of the REI store in Berkeley, California.

Name: Cleopatra Warren
Region: Atlanta, Georgia
Profession: Secondary Educator/Social Studies
M.A. Education, New York University New York,NY
B.A. Political Science, Morris Brown College Atlanta,GA
What she loves about …

 
The Duo Dishes, Chrystal and Amir are two passionate eaters, experimental cooks and friends based in Los Angeles, California. Their prowess in the kitchen is inspired by an endless zeal for eating, and the ability and desire to cook fearlessly. With roots that span from the North and South tips of the East coast, they love to mix and match everything that speaks to family traditions, regional fare and new ethnic flavors when they create meals for ourselves and others.
 

 
On Sunday, May 29th, they ventured down to the beach for the second year in …

Dominoes the Bajan Way (image courtesy of Lisa Overman)
As I read the proposed itinerary for the US Journalists Experiential trip to Barbados sponsored by the Barbados Tourism Authority, I got quite excited to see that we would “Learn to play Dominoes the Bajan Way” hosted by the Barbados National Domino, Whist and Hearts Club. The first thought that went through my mind was “Do they play bones the same in the Barbados as we do here in the States? Oh, boy, I can’t wait to find out.” I was also …

(image courtesy of www.visitbarbados.org)
I’m excited about visiting Barbados. I’ve never been before, but I have experienced other Caribbean countries, and  know first hand how amazing the Caribbean is. For the novice outdoor recreationist and the seasoned outdoor lover, the Caribbean is equally compelling. Something about the weather, the scenery, the sounds and people that make me feel at home. The weather is simultaneously hot, sunny, humid, and rainy. The scenery is green, gold, orange,red, violet and blue – encompassing the beauty of the horizon, the water, the trees, the sand, and …

A New Form of Social Space
Last weekend my family joined dozens of others for some fun in a Wild Zone, a place where adults, children and adolescents can co-create a new form of public space that is dedicated to creativity and play in nature. Wild Zones differ from parks and play areas because they offer opportunities to interact with the environment rather than leaving it untouched.
Here is what we walked into:

David Hawkins and Karen Payne, are the co-founders of this roving system of play, and are passionate advocates of …

Brother Yusuf’s Green Tech Charter High School students are working with private grants as part of an urban renewal project in the city of Albany. An innovative approach to urban renewal. Check them out!

A great list contributed by Harriet Gordon, who runs a site to help people research Human Services careers. Clearly, Harriet likes to hike too!
Whether you are looking to have an adventurous weekend or cross something off of your bucket list, nature is, and probably should be, involved. One of the best ways to get back to it is to go on a hike. With literally thousands of trails taking anywhere from hours to months to complete, it can all be somewhat to very confusing. With little …

The First African-American Woman on Record to Reach North and South Poles!

Outdoor Afro fans learned about Barbara Hillary back in 2009, she not only survived lung cancer, but also took on a trek hardly imaginable to most to the North Pole on skis at age 75!
Here is our Talk Tuesday Blog Talk Radio interview with Hillary from July, 2009 where she humorously shared how it is possible and necessary to live up to ones potential:

Listen to internet radio with outdoorafro on Blog Talk Radio
Not willing to remain still, this month the venerable Hillary …

When visiting the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park years ago with my sister Delane in the summer, we both noticed the promotional materials for the winter Bracebridge Dinner and absentmindedly added it to our bucket list as an experience to have at least once in our lifetime. So imagine my pleasant surprise, when I learned my Bracebridge moment would come this year!

Outdoor Afro friends Frank and Audrey Peterman were invited, courtesy of the Deleware North Company, to take part in this historic Christmas Pageant penned by John Muir, as Visiting …

Zoe of the San Francisco Bay Area (CA) wrote in to Outdoor Afro today to share a glimpse of her outdoor adventures this winter. She told us she began cross country skiing just two years ago, and fell in love with the sport!

She writes, “I am an attorney in the [San Francisco] Bay. I moved to the Bay from New York City two years ago because the parks and outdoor spaces are more accessible than in NYC and it was easier to have a work life balance and eat great healthy …