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Articles in the Ideas Category

Adventurers, Business, Ideas, Lodging, Parks »

[8 Apr 2010 | 4 Comments | ]

An African-American owned, eco-friendly inn and boutique hotel?
After some recent Outdoor Afro Facebook fan chatter about Strawberry Creek, I decided to dig a little deeper and reach out to Rodney Williams, one of the property owners. Rodney was happy to shed light on how the B&B was created in the scenic San Jacinto mountains of Southern California. This thought provoking interview is not only about the inn, but also an opening discussion regarding what is possible to achieve in life in spite of odds or perceptions. Here is part one …

Biking, Environment, Field Report, History, Ideas »

[30 Mar 2010 | 2 Comments | ]

Outdoor Afro Bike Ride a Wild Success!
While I am still recovering from the planning and fun of the bike ride on Sunday, I could not let another day go by without sharing and thanking everyone involved with the event to make it a success in every possible way!

The Scoop:
A total of twenty-three bikers of a wide range of ages and abilities wheeled though the underrepresented parts of Richmond, California. East Bay Regional Parks Naturalist Bethany Facendini was an amazing resource, providing loaner bikes for those who did not have one, …

Children, Family, Field Report, Ideas, Snow »

[22 Mar 2010 | 3 Comments | ]

Just got a trip report from Outdoor Afro Christyna Serrano, who decided to head to the Tahoe region in California last week for some end-of-season fun in the snow with her family:

So why did you guys decide on a trip to Tahoe?
Well… Joseph, owed me one, so I cashed in my IOU! We went up Thursday night,  and it took about 3 hours from the San Francisco Bay. We spent the night at a cheap hotel and in the morning, we went to Kmart, picked up a $15 plastic sled, …

Adventurers, Blog Carnival, Children, Environment, Family, Field Report, Gardening, History, Ideas, Outdoors, Women »

[2 Mar 2010 | 10 Comments | ]

Welcome to the Inaugural Edition of the Outdoor Afro Blog Carnival!
Wooo hooo….confetti falls…
So what is a Blog Carnival anyway? Well, I learned it is a terrific way to spread your blog wings into new topics, while connecting with more people. And that’s all I needed to know before signing up!  But I also recognized the term ‘carnival’ has a cultural meaning for some that is different than the experience of a spin on the ol’ ferris wheel. So I decided to honor the festive connotation of another kind of Carnival …

Ideas, social media »

[21 Feb 2010 | 2 Comments | ]

People are going nuts over a quiz I put together almost a year ago. I actually forgot about it until recently, and remembered it while taking someone else’s goofy quiz.
Wanna know your style of Outdoor Afro? Need some new ideas for outdoor fun?
Answer five easy questions to find out!

What Type of Outdoor Afro are You? » quiz school

Ideas, Snow »

[1 Feb 2010 | 4 Comments | ]

By Dudley Edmonsdon
Now let me start out by saying that what I do outdoors in the winter may seem extreme to many. I am not one to shy away from extreme cold or deep snow, I just do what I do and use it as a measuring stick for my next outdoor adventure. Having said that, I thought it would be helpful if I explain to folks the best way to be comfortable in cold, even sub-zero weather outdoors during the winter months.

First thing, no Cotton. I commonly refer to …

Adventurers, Breaking the Color Barrier in the Great Outdoors, Children, Education, History, Ideas, National Parks, Women »

[9 Dec 2009 | 6 Comments | ]

I have to disclose up front that I am pretty biased about these three book recommendations because I am privileged to know each of the authors as partners through the development of Outdoor Afro and our shared passion for people of color and the outdoors. But aside from my excitement and gratitude for these folks, they have each produced some pretty extraordinary work well worth buying for your loved ones this holiday season.
<A HREF=”http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Foutdafro-20%2F8001%2F106cc75f-7426-481a-8472-44b7b0872fa3&Operation=NoScript” mce_HREF=”http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Foutdafro-20%2F8001%2F106cc75f-7426-481a-8472-44b7b0872fa3&Operation=NoScript”>Amazon.com Widgets</A>
~*~*~
As many of you know, Frank and Audrey Peterman have been at the …

Children, Education, Environment, History, Ideas, Outdoors, Water, Women »

[10 Nov 2009 | 8 Comments | ]

Clothesline Photo: Renee Gunter
I was going to write about sustainable landscaping – and I still will, but something else came up:
The Laundry.
Washing clothes is actually my least favorite chore right along with mopping the floor, taking out dripping trash, and investigating that “noise” in the middle of the night. Thus, I view the laundry task through a ‘necessary evil’ lens. But I like when it’s done. The problem is, it’s never done! I think I handle laundry fairly well for a household of four, but every time I get the …

Children, Ideas »

[30 Oct 2009 | 4 Comments | ]

Some folks my age think Halloween is radically different now than when we were kids, but it really isn’t. Kids still love and anticipate dressing up, getting a ton of free candy, and a sanctioned roam of the streets after nightfall. For me and my friends, it’s one of those childhood activities that keep evolving over time, with more elaborate parties to attend and more decadent costumes to fuss over as adults.
As a child, I actually don’t recall my parents ever dressing up, maybe it was a generational thing, or …

Camping, Family, Ideas »

[27 Oct 2009 | 10 Comments | ]

Couples Camping © Steve Prezant/Corbis
You can’t change your friends and family, but you can change the way you camp with them. Some moderate planning can make a big difference in your camping experience together. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your camping trips with loved ones:
Shared Space
In some areas, the outdoors still has boundaries, and it’s important to honor both the environment and neighboring campers. If you are planning to visit a drive-up or RV campground, make sure you have reserved a site that …