Spending time outside with your clan has multiple benefits. Plan your next trip with fresh air and activity in mind.
Here are five ideas to consider:
1. Tee it up at Pinehurst
Golf has surged in popularity post the pandemic. From coast to coast, families have been drawn to the links for outdoor fun in a scenic surrounding. Up your game with a visit to America’s largest golf resort.
Legendary Pinehurst, in North Carolina, welcomes young players with junior tee markers and scorecards on all but one of the resort’s courses. Plan a multigenerational tournament on Thistle Dhu, an 18-hole putting course reminiscent of the Himalayas Course at The Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland. Play is free for resort guests. Book a tee time on The Cradle, a welcoming, Gil Hanse-designed par-3 short course where kids 17 and under play free with an adult.
2. Explore the Great Miami River Watershed, Ohio
In southwest Ohio, families can access 291 miles of paddling, fishing, and wildlife watching fun on three rivers and numerous smaller tributaries, including the Great Miami River, Stillwater River, Mad River, as well as Twin, Greenville and Buck Creeks. You’ll also find whitewater and kayak parks, world-class fishing and more than 100 natural and urban parks in the region.
- www.mcdwater.org/river-fun/river-trails
3. Warm up in the hot springs at Glenwood Springs, Colo.
With the rugged Rocky Mountains as backdrop, royals, presidents and Ute Indians have dipped in these steamy pools to provide respite from the rest of the world since 1888. Two blocks long, the Glenwood Hot Springs Pool complex includes a kiddy pool with fountains, a water slide, plus diving and therapy pools. The mini-golf course crosses over bridges and by waterfalls.
Later, step next door to the Yampah Spa & Vapor Caves for a natural sauna in rock caves. Spend the night in nearby hotel rooms that are geothermal-heated.
- www.hotspringspool.com; www.Colorado.com
4. Go below to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Carlsbad, N.M.
Underneath the magnificent desert landscape of southeastern New Mexico and West Texas are more than 300 known caves. Visitors to the park, two-thirds of which is a designated wilderness area, can inspect more than 100, including some of the largest caves in North America. Self-guided and guided tours are available.
5. Find out about forest bathing
The Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku is not exercise or jogging on a forest path. Rather, the idea is to bathe in the calming powers of the natural world by ingesting the sights, smells and sounds of the forest atmosphere through our own senses. There is no need to travel long distances or acquire any special gear.
For those who would appreciate a guided experience, resorts such as The Lodge at Woodloch in the Poconos and Oregon’s Salishan Resort offer a tailored option for their guests.
- www.woodloch.com; salishan.com
