I moved from Texas to Arkansas about 20 years ago. At the time I was unhealthy, highly stressed, and overweight. Moving to the Natural State changed that. I had been living a lifestyle which kept me standing in place or sitting at work, sitting in a car for hours a day, and sitting on the couch for hours every night. I knew better, I dreamed of an active lifestyle returning to my youth spent … [Read more...]
Hard Truths and #LoveLittleRock
October 20, 2017 By 1 Comment
Yesterday, Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, Little Rock Mayor Stodola along with the city of Little Rock jumped into (actually out of) the Amazon Headquarter 2 (H2) fray with a creative breakup letter. The letter, printed in the Washington Post, is an interesting public relation move that is already getting a great deal of attention in national media. The tongue-in-cheek attitude of the … [Read more...]
10 Reasons Why Parks Will Make You a Better Person | Outside Online
July 21, 2017 By Leave a Comment
I'm kinda a parks guy. My day job has been with Arkansas State Parks for over eleven years but it goes back way farther than that. I was raised traveling to and camping in National Parks out west. I raised my family going to parks and when I moved to Little Rock twenty years ago, I fell in love with Pinnacle Mountain State Park. It was one of the main reasons I stopped my rambling ways and became … [Read more...]
Your Next Carbon Bike Will Be Made in Arkansas | Outside Online
May 11, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Made in Arkansas is a big deal and now means something in the international bicycle industry. Here is a great article in Outside Magazine. The Alfa Road, the company’s signature 875-gram frame, is hand-built in Little Rock and sells for $4,000 when equipped with Shimano Ultegra components and Mavic Aksium wheels. (It’s $2,700 for the frameset.) By comparison, a similarly equipped, likely … [Read more...]
Land of OZ: Northwest Arkansas’ MTB Network | BIKE Magazine
May 9, 2017 By Leave a Comment
A good article on mountain biking history in Arkansas as long as you remember that they left the pre-Oz Trails era out of Northwest Arkansas. Mountain biking in NWA dates its start back to the late 1980's at Devil's Den State Park with the first mountain bike festival in the state. One that has been enjoyed for almost 30 years. This year is also the twentieth anniversary of the Ozark Off-Road … [Read more...]
Why You Should Join a Membership Organization — Outdoor Alliance
May 8, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Do you enjoy our wild spaces? Do you hike, paddle, climb, mountain bike or trail run? You can help protect these places by joining a membership organization. Here are some national organizations and below the article are links to some Arkansas-based organizations. In the last few months, the public's interest in civic engagement and advocacy is through the roof. At Outdoor Alliance, we do a … [Read more...]
Report: Consumers spend $887 billion on outdoor recreation each year – Talk Business & Politics
May 3, 2017 By Leave a Comment
The outdoor industry continues to grow in the Natural State. Here are some economic reasons to continue to improve the state's outdoor recreation opportunities and protect the special places that we not only enjoy but are also key to the economic development of Arkansas. Outdoor recreational activity generates $887 billion in consumer spending each year, according to a report released April … [Read more...]
Go ahead, wander your way — High Country News
January 20, 2017 By Leave a Comment
An interesting opinion piece from High Country News. In a time when we as a country are so divided should we remain divided on how we experience the outdoors? How will we protect our access to these outdoor places that we enjoy in different ways if we can't get along within our larger community? I certainly don't have answers to these questions but I'd like to read your thoughts and tell us how … [Read more...]
How to Not Drive Like an Idiot This Winter | Outside Online
January 6, 2017 By Leave a Comment
This seemed like a good time to share this, or actually, last week would have been a good time to share this but you probably wouldn't have paid attention to it then. The social media world is all abuzz today in Arkansas with jokes about our inability to deal with a light snow but, as this article shows, this is a problem across the country. So take in this story and try to prepare for the next … [Read more...]
Resolved to be Involved – 2016
December 31, 2016 By Leave a Comment
Welcome to 2017 everyone. I'm sure everyone has come up with new year resolutions by now. After doing some quick research online it seems that most resolutions involve quitting something or getting something. This is certainly true of those of us who want to improve our health. We want to quit smoking or alcohol or eat less. Others want to be better at a physical activity like running and cycling. … [Read more...]
