If it’s been too long since you’ve had an adventure in the outdoors, take advantage of America’s treasures and hike, climb, raft or kayak one of our diverse national parks with REI. Whether you’re looking to engage your athleticism or simply want to witness out-of-the-way beauty firsthand, there are a range of options among the 20 compelling journeys available. Expert guides promise to reveal the true character of legendary parks such as the Smoky Mountains, Yosemite, Mt. Rainier, the Grand Canyon, Alaska and others. The eco-minded trips range from weekend excursions up to 11 days, all year long. Find more details about the trips here.
For some inspiration to book that trip check out Ken Burns’ stunning documentary “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.“
Bucket Grill shown above
These two products, invented for tailgaters, campers and on-the-go grill-masters everywhere, reduce the hassle of grilling out away from home. The disposable, easy to use EZGrill, which comes loaded with 100% natural charcoal, is small enough to fit in a backpack and is made with recyclable aluminum, cutting down on environmental impact. To give foods that distinctive charcoal taste, the EZGrill can also be used at home, inside a gas grill.
Crate & Barrel’s Bucket Grill features a 12″ lift-off grate in chrome-plated iron with legs that fold in to store and a handle for easy carrying. It gets high marks from reviewers who praise it for its size, ease of use, and its inspiration for impromptu picnics – one reviewer stores the bucket in the back of his car.
Images courtesy of Sigg
If you are in the market for an eco-friendly, BPA-free water bottle, choose the only one that can claim to be the world’s toughest: Sigg.
A product of Switzerland, these 100% leach-free bottles withstood a barrage of golf balls launched by a 100-lb. cannon in a Backpacker magazine test (it destroyed all other leading brands), proving that they are nearly indestructible; Sigg owners in Europe have been using the same bottle for ten to twenty years. An added plus: the bottles’ special inner coating is residue and bacteria-resistant, meaning that the morning’s coffee won’t taste like yesterday’s Gatorade, and that you can count on whatever you’re quaffing to be clean.
Sigg is a corporation with independent spark; thirty freelance artists create the attractive bottle designs each year (there are one hundred to choose from), and the company gives 1% of their profits to environmental causes. From $17.99.
Photo credit: Peter McIntosh
Lake Rabun has long been celebrated as a second-home getaway for well-heeled Atlantans looking for some R&R. Lesser known, however, is the charming, yet affordable Lake Rabun Hotel & Restaurant. Chosen by National Geographic Traveler as one of the best places to stay in the United States, this historic hotel receives props for honoring its Southern heritage, augmenting and blending well into the mountain landscape, using local foods and practicing sustainable ecology.
Lake Rabun Hotel is just rustic enough to remind you you’re at a mountain lake; solid hardwoods, hand-crafted Adirondack mirrors, and a bar made entirely of South Georgia cedar play on the cabin theme. But a full-service spa and suites appointed with plush linens, private baths, lake views and, in a few, fireplaces, make this hotel a refined, romantic choice in summer or fall.
Off-season rates, from $129 a night, are more affordable than stays during summer months; breakfast is included, as is access to a lounge stocked with cold drinks, fruit and homemade cookies. Special packages and services (read: white water rafting on the Chatuga) are available upon inquiry.
(Photo courtesy of Sur La Table)
Seattle’s Sur La Table, which began in 1972 as a boutique kitchenware store specializing in products from France, brings a unique twist to cooking stores with unusual, useful tools from around the world and a boutique feel: there are only 74 store outlets across the U.S., one of which recently opened in Atlanta’s Perimeter Mall.
As spring descends on the Southland, Sur la Table offers the perfect tool for the season’s outdoor parties, a miniburger grilling set that serves up appetizer-sized sliders for hungry guests. The tools, made of rosewood, stainless steel and aluminum, make mini-patty formation, grilling (with the miniburger “basket”) and bun-cutting, a breeze. $44.95 for the three-piece set, or $5-$25 a piece.
