Planning spring break is high pressure. You only get a one-week respite from school or work, and the timing, late March or early April, makes it tough to find a location with consistently good weather. Those months could offer spring ski conditions or prime surf weather—or not.

More than a few times, I’ve had to pivot at the last minute, having thought it would be warm enough for family surfing on the Outer Banks for spring break and then found temperatures in the low 50s. We moved our vacation further south.

Yes, south is the operative word. So relax, because I’ve found seven national-park units in the Southeast and Southwest that offer gorgeous landscapes, many days’ worth of adventures, and just-about-guaranteed warm weather for the perfect spring break trip.

1. Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia

Best for: Swimming, Camping, and Contemplating History

Average Temperatures in March and April: Highs from mid 70s to mid 80s

Cumberland Island is wild. The largest barrier island off the coast of Georgia, Cumberland is a 17-mile-long, 36,000-acre swath of pristine beaches, tall dunes, maritime forests, fresh lakes, and marshy canals. Even though the Carnegie family once owned the island, and descendants still have some private property, Cumberland protects almost 10,000 acres of federally designated wilderness. The only way to reach the island is by a 45-minute ($20 one way) or private boat, and once you’re there the only way to get around is by foot or bike on hiking trails and 50 miles of sandy roads.

The island has no stores, so bring everything you’ll need, and be prepared to pack it all back out. You’ll see some ruins from a Victorian-era mansion built in 1884 as a winter home for Thomas Carnegie, as well as the remnants of a freedmen’s community of former slaves. You may spot members of the colony of feral horses that still roam the island, which are likely descendants of the horses brought over by the British during the War of 1812.

As for beaches, Cumberland offers 15 miles of undeveloped sand and dunes facing the Atlantic. For solitude, keep heading north away from the docks until you reach a patch of sand that’s too far for day-trippers to claim. It’s tough to find this much raw beach on the East Coast, so soak it in. The Atlantic is rough, but fine for swimming. Stay out of the marshes on the west side of the island, as they’re popular hangouts for alligators.

Where to Stay: is an all-inclusive hotel operating in one of the Carnegies’ former vacation homes (from $895 a night), but most visitors . Sea Camp has bathrooms and showers and allows fires (from $22 a night). Stafford Beach is more remote, requiring a three-mile hike from the docks, and it, too, has bathrooms with showers (from $12 a night). Book your spot early, up to six months in advance.

2. Big Bend National Park, Texas

Best for: Hiking, Biking, Climbing, Canoeing, Stargazing

Average Temperatures in March and April: Low to high 70s

The 800,000-acre Big Bend National Park has been a spring-break destination for decades. My mother-in-law still talks fondly about spending college spring breaks camping there during the 1960s.

Late March and early April are the busiest times to visit the park. But “crowded” is a relative term; I hit the place a few years ago at the end of March and never felt overwhelmed or discouraged by other visitors, mainly because the park and its neighboring Big Bend Ranch State Park are so large. I hiked, rode my bike, camped, and enjoyed the “Far West Texas” vibe of it all.

The Big Bend landscape is straight out of a Western, with its vistas of canyons, the towering Chisos Mountains, and big stretches of rocky desert. It’s a great place to explore by boot, bike, or boat, an ideal multi-sport national-park trip.

Hikers should tackle the 5.5-mile out and back Window Trail, which descends 1,000 feet from the Chisos Trailhead, at 5,400 feet elevation, through Oak Creek Canyon to a sheer drop-off framed by towering cliffs. Be prepared (and take water) for the steady climb back to the trailhead. Depending on recent storms, there could be a small stream in the center of the canyon, but the trail is still navigable. Subject to changes in the water level, you can paddle a 20-mile section of the Rio Grande through Santa Elena Canyon, which narrows to 100 feet wide, with limestone cliffs blotting out the sun. The area has been in a drought for the last couple of years, so spring trips aren’t guaranteed, but check with for water levels and trip options (from $160 per person).

Rio Grande Angell Expeditions video by Taylor Reilly

Just outside the national park is , with its bounty of mountain biking, where you can pedal to a backcountry oasis and through a slope filled with sparkling gemstones. Regardless of what you do, at the end of the day you must soak in the historic hot springs that are carved out of the Rio Grande.

Where to Stay: Chisos Mountain Lodge inside the park has 72 rooms, a restaurant, and a general store (from $170 a night). has 60 sites up almost a mile high in elevation; make reservations up to six months in advance ($16 a night).

3. Death Valley National Park, California

Best for Cycling, Hiking, Stargazing

Average Temps in March and April: Highs from 65 to 75

It would be borderline crazy to visit Death Valley National Park in the summertime, but in early spring, the temperatures are chef’s-kiss perfect. Visitors in spring may also have the huge bonus of seeing the wildflowers pop off, particularly in the lower elevations, in fields of desert gold, poppies, and verbena. If you’re really into hitting the park during peak flower power, watch the rangers’ on which wildflowers are blooming throughout spring and summer.

Also cool: the park is home to one of the world’s rarest fish, the Devils Hole pupfish, an endangered species found only in a water cavern in Devils Hole here. The pupfish are visible during the annual spring migration as they move within the hole seeking warmth from direct sunlight. Scientists counted 191 of them last April, the highest count in 25 years.

You don’t need to be a cyclist to enjoy Death Valley—there are plenty of hiking trails—but two wheels is a hell of a way to explore this landscape, with 785 miles of roads open to bikes. Cruise through otherworldly terrain like salt flats, expansive sand dunes, and red-rock formations, before climbing into mountains of up to 11,000 feet.

Artist’s Drive, a paved nine-mile one-way loop, is the park’s signature ride. It climbs from below sea level to 880 feet above it, offering views of the surrounding moon-like white sands and mountains on the horizon. At the crest, you’ll be surrounded by pink and tan hills, which narrow to canyon-like proportions on the fun downhill to finish the loop. To give you a sense of the terrain, parts of the Star Wars franchise were filmed off this road.

Where to Stay: If you’re looking for nice digs, will put you in the heart of the action, and with a pool (from $507 a night). is the best developed campground in the park, with 136 sites on the valley floor and mountain views. Book up to six months in advance (from $30 a night).

4. White Sands National Park, New Mexico

Best for Hiking and Sand Sledding

Average Temperatures in March and April: 70 to 80

One of the newest national parks (established in 2019), White Sands isn’t huge, just 175,000 acres, but it protects half of the world’s largest gypsum-crystal field. The dunes roll through the Tularosa Basin like bright white waves, creating a landscape unlike anything else on this planet. You can see the San Andres Mountains on the horizon beyond the park, but it’s the sloping dunes that will mesmerize you.

The eight-mile Dunes Drive scenic road delivers you into the center of the dunes from the comfort of an air-conditioned vehicle, and the road also accesses the park’s five different hiking trails. The Dune Life Nature Trail is an easy one-mile loop that serves as a good intro to the landscape. But if you really want to dig into the dunes, hike the five-mile , which traces the edge of an ancient lake that has been replaced by the waves of dunes. You’ll climb and descend 60-foot sandy mounds throughout.

If you can time it right, hit the park on a , when White Sands is open into the night, and ranger-led programs include guided hikes. And definitely bring a sled (or buy one in the park gift shop). The dunes at the are open to sledding, and the gypsum hills behave exactly like snow slopes.

Where to Stay: There is currently no camping inside the park: its backcountry campsites are closed for rehabilitation, with no timeline as to when they will be in service. The town of Alamogordo, 15 miles east of the park, has a variety of chain hotels.

5. Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida and Mississippi

Best for Island Hopping, Swimming, Surfing, Fishing, Birdwatching

Average Temperatures in March and April: Low to mid 70s

A lot of people have discovered the Gulf Islands National Seashore. In 2023, visitation jumped 40 percent, from 5.7 million to 8.2 million people, making this unit the fifth-most-visited in the park service. People are showing up for the white-sand beaches on the mainland and for barrier islands that you can only reach by boat. The national seashore is made up of a series of parks, beaches, and islands, split between Florida and Mississippi, and all surrounded by clear, aqua-blue waters that are home to gopher tortoises, bottlenose dolphins, starfish, crabs…and the 300 species of birds that migrate through the area.

The easiest island to reach is Ship, 12 miles off the coast and accessible by regular from Gulfport and Biloxi ($44 per person, round trip). Once you’re on the island, you can explore the historic fort, lounge on the beaches, or swim in the Gulf. The recreation area is fully developed with concessions and restrooms, so it’s a convenient getaway.

If you’re looking for something wilder, consider venturing to , an eight-mile-long barrier island protected as a federally designated Wilderness area, so there are no commercial ferries to the island and no facilities on the ground. But if you have your own boat or want to hire a charter (from $675 at ), you’ll find an island ringed with sugar-white sand beaches and grassy dunes, while pine trees and lagoons pack the interior. Mind the occasional alligator.

Where to Stay: The campground, on the mainland near the town of Ocean Springs, sits inside a maritime forest, with marshes and fishing docks ($25 a night, book six months in advance). You’re also allowed to on the beach on a few of the barrier islands (Petit Bois, West Petit Bois, and Horn Island) inside the park, but stay off the dunes and any vegetation, don’t bring any mechanical devices (ie, no coolers with wheels), and be prepared for a true wilderness experience, as there are no facilities.

6. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah and Arizona

Best for Boating, Swimming, Hiking

Average Temperatures in March and April: Highs from 60 to 69

Glen Canyon protects the incredible 1.25 million acres of land and water where the Colorado River pours into Lake Powell. The blue water of the lake contrasts sharply with the red and pink sandstone walls that rise directly from the edge, and the lake has countless fingers and canyons to explore by boat.

The water levels of Powell are constantly shifting, and have generally been in decline the last 20 years. Check the park site’s to make sure the boat ramp or launch you have in mind is operational. The lake was low when I visited a few years ago on a biking and paddle trip, and we had to contend with some mud on the banks, but the place was no less stunning.

The Antelope Point ramp typically has the least boat traffic, so it’s conducive to use of kayaks or canoes. From there, you can head south on the lake for a mile and paddle into Antelope Canyon, a narrow slot canyon that’s also a no-wake (no motorboating) zone. Under normal water levels, you can follow the creek upstream for about a mile. offers rental kayaks (from $75 a day). You can also launch directly from the beaches at Lone Rock Beach and Stanton Creek and explore the lake surrounding those alcoves.

Off the water, an easy 1.25-mile hike leads to one of the overlooks at , where the Colorado River takes a drastic turn around a massive sandstone escarpment.

Where to Stay: All inside the recreation area are first-come, first-served. Lees Ferry Campground has 54 sites, potable water, and restrooms ($26 a night). Lone Rock Beach has primitive sites on a sandy beach right next to the water ($14 per night).

7. Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument, Arizona

Best for Overlanding, Hiking, and Seeking Solitude

Average Temperatures in March and April: High 50s to mid 60s

The Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument is primitive. This Northern Arizona park has no facilities, no campgrounds, and no paved roads. Instead, visitors are treated to the sights of 1 million acres of expansive plateaus, rugged canyons, and Mojave Desert, all traversed by a series of unimproved dirt roads and hiking trails. In other words, this monument is ideal for self-contained overlanding. I spent three days cruising Grand Canyon-Parashant in a side-by-side with a rooftop tent, while hiking and biking at various spots throughout, and was as mesmerized by the solitude as the grandeur of the landscape.

If you have a high-clearance 4WD vehicle, the monument is yours to explore. The park service details an 80-mile adventure to that cruises through a variety of terrain, from cattle fields to ponderosa forests, and ends on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. If you choose this route, you’ll also have the chance to get out and stretch your legs on the Burnt Canyon Trail, an easy three-mile out-and-back on a grassy road bed that leads to a big view of the western edge of the Grand Canyon. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Mount Charleston, just outside of Las Vegas.

I took a roundabout, multi-day route to reach , with its long view into the Canyon, and an optional side hike down to the water. The last seven miles to Whitmore Point drop 1,500 feet over rocky, rutted terrain that was super fun to bomb on a mountain bike. The fastest way to this perch is a 50-mile traverse from Mount Trumbull Schoolhouse.

Where to Stay: Primitive camping is allowed throughout the monument, but if you’re looking for a bit of refinement in the midst of all this rugged adventure, the has hotel rooms and covered wagons on an inholding close to the northern rim of the Grand Canyon. It’s only accessible by a 70-mile dirt-road drive through the national monument or an airplane (the place has its own landing strip), but once you’re there, you’ll be able to refuel your vehicle and have a damn fine dinner (starting at $172 a night).

Graham Averill is şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř magazine’s national-parks columnist. Every year, he agonizes over how to maximize his kids’ spring break, dragging them to campsites in Florida, beaches in South Carolina, and lakes all over the Southeast. He recently wrote about hiking in Joshua Tree National Park and his absolute favorite mountain town on the East Coast. His latest article is all about visiting national parks for free.

The post These Are the 7 Best National Parks to Visit for Spring Break appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

My husband, Dave, went skiing down a forestedĚýslope behind our cabin near Collingwood, Ontario. It was a rare perfect dayĚýwhen he set out with our dog, Phoebe. The deep powder lured them both.

Phoebe loves to ski. She’s a golden retriever, and a homebody, with traits bred into her for domestic life. Her namesake is a character in Friends, and it suits her. On the slopes, she lunges through the powder on the tails of Dave’s skis. When they reach the end, she turns and runs home.

That perfect day, Dave and Phoebe took three turns. On the fourth, the edge of Dave’s ski hit a downed log. The impact catapulted him forward. With the trunk of a maple tree coming fast towards him, he remembers thinking, I better move my head.

After that, everything went black.

I could tell this story another way: it could be about all the trees Dave hasn’t hit.

The first time we met, I watched him kick-turn down the face of Mount Washington in Oregon. Over the years he’s woundĚýthrough the trees of the Central Cascades. We’ve skied on glaciers, volcanos, and through glades, and he’s come away unscathed. But trouble found Dave the day he went skiing out our back door.

When Dave became conscious, he was about 350 feet down the slope from our cabin. He thought that something was caught by his neck. When he reached to push it out of the way, he realized it was his collarbone.

Though Dave didn’t know it at the time, he had slammed chest-first into the tree. While his head was spared, he had 16 broken bones.

His skis were still attached to his boots. He tried to turn around, but he passed out, and woke up having slid further down the slope.

Phoebe, our dog, was panting, nervous, and running in circles around Dave. It was just before 4 P.M.ĚýThe light was flattening; the sun would set in another 30 minutes. He had a blurry thought about his phone, but it was buried deep inside an underlayer in a back pocket. He couldn’t reach it.

It’s not ideal to do any backcountry activity on your own, but we had come to the habit when our kids were young. If you didn’t make the most of each precious spare moment you had, you would probably miss your chance.

And now Dave was fighting an urge to sit down and close his eyes. It was well below zero degrees Fahrenheit.

He managed to get his skis off. The dog leash was around his shoulder. He pulled the end to cinch his arm against his body. The leash became a sling, which took the pain from his collarbone just out of fainting territory. With ski poles in one hand, he took a step. He wobbled, almost fainted again, then glanced up the hill. Which way was the cabin?

He couldn’t see it from that position on the slope. His vision had narrowed to a channel. Direction was hazy. He could only focus on what was right in front of him.

What appeared in that narrow line of vision was Phoebe. Looking into her eyes, Dave could tell she wanted to run home, like she always does.

“Go on,” he said, thinking if Phoebe appeared at the door of the house alone, it might prompt one of us to question why. “Go home,” he said.

Can a dog be a hero? Dog-cognition researcher Alexandra Horowitz, in her , asks if dogs can intentionally rescue people in need. She cites a study that tested the rescue capacity of pet dogs (rather than specially trained rescue dogs). A person was put inside a box. They called out in distress. Then, their dogs were allowed to enter. According to the research, one in three dogs “rescued” their human from the box.

Clive Wynne, the lead researcher on the study, said it’s difficult to assess aĚýdog’s intent. Did the dog rescue the person for an altruistic reason, or did the assistance come from a place of self-interest? Wynne believes that, byĚýfinding a way to end the human’s distress, the dogs felt better, too.

Instead of running home, Phoebe turned, moved a few steps, then waited. Dave put a foot forward, a ski pole, and took one painful step. (Eight of his broken bones would turn out to be ribs.) Phoebe took another step, then waited again. Dave inched forward. He kept his eyes fixed on her hind end and slow-moving tail.

This tail became his only focus. Step by step, Phoebe moved just ahead of Dave. He lost track of time. All he remembers is being aware that they were moving uphill—and that keeping the dog’s tail in his sightline was like a lifeline. About halfway up the slope, he stopped and had trouble catching his breath. He thought something had happened to his lung. He’d later learn that it was punctured.

They kept moving together. When Phoebe’s tail finally stopped, Dave looked up and was surprised to see the house. She had led him to the front door. He called and we came running.

Later, I retraced their tracks up the hill. The paw prints didn’t take the steepest or most direct route. Phoebe led Dave in a steady line, one that he could manage. She stayed with him.

When I saw Dave in the emergency ward, he wore a neck brace. Medical officials wheeled him off to a scan, and eventually theyĚýwould locate the 16 broken bones, including some along the wings of his vertebrae. The crash didĚýno permanent damage; he was incredibly lucky. Two years later, Dave is fully healed, though a little more crooked than he used to be.

But then, in the emergency ward, a nurse had just injected him with Fentanyl. He was fairly lucid, if a little loopy when they started to wheel him away, but there was something else he wanted to say.

As I leaned closer, I realized that in Dave’s mind, it didn’t matter whether Phoebe’s intentions were altruistic or not. There was no need to ask the question. What mattered was her presence. She stayed with him and that was what gave him strength.

He whispered into my ear, “Phoebe saved my life.”

The post How My Dog Saved My Husband After a Ski Accident appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

Ever come across an incredible hotel that stops you mid-scroll and makes you think, Wow, wouldn’t it be something to stay there? We do, too—all the time. Welcome to Friday Fantasy, where we highlight amazing hotels, lodges, cabins, tents, campsites, and other places perched in perfect outdoor settings. Read on for the intel you need to book an upcoming adventure here. Or at least dream about it.

Ten feet overhead in a desert canyon in Utah, a jammed log spanned the gully, left by a recent flash flood. In the next passage in Harris Wash inĚýGrand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, southern Utah, our group gazed up at a tangled brown stripe of debris from the same flood, adorning a green cottonwood tree like Spanish moss.

All our lives we marvel at nature’s power. Here we also appreciated the immovability of geology—rock walls—as our group of nine, all staying in the region atĚýthe complex, at first walked and then arduously wormed through a narrowing slot canyon. When the sides pinched down to only a foot wide, my friend DeMarco Williams, athletic and deep-chested, said from two feet ahead, “I don’t know if I can do this.” He was pinned.

Ofland Escalante, two miles from the town of Escalante, is situated amid the landscape of the national monument and between two national parks. (Video: Eric Vega)

I had it easier, being smaller. As a climber, I’ve been in squeeze chimneys before; they can be awful and claustrophobic, and you just want out, but have to make it happen.

DeMarco pressed on, and something gave, and he scraped through the constriction. I followed, ducking, and emerged into the light, where he waited smiling. At each obstacle, following canyoneering practices shown us by Rick Green, owner of the guiding outfit , one of us waited to help the next person.

This trip last August was to the treasure that is Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, where friends and I all stayed two nights at Ofland Escalante, an ideal, central base located within the national monument and two miles west of the pioneer town of the same name. (Harris Wash was some 25 miles from town, with much of the drive on a washboard road.)

Not everyone in our group loved our several-hour canyoneering experience. Some cried, and some half-laughed, half-cried. But no one will forget it.

Toward the end, having split into two groups (one with Amie Fortin of the same outfit), we all convened for lunch in a bowl among blunt buttresses that were once ancient sand dunes, the slickrock around us inscribed with fine criss-cross lines. Sage and grasses waved in the wind, with hardy piñon-juniper trees in clumps nearby. Paiute, Ute, and Navajo tribes once dwelled in this region. So did dinosaurs. We saw no one else all day.

As we all looped back out of the canyon, we scrambled a little, but much of the return was just a quiet, reverent walk through washes and passages. Tracing the undulating wind- and water-sculpted walls, I peered into natural niches like little altars, holding swirls of sediment.

The Lodge

Closed each winter but slated to reopen March 12, Ofland Escalante is located just off Highway 12. Opened in 2021 on the site of an old RV park and drive-in movie theater, the place was in recent years, per the website, a “luxury RV park” known as Yonder Escalante. In May 2023 the new owners added “deluxe” cabins, and last year renamed the place (“Ofland” is for “of the land”). Ofland has varying services and prices, and brings people together in communal spaces.Ěý

The place offers four types of accommodations. I bunked in a Deluxe Cabin, simple and boxy with floor-to-ceiling windows, able to sleep up to four people. Also available are vintage Airstreams, tiny cabins, and campsites.

The central common area draws visitors with a fire pit, picnic tables, complimentary hot drinks, and shelves of books, board games, and cards. Our crew brought over s’mores supplies from our rooms and gathered at the tables for spirited rounds of Uno.

On Ofland Escalante’s 22-acre grounds, you can still enjoy the vintage outdoor “drive-in” theater, where you watch from inside one of nine in-situ classic cars. Other property diversions include a hot tub and swimming pool.

But the big deal is the place’s location amid the wonders of the Utah desert. The nearby town of Escalante is on the northern border of the 1.87-million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and just off the 123-mile-long U of scenic highway 12, which runs between Panguich, 67 miles west of the town, and Torrey, 65 miles north of it. Escalante sits between two national parks, about 50 miles east of Bryce Canyon and 67 southwest of Capitol Reef. Highway 12 links them all.

şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Intel

Escalante (and Ofland Escalante) are in road-trip reach of five national parks, four state parks, another national monument, and the vast Dixie National Forest, all boasting a myriad of .

You’re also in the high-elevation desert here. The town of Escalante is set at 5,800 feet, and the surrounding area rises to about 8,600 feet, while reaches 9,000 feet. So ascend gradually and, while you are outside and exerting, pay attention to your water intake.

Escalante is famous for its slot canyons, and Excursions of Escalante can take you out, set up rappels, and use their guides’ situational experience to avoid dangerous floods. The outfitters gave us packs, helmets, and water bottles, but you should arrive wearing good trail shoes and clothes that take being abraded.

A little on-site commentary from a canyon in Harris Wash, the Utah desert (Video: Neil Tandy)

A Utah friend tells me that , a 6.7-mile out-and-back starting 19 miles northeast of Escalante, is her favorite hike ever. It has birdwatching—for hawks and ravens, and she once saw a condor—and “a little of everything” else, from steep sections to sandy patches and a 125-foot waterfall.

For me, a dark-horse favorite was also . We hiked the Rainbow section (and added a few other loops), where we saw petrified wood in scattered chunks, from wastebasket- to coffee-table size, with hues of sulphur yellow and iron red but also deep blues and violet. The starts on an uphill past a tram-size balanced rock overlooking Wide Hollow Reservoir, where you can camp, swim, or .

Please do not pocket any pieces of petrified wood. Things in the desert are supposed to stay there. Besides, I’ve , and taking one only brings you ill luck.

Choice Rooms

My Deluxe Cabin’s outside shower was heaven. The water was plenty hot, and I could gaze out at the sky and the surrounding scrub-covered dun bluffs.

The Deluxe Cabins (from $259 per night) are the most cushy places, the only ones with private bathrooms and their own driveways. Each has a kitchenette and Wi-Fi, a deck with picnic table, and a queen bed and pull-out sofa such that it can sleep up to four. From the cabins it’s a five-minute walk to the main lodge. ADA cabins are available as well, and the lodge has golf carts for transport around the property.

Other options include vintage Airstreams ($175 per night), which sleep up to three people, and tiny cabins ($169), located just paces from the common area. The cabins have front decks and the Airstreams step out to picnic tables and fire pits. Both use shared bathrooms with amenities and open-air showers.

Ofland also has five campsites (from $99, per night). Each comes with a picnic table, grill, fire pit, filtered-water hookup, power, and bathroom access.

Eat and Drink

Pop over to the on-site food truck, prepare your own meals in your kitchenette, or go out for dinner at in the delightfully small and funky town of Escalante. 4th West offers 30 types of beers; burgers, paninis, and nice spicy tacos; a pool table, where my friends played half the night; and a nice local vibe. The evening was cool, so we skipped the outdoor seating, but in warm temps it would be wonderful to enjoy the view from there over dinner.

, 14 miles east of town and located within the national monument, is a magical-looking complex overlooking the startlingly green forest lining the Escalante River. It offers vegetarian-friendly Southwest fare, indoor and outdoor seating, and lodging.

Thirteen miles farther north is in the town of Boulder. The place, which has a devoted following, features ethically sourced ingredients and its own organic garden. The owners practice Buddhist principles and are committed to social responsibility.

At the end of Highway 12, in the town of Torrey, is the family-owned Wild Rabbit Cafe, with an on-site coffee roaster, and vegan and vegetarian options.

When to Go

Ofland Escalante is open mid-March through October. Spring and fall will have you cozying up around the fire pits, and maybe hitting the hot tub. Summer is bound to put you in the swimming pool. All indoor accommodations have heat and A/C.

How to Get There

The small Bryce Canyon Airport is just four miles north of Bryce Canyon National Park, 48 miles from Escalante. Most visitors and rent a car for the amazing 294-mile drive south and back with its section on Highway 12.

Don’t Miss

Hike to the 100 Hands Pictograph Panel, actually site of three major rock-art panels, via a family-friendly 1.2-mile round-trip off Highway 12, starting from the Escalante River Trailhead 14 miles east of Escalante. Ancient petroglyphs—sheep, deer, a snake—are visible just five minutes along the trail. The trail contours up to an alcove where you see the 100 Hands (more like 160 Hands) panel, and beyond that is the Shaman and Hunter panel, with a bowhunting scene and collection of shaman figures wearing headpieces.

Forty miles beyond Escalante, stop and get out at the Homestead Overlook, at 9,600 feet elevation, to see the tableau of the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, the Kaiparowits Plateau, and the Waterpocket Fold of Capitol Reef National Park, with their oceanic deposits and sedimentary layers, red and gold desert against the bumpy skyline of the Henry Mountains. Descending, you pass the Fishaven Reservoir and may see some sandhill cranes, before winding through the treed hamlet of Boulder, volcanic rocks and basalt scattered along the roadway.

Details

Price: From $99

Address: 2020 UT-12
Escalante, UT 84726

Alison Osius is a senior editor in travel at şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř magazine and şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online. She is a longtime climber and a former editor at Climbing and Rock and Ice magazines. She’s recently written about seeing the Utah desert from a lodge made of glass sky domes; hiking the memorial Storm King Trail, scene of one of our country’s greatest firefighting tragedies; and how to approach traveling to altitude (which starts with: paying attention). Oh, and if you were wondering, here are 8 simple rules for visiting your friends in mountain and waterfront towns.

The post Want to Wake Up in Utah Canyon Country? We Do, Too. appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

If sitting is the new smoking, then flying in economy must be the equivalent of a pack a day.

Remaining seated for extended periods, whether you’re working at a desk or road-tripping hundreds of miles, causes blood to pool in your legs. Sitting on a plane exacerbates this, because air-pressure changes in the cabin lowers the oxygenation of your blood, which can adversely affect circulation, . In some alarming cases, it can even lead to (DVT), a rare yet serious condition in which a blood clot forms in your leg and travels to your lungs; this could result in a pulmonary embolism.

Compression socks for flying can help. Tightest near the ankle, and still pretty snug at the top of your calf, they’re designed to gently squeeze your lower legs to stimulate blood and lymphatic fluid from your feet to your heart, explains Andrew Jagim, director of sports-medicine research at the Mayo Clinic.

Before you balk at paying upward of $20 for a pair of tight socks, consider how economical this purchase is compared with a business-class seat that lets you fully recline. The lie-flat option is often 100 times more expensive, which is why I’ve come to rely on compression socks—what I call the poor man’s upgrade.

How Compression Socks Came to Be Viewed as Essential for Travel

Conrad Jobst, a German engineer who lived in Ohio and suffered from varicose veins, is credited with inventing modern compression socks around 1950. His therapeutic designs helped alleviate symptoms associated with poor leg circulation, post-surgery swelling, and DVT, among others. are still sold today.

That decade, experts began to recognize that prolonged periods of immobility during long-distance travel, particularly by car or train, could cause blood clots to form and started using the term “traveler’s thrombosis.” In 1954, American surgeon John Homans cases of people who had experienced venous thrombosis after long-distance flights.

The media and general public were alerted to the connection between flying and DVT in 1974, when then U.S. president Richard Nixon developed a blood clot while flying during a diplomatic visit overseas. Complications required hospitalization and prevented him from being able to attend the Watergate trials.

A few years later, two British researchers studying the risks of DVT on flights coined the term “economy class syndrome”— a misnomer, as DVT can occur in any class of travel, but highly influential in drawing attention to the risks of air-travel-related DVT, says Bob Bacheler, managing director of the medical-transport service Flying Angels. “Having more space to stretch your legs or lie flat is better than being cramped in economy, but you still need to make the effort to move,” he says.

Who Should Wear Compression Socks, and When

According to the , anyone traveling four-plus hours—be it by air, car, bus, or train—can be at risk for blood clots. Occurrences of a blood clot are between 1.5 and 4 times more likely on a long-haul flight (four hours or more), according to a that was updated in 2021. That said, most people who develop travel-associated blood clots are generally those with one or more health risks; for example, they’re over 40, obese, pregnant, or recovering from a recent surgery.

Jagim says that wearing compression socks on any flight longer than an hour can yield benefits, like minimizing lower-leg and ankle swelling. Bacheler, who frequently serves as a flight nurse on flights of 12 to 24 hours, says he always wears compression socks. Of the two dozen flight attendants I polled during my own recent travels, all but one said they wear them, even on flights as short as one hour.

But these special socks aren’t a magic fix. Whether you’re sprawled out in the spacious Qsuites of Qatar Airways or packed like a sardine into economy on Frontier or Spirit (tied for the at 28 inches), it’s important to get up and walk to keep the body’s interstitial fluid—the stuff between our blood vessels and cells—moving. The getting up once every two to three hours. Jacob Erickson, a sports-medicine specialist at the Mayo Clinic, says that even flexing your calf muscles and moving your feet and ankles around while sitting can help blood flow.

And don’t forgo hydration. Kill two birds with one stone by getting up, walking down the main aisle, and asking a flight attendant for water. “Staying hydrated complements the effects of compression socks by ensuring your blood remains fluid and your body maintains overall balance,” says Bacheler.

How to Shop for the Right Compression Socks

As a travel writer, I fly a lot—most recently, 13 flights in three weeks—and have tested dozens of compression socks to determine which are best at preventing my legs from inflating like balloons. The most important consideration, according to Bacheler, is a good fit. Too tight and they’ll cut off circulation; too loose and they’ll fail to compress sufficiently. Most medical-supply stores will have a variety you can try.

Understanding Mm Hg

Every compression sock offers information about mm Hg on its packaging, so you should know what it means. The measurement stands for millimeters of mercury (what we use to gauge blood pressure), and it reflects the amount of pressure the socks provide.

Most brands tend to use the following general ranges of mm HG. Finding the right fit might take some trial and error, but go by what feels best to you.

8 to 15 mm Hg: Light compression that can relieve aches and minor swelling from prolonged sitting or standing; considered a loose fit.

15 to 20 mm Hg: Mild compression suitable for everyday use.

20 to 30 mm Hg: Moderate compression used in medical-grade socks; a very snug fit.

My Travel-Socks Hack

On a recent trip from Madagascar to Denver (four legs, 31 total hours in the air), I paired my mild compression socks with Band-Aid-size electrical-stimulation devices (from $48), for the marathon 15-hour leg from Doha, Qatar, to Seattle. The devices send out tiny pulses that stimulate the peroneal nerve in the leg to increase blood flow.

The winning combination prevented swelling and left my legs feeling like I’d never left the ground. If you check out the brand’s website, you’ll see that this is something used by hundreds of sports teams that travel on the regular.

My Favorite Compression Socks for Flying

2XU

Price: $45
Compression level: 15 to 20 mm Hg
I’ve long worn 2XU flight-compression tightsĚýto help recover from long runs or tough workouts, so I decided to try the brand’s flight-compression socks on that recent 15-hour leg, and I’m hooked! Each pair is assessed on Salzmann testing apparatus—the most technically accurate device for compression measurement in fabrics—to ensure graduated squeezing. A vented toe panel provided breathability, and they were easy to pull on and off. One downside is that they lose their compression characteristics after a few machine washes, so hand-wash yours.

Bombas Everyday

Price: From $28
Compression level: 15 to 20 mm Hg
Many compression socks pull up to just the base of the knee. But if you have sensitive knees, you may find the squeeze at that point irritating or even painful. Bombas Everyday socks are a nice alternative—they’re designed to hit a few inches below the knee yet still stay snugly in place. I tend to get cold on flights, and was pleased to note that the Everyday’s cotton blend was warmer than others I’ve tried. I give the brand bonus points for its colorways, which range from neutral (black, gray) to colorful (plum, ocean).

Comrad CloudCotton

Price: $32
Compression level: 15 to 20 mm Hg
Comfy enough to wear all day long, these socksĚýare crafted from supersoft combed cotton and tree fibers, and they almost feel like slippers on your feet. I appreciate the extra toe and heel cushioning, which helps with shock absorption. And the moisture-wicking, odor-fighting fabric means you can kick your shoes off mid-flight, worry-free. I couldn’t decide whether to buy a small or medium and wrongly chose the latter, but the Comrad guarantee allowed me to exchange for a different size for free (or return them for a refund) within 30 days of purchase.

Levsox

Price: From $25 for two pairs
Compression level: 20 to 30 mm Hg
Thanks to their breathable fabric, LevsoxĚýdon’t feel like they’re strangling your legs, but they still deliver the firmer fit I prefer. Their extra arch support is akin to getting a massage while you walk. If you like socks with personality, you’ll love the options: stripes, animal patterns, and psychedelic prints. Levsox also makes a model suited for wide calves.

Sigvaris Motion High Tech Calf Highs

Price: $68
Compression level: 20 to 30 mm Hg
Bacheler and three flight attendants I spoke with all swear by Sigvaris compression stockings.ĚýMost medical-grade models resemble your grandma’s hosiery, but these particular knee-highs look like sporty socks, and they pop in bold hues like lime green and steel blue. They apply more compression in the calf area than other socks on this list, which kept my legs feeling energized when I deplaned and had to race to my next flight.

Jen Murphy credits compression socks for allowing her to fly ten-plus hours and then go run five miles without aches or pains.

The post Why I Always Wear Compression Socks on Long Flights appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

Calf strength and ankle mobility are crucial for all athletes but particularly runners. When your foot strikes the ground, the functional stability of the whole kinetic chain relies on a strong and agile base. Yet calf muscle exercises are often missing from training routines.

“The whole complex needs to work together all the way up the totem pole,” says , a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist with a doctorate in physical therapy.ĚýIf you have stiff ankles or calves, or significant lower-leg asymmetries, that could reverberate up the limb and causeĚýpain in the knees, hips, and back, as well as limit your performance.

Along with the quads, the calves absorb the most impact when your feet land, whether you’re dropping a cliff on skis or pounding pavement. The calf muscle group is mainly comprised of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, which both connect to the Achilles tendon, on the back side of the lower leg. Your calves help bend your knees and are responsible for lifting the heel, a movement called plantar flexion (think of toeing when rock climbing). They also control the opposite movement, dorsiflexion, while they’re elongated. “Eccentric loading [when muscles elongate under load] imposes the highest forces on a muscle,” says Scott Johnston, coauthor of . “It’s the primary load that runners experience in their legs—and the reason you get sore calves and quads when you run downhill for 2,000 feet.”

There’s no one-size-fits-all training plan to build strength and resilience in the lower legs. Assess your general calf strengthĚýand ankle mobility—there’ s a helpful guide below—before you jump into the exercise progression, and don’t neglect the recovery moves.

Strength and Mobility Assessments

Single-Leg Heel Raise

What it does: Assesses your concentric calf strength.

How to do it: Stand barefoot on the balls of your feet with your heels hanging offĚýa step. Hold on to aĚýwall or doorframe for balanceĚýif necessary, but don’t use your hands for upward assistance. Lift one leg off the ground, and perform single-leg heel raises, also known as calf lifts, with the other. Move through a complete range of motion, from as low as you can go to as high as you can go. Try to do as many as you can with a full range of motion. Repeat on the other leg.

If you can perform tenĚýor more single-leg heel raises with a full range of motion, you have adequate calf base strength—for an endurance athlete—and can skip ahead to more sport-specific training (see the Jump RopeĚýexercise, below).

ButĚýif fatigue sets in and you start to lose your range of motion before tenĚýcomplete repetitions—perhaps,Ěýafter three or four reps, you can only lift your heel a couple of inches—you’re probably deficient in calf strength. If that’s the case, it’s time to get stronger! Follow the exercise progression below, starting with double-leg heel raises, twice aĚýweek for three weeks, then retest yourself. If you can now do tenĚýor more single-leg heel raises with a full range of motion, you’re ready to move on to sport-specific training, but if not, continue working on your general concentric calf strength until you can.

Weight-Bearing Lunge Test (Knee-to-Wall Test)

What it does: Assesses your ankle-joint mobility (dorsiflexion range) and symmetry.

How to do it: If you have a restriction, or stiffness, in one or both ankles, this can cause plantar fasciitis or problems in your calves, knees, hips, and back.ĚýYou can do this simple test to assess your ankle-joint mobility at home.

With your toes facing a wall, place one foot roughly a hand width away. Keeping your heel flat on the ground, bend your knee as if you were lunging into the wall. If your knee cannot touch the wall without your heel lifting, move it closer and try again. If your knee easily touches the wall, move your foot back and repeat. The idea is to find the distance where your knee can just barely touch the wall without your heel lifting. This is your dorsiflexion range.

When you find this point, measure the distance between your big toe and the wall. (If the wall has a baseboard, account for its width in your measurement.)ĚýRepeat with the other leg. A distance of five or more inches is considered a normal range of motion; anything less and you should add the Ankle Mobilization with Movement exercise, below, into your routine. Symmetry across your ankles is another key. If one ankle is stiffer than the other, you should work on ankle mobility until they’re even. If you have a good range of motion that’s symmetrical across your ankles, the Ankle Mobilization with Movement exercise isn’t necessary.

Calf Muscle Exercises

Double-Leg Heel Raise

What it does: Builds concentric calf strength (only necessary if you cannot do tenĚýor more single-leg heel raises with a full range of motion).

How to do it: AsĚýwith the assessment test, stand barefoot on the balls of your feet with your heels hanging off a step. Perform full-range-of-motion heel raises (with both legs) for four or five sets of six to tenĚýrepetitions, with a minute rest between each set.

“Don’t go until failure,” says Johnston. The purpose of this exercise isn’t to increase the size of the muscleĚýbut to increase its strength, which means you don’t need to max out.

Once you can do tenĚýto twelveĚýreps comfortably, progress to the next exercise.

Heel-Raise Progression (Two Legs Up, One Leg Down)

What it does: Builds eccentric calf strength.

How to doĚýit: Continue with heel raises, but now use both calves to rise up, then lift one leg off the groundĚýand lower the other legĚýslowlyĚýforĚýthree to four seconds. Like before, perform four or five sets of six to tenĚýrepetitions on each leg, with a minute rest between each set.

Once this exercise begins to feel easy, retest yourself on the single-leg heelĚýraises. If now you can do tenĚýto twelveĚý(or more) single-leg heel raises with a full range of motion, you’re ready to move on to the sport-specific exercise below. If not, continue with this exercise.

Jump Rope

Only begin this exercise if you have developed enough general strength to complete tenĚýor more single-leg heel raises with a full range of motion (see above test).

What it does: Loads the calves eccentrically and increases sport-specific muscular endurance.

How to do it: Simply jump rope. Begin with four sets of 15 seconds, progress to six to eight sets of 30 seconds, and eventually plan on doingĚýtenĚýsets of 60 seconds, with a minute rest between each set of jumping. Remember to land on your toes, not flat-footed.

Note: You don’t need a jump rope for this exercise—you can jump up and down on your toes in place—but a jump rope adds discipline and keeps you honest.

Walking Lunges with Windmill

What it does: Trains multidirectional, functional stability in the foot and ankle.

How to do it: PerformĚýthis exercise simultaneously with the calf-training progression. Stand upright with your feet together, holding a two-to-three-pound weight. Step forward with one foot as you reach your arms forward, and slowly lower into a lunge. (Keep your knee behind your toes on the front leg, and be mindful that your knees don’t collapse inward as you move because both patterns are correlated withĚýknee pain.)ĚýRotate your torso slowly to each side while maintaining a straight leg alignment. Then step forward with the trailing leg to bring your feet together again. Repeat with the other leg in front. Haas stresses the importance of focusing on proper mechanics—quality of form rather than quantity—before you build up the number of repetitions. “Train the pattern you want,” she says, “not the one that is the easiest.” Five or six repetitions on each leg is a good starting point.

Recovery

Roll Out

What it does: Myofascial release flushes tension in muscles and connective tissue to improve mobilityĚýand reduce inflammation created during exercise.

How to doĚýit: After a workout session or day in the mountains, use a lacrosse ball or myofascial-release tool (Haas recommends the ) to roll out the soles of your feet (plantar fascia), then work your way up the kinetic chain. Focus on your Achilles, calf muscles, and the muscle on the outside of your shin (anterior tibialis). Avoid rolling over any knobby bits or boney protrusions, since that’s often where sensitive connective tissue anchors and nerves hide, too. Spend a couple minutes on each leg to loosen tight tissues. You can also use a foam roller or massage stick.

“More is not better, as far as force,” Haas says. Too much pressure can trigger a fight-or-flightĚýsympathetic response. If you feel pain, your brain can interpret that as a problemĚýand involuntarily tighten those structures in an attempt to protect them. Gradually increase the pressure until it’s firmĚýbut not painful.

Ankle Mobilization with Movement

What it does: Improves ankle-joint mobility (dorsiflexion range).

How to do it: If you have an adequate and symmetrical range of motion in both ankles, you can skip this exercise. But if you have a restriction in one or both of your ankles, perform the following exercise. (Use the , described above, to gauge your ankle mobility.)

Ěýan elastic band to an anchor at ground level, and stand facing away from the anchor. Loop the other end of the band over oneĚýfoot so that it sits in the crease of your ankle, below your ankle bones. With that foot, step forward to create moderate tension in the band. Gently drive your knee forward and over your toes in a straight line, pause, then return to the starting position. This results in a posterior glide of the talus bone—the joint mechanics necessary for dorsiflexion. Hold the tension for a few seconds,Ěýthen slowly return to the starting position. If your range of motion is really bad, Haas suggests placing your activeĚýfoot on a box to improve gliding during the mobilization. Complete tenĚýrepetitions on each side, once daily (ideally after exercise or on its own, but not right before activity until you build stability around the new joint mobility). You should not have pain during this exercise.

Calf Stretch and Ankle Mobility

What it does: Lengthens the calf musclesĚýand increases ankle and lower-leg mobility.

How to do it: Place the ball of your foot on the edge of a step, and lower your heel to gently sink into a calf stretch. Make sure you can relax into the position to optimize your tissue’s ability to let go. (Use your other leg as support to ease into the stretch.)ĚýHold the tension for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other leg. Haas adds that the key to incorporating an ankle-joint glide while stretching is having your toes upward (or heel downward)Ěýas opposed to your foot flat on the floor where this can get missed. If you’re outside, use rocks, tree roots, a curb, or even your other shoe to achieve the stretch.

The post 7 Exercises to Stretch and Strengthen Your Calf Muscles appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

Josh Drinkard always wanted to build his own cabin. Growing up in suburban New Jersey, he’d wander to a small strip of woods near his childhood home and spend hours constructing forts and treehouses. When he moved to New Mexico as an adult, Drinkard, the IT Operations Manager at şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Inc., bought 2.5 acres of land in the mountain village of Truchas, about 30 miles north of Santa Fe. There, he took on his first effort at building a very simple cabin with the help of a friend who was an unlicensed contractor and taught Drinkard framing and building basics.

In 2021, Drinkard and his wife, Saraswati Khalsa, started looking at New England as a place to move once their three children were grown. After scouting around, they settled on 25 terraced, hardwood-filled acres near Halifax, Vermont, not far from the Massachusetts border.

Over the past three years, Drinkard has spent vacations building a cabin near Halifax, with the help of his wife, teenage son, and one of his daughters. After a cumulative seven weeks of effort, they can now stay there for long periods, although it still lacks internet service, a shower, and a toilet.

Learning the ins and outs of building a small log cabin in the woods is no small feat. We asked Drinkard to talk about what the project entailed and what skills are required to turn a cabin-building dream into a reality. This is what he learned.

How Big Is the Cabin?

It’s still a work in progress, but right now it’s a one-room cabin with a loft. Two people can sleep up there comfortably. The interior is just 12 feet squared. We use the lower room as the living room and kitchen. Another two people could sleep there with a foldable futon.

Why Did You Choose Vermont?

We bought this property without any services or electricity, so the price was below the national average per acre (which was about $3,000 at the time, according to Drinkard). I love the location and especially the lush green forests. We also love skiing and whitewater rafting and can do both near here; the closest mountain is Mount Snow, 18 miles north, and the closest flowing river is the Deerfield, to the west.

We liked that it’s not far from a town with big-box stores—Greenfield, Massachusetts—and that you can catch a train from Brattleboro, Vermont, to New York City. We thought that if the kids are in college, or after, if they wanted to take a train up, that would be convenient.

And I like Vermont in general. Everything has a small-town feel. There are no billboards. And it’s similar to northern New Mexico in that it’s rural and very liberal.

How Did You Get Started With the Build?

We found a spot that was flat and open. There was a little meadow on the property just big enough for a cabin, so we didn’t have to clear it. We knew we’d use the hemlock trees from the surrounding forest. I was told hemlock resists rot pretty well.

I knew I’d have to find a cheap 4×4 vehicle to leave out there, and we only had a few thousand dollars to work with. In Vermont, good pickups in that price range were all rotted out, so I settled on an old Lincoln Navigator in New Mexico that had been stolen and recovered; its interior was beat to shit. I welded a receiver hitch in front, to use as a winch and a pushbar, and I also fabricated a roof rack big enough to haul 16-foot-long lumber and plywood sheets. Then I drove it out to Vermont.

We decided to use a to build the cabin after a lot of time looking at YouTube videos. Butt-and-pass cabins go up quickly, but the drawback is you need a ton of expensive lags to connect the walls to each other and each log to the ones below.

We used logs for the whole first level of the cabin. The first year, the family came out for four days and we felled trees and placed and leveled the bottom four logs. After they left, I stayed another six days on my own and threw up the first 12 rows of logs—they weren’t that heavy—plus the floor and a temporary roof to keep the snow out.

The next year, we got the structure height to about eight feet. At this point, we started using two-by-fours for the loft level. I traded an old laptop of mine for a bunch of small windows and a door.

After the entire structure dried, we hung shingles on the front. I installed a water-catchment system and solar panels—both are sustainable. We built the loft platform inside and scraped and sealed all of the logs. And I built a small shed with scrap materials and installed more windows on the first floor.

What Was the Hardest Part?

Felling trees for the logs and dragging them around 100 yards to the build site was exhausting. And I’m not in awful shape.

Using a , we took down 30 to 40 relatively straight, light trees on the first trip out, but they kept getting hung up in the tight forest canopy. Then we cut these to 12 and 16 feet and dragged them to the site. It took a few days. The next time we were there, the following July, we cut another 30 or 40 trees.

Does the Cabin Have Plumbing and Electricity?

One of the last things I did when I was there was put in a . The rainwater goes from the roof to a gutter and through a small-screen filter to a 300-gallon IBC (intermediate builk container) tank. The tank was repurposed—it used to hold soy sauce—and someone sold it to me. I’m gonna have to plumb from that tank to a sink and an outside shower. There’s no toilet—we probably will get an outhouse but right now we’re using a bucket with a toilet seat on top.

For electricity, I have a small solar setup: two 100-watt panels and a solar battery that’s good enough to charge things and for basic lighting. The great thing about these is they’re upgradable; I just need to get more batteries and panels to turn it into something more robust that could handle, like, a fridge.

What About Heat?

I brought out a woodstove from New Mexico but decided it’s too big and that it would heat us out—that’s a mistake I made with the cabin in Truchas, too—so I’ll probably buy a small one.

Did You Have to Troubleshoot Any Unforeseen Issues?

It rained a lot one trip, in July, and the road, which is unmaintained, was turning into a rutted off-camber mess. I was having to winch up in several places, and I blew out the Navigator’s 4×4 low. So we found a local heavy-equipment operator and hired him to take down some trees and smooth out the road.ĚýBut this is an investment for us. Having a small functional cabin with a roughed-in road will increase the property value by more than what we’ve spent.

Also, except for the initial time I drove the navigator out, we’ve flown. And every time, we fly with the power tools. I check the chainsaw, the circular saw. You can’t check the batteries, so I have to carry those on.

How Did You Cut Costs?

One of our challenges was thinking up a good chinking method that wouldn’t take an entire month. There are maybe 80 trees in the structure—because they were smaller in diameter, we needed more, which also meant 80 gaps to fill. Concrete mortar was out, because we didn’t want to haul water up from the stream and mix cement. was out, because it’s too expensive. So we used a product called . This is a spray foam with a component that tastes sour, so bugs and rats don’t want to chew through it.

Pestblock worked better than I imagined, but it’s gonna yellow real bad and I’ll likely have to paint it. I tried putting floor polish over it, to keep the gray color, but it didn’t work.

Also, we didn’t strip the bark off the logs. It looks cool, but bark holds moisture and the logs can rot. After we completed the first floor, they sat for a year, and I thought that if we wire-brushed the logs after a year or so, we could then use floor polish to seal them. So far that’s been working great, but only time will tell if we have any rot. I might know in a few years.

We also stayed in a nearby campground much of the time when we were working on the cabin.

Did Your Family Like Being Involved?

We just gave my son, Mason, a nice RAV4, so we forced him to come out and be our indentured servant. After the second trip, he told me I’d worked him pretty hard but that he had a great time. He can do most jobs independently after a little training. One of our daughters also did a lot of work the first visit, carrying logs.

Saraswati, my wife, is really good at certain things like angles or eyeballing whether something is level. My eyes are awful. Also, I can have a short fuse. At the beginning, I’m fine, but after a week, it grows shorter. And Saraswati will really push to get things done when I’m ready to quit, so we get a lot more done when she’s around.

On the flip side, I have to bring her back down to earth on structural realities. She’s always form over function, and I’m the opposite. For example, we had a full-size door, but I realized that fitting it would cut too many logs on one side and compromise the structure. So we had a bit of a fight about that, because I wanted to cut the door and make it shorter. That’s what we ended up doing.

What Are You Proudest Of About the Cabin?

We did this on the cheap and haven’t splurged on anything so far—though having internet out there will be a splurge. The cabin’s a pretty basic structure, but I’m OK with that. And except for needing help fixing the road, we were able to do everything on our own. There’s no cell-phone access out there, so if you run into a jam, you just have to figure it out.

Estimated Costs for the Cabin

Land and Annual Taxes: $78,000

Building Supplies: $8,000

Driveway: $7,000

Eventual Internet Setup: $700

Flights, food, fees to stay in the nearby campground before the cabin was ready: $5,000

Total: $98,700

Tasha Zemke is °żłÜłŮ˛őľ±»ĺ±đ’s managing editor and a member of şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online’s travel team. She appreciates beautiful, and especially ancient, architecture but can’t imagine building a structure of any kind, given her loathing of giant home-improvement stores.

The post How I Built a Log Cabin in 7 Weeks for Under $100K appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

My friends invited me on a ski trip to Chamonix, France, this winter, but the last time I flew to Europe my jet lag rivaled a hangover: for three days I had a pounding headache, my stomach was upset, and I couldn’t fall asleep at night. I’m worried I won’t be able to ski if I feel that terrible again. Is there any new jet lag research that can help me? At this point, I’m willing to try anything. —Leery of the Long Haul

Whether you’re planning an epic winter getaway or simply flying home for the holidays, you don’t want to start your trip feeling jet-lagged. The brain fog and fatigue that results from crossing time zones can be debilitating. Despite various “cures” circulating in the media for this dreaded condition, experts have yet to discover a consistent remedy for jet lag.

That said,Ěý there are plenty of strategies for reducing symptoms. As a longtime travel writer who typically hops on more than 20 overseas flights each year, I’ve tried everything from sensible strategies like avoiding alcohol and caffeine while on the plane to more out-there interventions like fasting on flights (I felt hyperalert, albeit famished, upon arrival) and sitting for an IV drip enriched with B and C vitamins at my hotel post-flight (I didn’t feel energized, but I wasn’t falling asleep at dinner either).

published in Chaos, an Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science, suggests that the key to avoiding jet lag after a long-haul flight may be as simple as eating a big breakfast once you reach your destination. Breakfast is, after all, the most important meal of the day. But how legitimate are these study’s findings? Let’s back up a bit so I can explain the basics of jet lag, and then I’ll dive into the details of the big-breakfast theory.

What Is Jet Lag and How Long Does It Take to Get Over It?

Contrary to popular belief, jet lag isn’t caused by a lack of sleep. The defines the condition as “a temporary sleep problem that can affect anyone who quickly travels across multiple time zones.” Our body’s internal clock, which is regulated by 24-hour cycles of circadian rhythms, tells the body when to sleep and when to wake up. When we fly, our internal clock stays anchored in one time zone while we physically travel to another; this causes our bodies and our body clocks to fall out of sync with the daylight-nighttime schedule of our new destination.

For example, if you fly out of San Francisco on at 1 P.M. on Tuesday and touch downĚý in Geneva, Switzerland, at 11:40 A.M. Wednesday, your internal clock still thinks it’s 3:40 A.M. when you arrive, due to the nine-hour time difference. So even though the sun is shining, as you go through the motions of retrieving your bags and setting off on the hourlong drive to Chamonix, to your body it’s still basically the middle of the night.

Jet lag affects people differently. In general, the more time zones you cross, the longer it takes for your body to adjust, says Dr. Yitong Huang, a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University’s Braun Lab and coauthor of the new breakfast study. Our internal circadian clock can shift approximately one and a half hours per day at most, she says. So it might take a week or more for your body to adjust to Europe. However, if you’re only experiencing a two-hour difference, your body can adjust within a day or two.

Medical experts generally agree that flying eastward tends to cause more severe jet-lag symptoms than flying west, because your body adapts more quickly to staying up late than going to bed earlier than normal. To alleviate adverse effects, the Mayo Clinic suggests going to bed one hour earlier each night for a few days before you fly east, and head to bed one hour later for several nights ahead of travel if you’re flying west. I’ve had success adjusting my schedule a few days ahead of traveling to match my destination’s new time zone by adhering to this practice.

Anyone who has suffered from jet lag can tell you it’s tough. According to the Cleveland Clinic, typical symptoms include daytime drowsiness, insomnia, fatigue, headaches, lack of concentration, an upset stomach, and mood swings. If your body is extremely sensitive, you might feel the effects of jet lag after crossing just two time zones.

Additionally, a plane’s elevation and pressure, as well as the cabin’s incredibly dry atmosphere, can exacerbate jet lag, which is why keeping hydrated is crucial. Ordering a cocktail may seem like the perfect way to celebrate the start of your vacation, but it will likely sabotage your trip, because beverages with alcohol and caffeine disrupt sleep.

Could a Hearty Breakfast Be the Secret to Avoiding Jet Lag?

We’ve long known that light plays a central role in regulating circadian rhythm. When light enters the eye, it’s recognized by a special group of cells on the retina, which provide feedback to our brain about whether it’s day or night. This is why experts recommend getting at least ten minutes of sunlight exposure within 30 to 60 minutes of waking when you travel, and avoiding bright light at night, particularly between 10 P.M. and 4 A.M. in a new destination; both help you realign your circadian rhythm.

But other external cues, including exercise and food, also have an influence on our bodies. Huang, along with fellow researchers from Northwestern University and the Santa Fe Institute, built a mathematical model to explore how food and light play a role in determining how travelers can best reset themselves in a new time zone. “There’s a greater physiological sensitivity to time cues, such as light and food, earlier in the day,” she explains.

The team’s computational experiments studied trips that crossed six time zones and compared varying meal times and calories, including following your same eating schedule as back home and ignoring the new time zone; eating a big breakfast in the morning at your new location, and then a light lunch and light dinner later; and eating three evenly portioned meals throughout the day.

Results suggested that adjusting your meal schedule during the daytime in your new destination more effectively synchronizes circadian rhythms than having evenly spaced meals. And while your body adjusts during the first three days, adopting the practice of having a big breakfast in the morning of your new location, followed by lunch and dinner, was better than having three meals with similar caloric totals.

Further, avoiding evening meals for the first three days is helpful to overcome time differences of up to six hours. So if you’re heading to France, you may want to book that Michelin-starred splurge meal toward the end of your trip and instead spend the first few days indulging at breakfast with pain au chocolates and crepes.

What Exactly Constitutes a Big Breakfast?

Because this data was derived from a mathematical model, hearty doesn’t translate to a prescribed number of calories or nutrients, said Huang. The model simply predicts that consuming foods with more calories earlier in the day is better than eating regularly spaced meals or eating at night.

on circadian rhythms and diet as related to weight-loss outcomes and meal timing have shown that our bodies tend to prefer more calories earlier in the day. This may mean getting in as much as 30 to 50 percent of your daily calories at breakfast, says Natalie Romito, a registered dietician with Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Human Nutrition.

Kesha Ahlo, a dietician and flight attendant with Hawaiian Airlines, says she always battles jet lag by consuming a meal that has a balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats a few hours after waking in a new time zone. This may look like a couple of hard-boiled eggs with sausage and fruit, or cold overnight oats with nut butter, chia seeds, fruit, and Greek yogurt. “I find this gives my body the energy it needs to start the day, rather than pushing forward through fatigue,” she says.

Although the study discourages meals at night, she personally finds it helpful to have something light if she’s hungry when she arrives at night, to avoid waking too soon due to hunger.

Romito suggests packing pistachios in your carry-on. Not only are they a healthy snack, but they’re also a dietary source of melatonin, a hormone made naturally by your body to promote sleep. And if you’re arriving at night and plan to hit the sack, think twice; Romito says it’s best to have at least four hours between consuming alcohol and going to bed if you’re intent on getting a good night’s rest.

As for the hearty breakfast: you may not like to consume a big meal first thing in the morning, but if you can ward off feeling lousy when you travel just by starting your day with some avocado toast and eggs, I say it’s worth trying to be a breakfast person—at least for a few days.

şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř correspondent Jen Murphy loves eating a big breakfast whether she’s at home or away. Her personal secret to avoiding jet lag: a long run or yoga session upon arrival, followed by a strong coffee and, ideally, a breakfast of eggs, avocado, greens, and grains. In more far-flung locales, she packs protein bars as her breakfast safety net.ĚýShe now plans to add pistachios to her packing list.

The post This May Be the New Cure for Jet Lag appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

I’m going to be frank here: hot dogs are delicious. The ones from ballparks? Great. The ones from street vendors? Sign me up. That one that’s been turning and burning on a rolly thing at a gas station all night long? I’ll take it.

Meaty, salty, fatty: hot dogs, they’re just like us! And what’s not to like? Uh, ask my innards.ĚýThe problem with hot dogs is that they’re full of nitrates, sodium, and saturated fat. The vast majority rely on meat from animals raised on CAFOs—concentrated animal feeding operations—which have pretty stark environmental consequences and severe animal-welfare problems.

The good thing about hot dogs is that, because they’re processed and then processed some more, they’re actually fairly easy to replicate in a meatless option. I spent many years as a vegetarian and vegan, and my main takeaway from that time was that the more processed a meat was, the better the fake version was going to be. A soy steak is likely still a few years away, but soy and veggie hot dogs are already pretty tasty.

They’re not all good dogs, of course. I actually spit one out after chomping into what, texture wise, appeared to be a hot-dog-flavored mealworm. That one was the wurst. Another tasted suspiciously like eating waxy lipstick. But a few were good, even great, if you haven’t had a real hot dog in a long time.

July 17Ěýis , and we urge you to throw these links on your grill, because they’re more humane (to animals, your digestive system, and the planet). With enough ketchup and mustard, you know, you might even relish them.

Best Overall

Field Roast Frankfurters, $6.49

wereĚýthe only ĚýI tried where I finished the first and thought to myself, I want another. WhileĚýsome of the offerings I tried were simply salty, this one actually had that umami flavor you associate with meat. The texture for these vegetarian versionsĚýwas good, too—not at all squishy. The only thing I didn’t like was that each dog comes wrapped in its own plastic sheath, which seems wasteful.

The Impossible Bratwurst Plant Based Links, $8.99

These vegan hot dogs (technically calls it a bratwurst) are bulky. Their taste is most similar to that of a typical animal-based dog, but a meat eater would still be able to tell something was non-standard. The Impossible Brat comes in a classic and spicy flavor – both are tasty. However, these might not be dogs to bring to a cookout and share. At $8.99 for four links, you might want to save them just for you.

Best Available-Everywhere Option

LightLife Smart Dogs, $4.28

If I can find veganĚý at Walmart in my rural Tennessee town, chances are you have them where you live, too. The flavor isn’t quite as perfect as Field Roast’s offering, but it’s still close-ish to the franks of your youth. Do not overcook these, though, or they will turn mushy.

Simple Truth Veggie Dogs, $5.19

These Simple Truth Veggies are great in a pinch, and they’re in Krogers across the country. They tasted pretty similar to a basic Oscar Myers wiener, but don’t have that classic ‘snap’ and are a bit softer. They’re a bit sweeter than LightLife, which some people will like and some don’t. I’m not blown away, but I’d eat it at a cookout.

Best Novelty

Morningstar Farms Corn Dogs, $4.58

What isn’t improved by a little corn-bread batter? Ěýare no exception. I loved and would absolutely keep them around for times when I’m in the mood for junk food. And to be clear, these are junk food. They have seven grams of added sugar and one-fifth of your daily sodium intake per serving. But health wise, they still probably beat the monstrosity that is meat-based corn dogs.

Jack & Annie’s, $10.48

These are hard to find, so if you spot some in your grocery store, snag a few. Jack & Annie’s are made from jackfruit, which you’d think would give it a funny texture. However, I preferred this texture over every other vegan hot dog’s. It mimics a classic summertime dog you’d get at a ballpark with a unique spicy flavor.

Best Flavored Sausage

A Tie Between Tofurky Italian Sausage and Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage Sausage, $5.58

If you don’t like hot dogsĚýyetĚýsomehow are still 500 words into this story on hot dogs,Ěýthere are some good flavored sausagesĚýon the market. I dug , which are livened up by sun-dried tomatoes and basil. AndĚýĚýwould likewise go well on a sourdough roll with some caramelized onions and a hit of Dijon.Ěý are vegan, and the are vegetarian.

Least Favorite

Upton’s Naturals, $5.99

left me feeling super salty, both physically and emotionally. The taste was overwhelming and made me want to swallow a glass of water after every bite. What’s more upsetting is that the ‘snap’ of the hot dog is almost perfect, but the dog itself is so salty and turns to a sort of doughy texture after chewing.

The post Reviewing the Best and Worst Plant-Based Hot Dogs appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

Aches and pains are inevitable. That’s especially true for athletes or anyone who engages in intense physical activity. When an injury happens, you know to go to your primary-care provider right away. But after they address your acute symptoms, you may need someone to treat your chronic pain, restore your structural alignment, and get you back to your full strength and mobility.

That often means you need to make a decision: Physical therapy or chiropractor. But which?

“If you look at chiropractic and physical therapy… they are a category of care, if you will,” says Nolan Lee, a board-certified and licensed chiropractic physician, acupuncturist, and yoga instructor based in Chicago. “That umbrella will encompass a lot of overlapping tactics,” he says. The common denominators are that they both address musculoskeletal conditions, and both provide care without surgery or meds.

Which you choose depends on your particular situation, needs, and preferences.

Physical Therapy vs. Chiropractor: Basic Differences

Physical Therapy

Physical therapists are licensed health care providers who use exercise, stretching, massage, and other methods to help patients build strength and improve flexibility and function. They can help you “avoid surgery and prescription drugs, maximize your mobility, manage pain and chronic conditions, and improve your physical function and fitness,” according to ChoosePT.com, the consumer-information arm of the .

Though physical therapists also work with people to prevent injuries and improve their fitness, “it’s typically pain that brings people in—pain that you are fairly certain is musculoskeletal in nature,” says Ariele Foster, a holistic doctor of physical therapy and yoga teacher who practices in Washington, DC. That could include low back, hip, or neck pain; osteoarthritis of the knee; herniated disks; ACL and rotator cuff tears; and other chronic or acute pain.

While some PTs specialize in musculoskeletal conditions, others focus on patients with neurological problems such as ALS or muscular dystrophy. You might go to a physical therapist if you have issues with balance or dizziness, symptoms from cancer, heart disease, respiratory problems, or pelvic floor issues.

Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care has been available for more than 100 years in the United States. “Our focus is mainly rehabilitation and physical medicine, which is using conservative methods to help treat people,” says Lee. That means chiropractors work to relieve pain and improve function and overall health using non-invasive methods.

the effectiveness of chiropractic for low back pain, neck pain, headaches, and osteoarthritis. There has been some study of the use of chiropractic as a complementary treatment for asthma and even .

You may think of chiropractors as focusing on spinal manipulation–and that continues to be a centerpiece of chiropractic care, according to the American Chiropractic Association. Like PTs, chiropractors often use manual adjustments to improve alignment of the spine and joint function. That may include stretching, soft tissue massage, and spinal traction.

But chiropractors also use a variety of other to address patients’ needs. For example, they may use electric nerve stimulation, ultrasound therapy, and light and heat treatments. They can counsel you on nutrition and lifestyle modification. If you need an X-ray, other imaging, or medical labs such as urinalysis or blood tests, they can order and analyze them.

Physical Therapy vs. Chiropractor: Training

Physical therapists must have a bachelor’s degree and complete a three-year (DPT) degree program. Foster explains that the doctorate-level training, which is now standard in the field, allows patients to make appointments without a referral from a medical doctor. With some exceptions, most individuals can schedule a visit directly with her, she says. (This is a welcomed change from the days when you had to be referred by an MD before you could make a PT appointment.) Most health insurance carriers cover at least part of the cost, though you should check with your insurance carrier first.

Chiropractors also complete four years of undergraduate study followed by a four-year Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) program. Like physicians and PTs, they learn about anatomy, physiology, and other sciences. They’re also required to spend hours working with patients in a clinical setting to gain hands-on experience. When they complete their training, they are known as chiropractors, chiropractic doctors, or .

Physical Therapy vs. Chiropractor: Tools

Physical therapists might use heat and cold therapy, electrical stimulation, and other techniques to treat their patients. At a PT session, you may receive passive manipulation to guide your body into various positions, or you may be asked to actively practice certain movements. You’ll often receive instructions for exercises you can do at home.

In addition to doing spinal adjustments–manipulating your back and neck—chiropractors like Nolan also employ therapeutic exercise and may give you “homework” that includes movements that can help you increase joint mobility, loosen tight muscles, and even improve circulation and respiration. That treatment might include hands-on therapy, rehabilitation exercises, as well as nutrition counseling.

Musculoskeletal work and rehabilitation is typically covered by insurance, Lee says.

Physical Therapy vs. Chiropractor: Myths and Misconceptions

Foster says there are a lot of misconceptions about physical therapy, including that it is “glorified” massage therapy. While PTs are not considered physicians, they are trained to provide specific health care. “In general, the profession of physical therapy has embraced evidence-based and evidence-informed medicine in a much more robust way,” she notes.

Chiropractors have had a reputation as “back crackers,” but people may not realize that chiropractors are trained to serve as , according to the ACA. They may have specialties in nutrition, orthopedics, radiology, sports medicine, and other clinical areas.

Physical Therapy vs Chiropractor: When Your Need Something More

If a particular combination of treatments doesn’t yield results, Nolan says chiropractors can refer patients for a surgical consultation or other specialized care. “It’s very scientific and objective, keeping track of exams, outcomes, and progress to see if we need to move them on to a different therapy or provider,” he says.

The same applies to physical therapy. Foster says PTs can refer patients to other providers if a different type of care is needed. She recalls two patients with herniated disks whom sheĚý ultimately referred for surgery.

Physical Therapy vs. Chiropractor: Which Should You Choose?

The bottom line is a patient who is struggling with pain and seeks a non-invasive, non-drug approach could likely benefit from either physical therapy or chiropractic care. Ultimately, your choice comes down to your situation, your insurance, and your comfort level.

The post Physical Therapy vs. Chiropractor: Which Treatment Is Best for You? appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

The post What Brings Me Joy appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.