Finding Adventure

The way we live as a society today, adventure tends to get a little lost in the shuffle. In an age of convenience, information and technology, it’s easy to get stuck inside or, even worse, stuck inside behind a screen — or two if you scroll on your smartphone while the television plays in the background. Throw air conditioning on a hot summer day into that mix and it is easy to see why modern living is one of adventure’s biggest enemies.

We’re adventurers at heart though. You wouldn’t be reading these words if you weren’t. The very act of opening this magazine means you’re seeking inspiration for new experiences. That’s what we aim to deliver every month, but as story planning for “The Outdoor Issue” begins each year, I get excited about helping people explore the Ohio of sunny skies, lazy rivers and starry nights.

I’ve been playing in the woods since I was a little kid, and summer getaways during those days meant our family taking the Jayco pop-up camper to Atwood Lake. High adventure was helping my dad build the campfire with the help of a box of Blue Tip matches and some crumbled pieces of the day’s newspaper artfully interspersed between the logs that would get the evening’s main event going.

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When I joined Boy Scouts, adventure meant weekend campouts and learning new outdoor skills, becoming more self-sufficient and being changed in positive ways by all of it. That’s the appeal of an adventure. It sends us searching, and what we find along the way is often more interesting, fun and valuable than we could have imagined before we set out on it.

Adventure can mean a lot of things. It can be as adrenaline-inducing as strapping on a jetpack and soaring over the surface of a lake (find out where on page 67) or as thrilling as standing under a canopy of stars on a dark summer night and picking out the same constellations that humans have been looking at for eons. (Learn Ohio’s best spots for stargazing starting on page 44.) The adventures you chase are up to you, but we all could use a little more of them.

The arrival of summer gives us warm days and clear nights to use to their fullest for the weeks and months stretching out in front of us. Let’s make the most of them. We hope this issue helps you find some new adventures to chase with your family and friends this season.

JIM VICKERS

Wonders of Nature: Dayton-based artist Nicole Kessel’s Ember and Art line of pottery reflects her love for the outdoors in pieces inspired by the natural world

Scenic Spot

The city of Cuyahoga Falls is home to a portion of the winding Cuyahoga River as it heads toward Cuyahoga Valley National Park on its way to Lake Erie. This particularly scenic stretch of the river can be seen from the pedestrian walkway at High Bridge Glens, a park along Front Street near downtown Cuyahoga Falls. Photographer Matthew Hoffman captured this view on an August day while out hiking with his son, who requested they go see a waterfall. 1817 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls 44221

Yard Game: These three landmark properties have long histories and expansive grounds that visitors can explore during regular hours or special events