Taking off Travel blog

Summer’s coming and it’s a great time to celebrate nature. By Presidential proclamation, June is also Great Outdoors Month, a time to celebrate and help to preserve the environment and enjoy America’s natural beauty. Around the country State Parks and other open spaces are putting on events to celebrate this observance. If you want to take a more personal interest, here are some ways to do that.

1. Walk, Don’t Drive

Before you can really celebrate the great outdoors, you need to be able to see it, and a wonderful way to do that is to explore on foot. When you whiz by at 55 miles per hour or more, there’s not much time to take in any of the wonderful sights America has to offer, but if you walk, you can see everything. Try taking a stroll around your local park or visit a state park and hike the trails to experience the outdoors in a new way.

2. Cleanup Time

Walking also makes it easy to spot trash and litter, so why not do your bit for the environment and take a trash bag and some gloves so you can clean up as you go? Most people don’t litter, but those who do spoil it for the rest of us, so let’s set an example and remove anything that’s spoiling the natural environment. And if we can recycle what we pick up, that’s even better.

3. Camp Out

If you’re going to visit a park, then try the ultimate outdoors experience and camp out. Hike to your favorite spot, pitch a tent and enjoy a couple of nights under the stars. Many state parks have outdoor camping areas. Combine your camping trip with geocaching for an added thrill. Remember to stay safe – June is also National Safety Month.

4. Take to the Water

One of the great things about the outdoors, especially in summer, is the chance to get out on the water. June is also National Oceans Month, so celebrate by heading to the beach, the lake or the river and swimming, surfing, canoeing, kayaking or sailing. Rowing is another good idea or you could indulge in some recreational fishing. Fresh air and sunshine while on the water – what could be better?

5. Get on Board

Want to do something a bit different that’s eco-friendly and burns calories too. Then try skateboarding. Go Skateboarding Day is on June 21, so it can be an important part of celebrating the outdoors. Millions of skateboarders around the world took part in this global observance last year – will you join them this year?

There are literally dozens of things you can do to celebrate the great outdoors this month – what do you plan to do?

Planning a trip this month? Check out Park Ride Fly USA’s latest off airport parking coupon. (Image: Joe King/Flickr)