Some may think that a hobby has to be something you collect since coin collecting and model trains are the prototypical hobbies that many of us grew up with from childhood.
No, hobbies include activities that get us out of the house, out of the suburbs, and out of the normal limitations that we put on ourselves.
Under our Adventure section here we have a number of hobby suggestions which will challenge you to get up and away from the computer and experience the world wide world!
Our Boating section will introduce you to the many different forms of recreation on the water. Canoeing and row boating in your local town parks, if available, is an affordable way to get started. At many lakes and reservoirs, you will find boats, jet skis, and canoes that can be rented by the hour, half-day, and whole day.
If you get hooked on boating, owning a boat or chartering deep-sea voyages are something you can look forward to in your future. For me, my fantasy vacation plans include a
Once you’re out on the lakes and rivers, fishing is a natural fit. The excitement when your hook is taken will get your heart beating. If you don’t land that huge fish, you’ll have a great story about the one that got away!
If you prefer to leave the fish underwater, you may want to consider scuba diving and snorkeling. Visiting the colorful and exotic underwater habitats where you are the outsider is as close to visiting another world as we may ever achieve. The beauty of the tropical coral reefs and clear blue waters of places like Hawaii, Aruba, and the Caribbean will soon be in your fantasy vacation plans.
For those of you who prefer to keep their feet on dry land, there is camping and hiking. Our jobs and families may require us to live in congested cities and suburbs but most of us can reach wide open spaces within a few hour’s drive during the weekends.
Yes, seeing a sunset through the smoggy haze does produce some great colors but once in a while, try watching the sunset over some mountains on a clear day with no buildings in sight.
If nothing else, try day camping. Set up camp early in the morning, maybe do some local hiking and searching for Indian relics or if your back East, Colonial relics. Then have a cookout or picnic for lunch and dinner. Then, at the end of the day, pack it all in spending the night at the nearest roadside motel.
For those who love camping but can’t afford the toll that sleeping bags take, then you may want to consider the RV route. Yes, recreational vehicles are monsters to navigate and they cost a small fortune. But, smaller units are available and RV rentals are available.
When winter rolls around, there’s no reason to become a shut-in. Skiing is a great activity for exercise, seeing the country, and getting you to appreciate nature during the wonderful winter months. Downhill skiing has always been the most popular form, but snowboarding has been the in thing for the last 10 years now with the younger crowd.
It can get crowded on the ski slopes though. So, with snowmobiling, snowshoeing, or cross country skiing, you can chart your own course and escape the crowds into God’s country in no time.
If getting big air on the ski slopes isn’t enough then consider taking to the air directly with a private pilot’s license and flying. Trust me, you’ll never forget your first solo takeoff and landing. For me, it was the Half Moon Bay, California airfield, on the Pacific Coast, about 20 miles south of San Francisco. Taking off, I went straight out over the ocean. For the landing, I had to come back around, in over a small harbor. That’s one Saturday morning I’ll never, ever forget.
No matter where you live, the great outdoors is somewhere within reach. You just have to make an effort and take the time to design activities and layout a course that you enjoy. Allow yourself to experiment and explore the many different aspects and you will be rewarded.
Hope to see you out there!
