Chicago Summer Adventure Guide

We created this Chicago Summer Adventure Guide in order to dispel the notion that worthwhile life experiences must involve international travel, significant investment and considerable allotment of time. Summers often seem short, and sometimes wishing for conditions to fall into perfect alignment so that we feel we can get away from it all keeps many … Read more

what is a microescape

What is a Microescape

The pressures of our daily lives can make us feel we don’t have a moment to ourselves, let alone time for vacation. I’ve discovered that sometimes the best vacation is a microescape: a quick plunge into the great outdoors, which requires little preparation, or — better yet — is completely spontaneous. Such small adventures —lasting … Read more

Any Day Breakfast Outside

When I need a break from routine, but can’t swing any time off, one of my favorite ways to mix things up is to cook breakfast outside. For a couple hours before the start of my regular workday, I can forget about my emails, my to-do list, and maybe even forget I’m still in the … Read more

Low-stress ways to leave Chicago

Some of the best lakeside places for overnight camping, weekend or week-long bike tours require creative ways for getting out of the city. All of our Lake Michigan sharing neighbors —Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan— offer more wild and picturesque places along the shore than does our own state, which is unfortunately dominated by the enormous … Read more

10 Essentials for Outdoor Adventures

The Ten Essentials List, originally developed by The Mountaineers, a Seattle-based organization for climbers and outdoor adventurers, included 10 actual items. Over the years, and as more modern gear became available, it had become more of a “system” approach. So, it is less about specific item recommendations, and more about the basics you really should … Read more

Bike Adventure rig

Setting Up Your Bike Adventure Rig

Look familiar? Yup. These are the iconic Chicago Schwinn cruiser frames stripped down, and outfitted for bike adventure on the trails in Marin County. This is what mountain bikes were, before the category was ever created. Don’t feel that you need to rush out and get the newest bikepacking or gravel bike if you’re just … Read more

adventure planning

Adventure Planning 101

I love occasional spontaneous adventures and outings, but some organized adventure planning will ensure that you optimize the time you have available. We often complain that summer isn’t long enough, and we don’t do a quarter of the things we wanted to. If we shift our thinking about what constitutes a great trip or an … Read more

Biking Goals

Biking Goals For Commuting Success

Getting started with bike commuting is no different than making any other life change such as diet, exercise, or New Year resolution: we start with a lot of enthusiasm, only to find that it can be very hard to muster day after day as we yearn to settle back into comfortable habits. The secret is … Read more