Adventures are what you make them...

What does 'adventure' mean to you?

It's the sort of question that gets the gears clinking in the brain and the blood pumping through the veins a wee bit. This question was also the raison d'etre of the SHE VENTURES event in New York on September 28th at the Impact Hub. 

The audience, about 40 or so (mostly) women from the New York City area, were all ears, soaking in the opening statement: "We want to light a spark in all of you to figure out what adventure means to you. That's your journey." 
 

In this series, I will feature each speaker from SHE VENTURES NYC in a separate post, starting with a New York-based adventurous spirit.
    

Urban--and not so urban--Adventures
 
A local New Yorker, Sarah Knapp, founder of OutdoorFest was first in the line-up of the TED-style talks. "OutdoorFest," Knapp explained, "is a community of urban dwelling outdoor adventurers." Knapp then recounted her journey into the rabbit hole of urban adventures... by way of an impromptu surfing lesson on chilly March afternoon at Rockaway Beach in Queens. "I chose to get into the ocean, and it was cold, and I didn't know what to expect," she said. " I chose adventure."  

But Knapp didn't stop at her own adventure. She founded OutdoorFest to help people in NYC have outdoor adventures of their own. It began in 2014 as a 10-day festival of fun activities and speakers, from rock climbing and yoga in Central Park to a headlamp 5K to a family nature exploration with the Prospect Park Alliance.  As the web site describes, "Think: "Restaurant Week" for outdoor recreation." In 2017, the OutdoorFests will take place in Washington, DC in May and NYC in June. The group also sponsors meetups called Mappy Hours (for the over 21 crowd) to encourage folks to gather and plan adventures together. 

No Car? No Problem!

How do you get outdoors in NYC, especially in the winter? To follow Knapp's example, you choose adventure! Knapp also runs offMetro.com, a site dedicated to promoting outdoor fun without a car. "When it snows, it is nature inserting itself into our lives," says Knapp in a phone interview. "Physically, snow changes how people think about their surroundings, and there are so many ways to play in the snow in New York." 

The first thing she mentions is sledding. Central Park, Prospect Park and a lot of the other New York City parks have great sledding slopes, especially for young kids. Knapp also notes that, "Ice skating rinks are really fun and accessible and have the holiday spirit that families can really enjoy."

Beyond the Five Boroughs, Knapp says that there are a lot of day and weekend trips to ski areas for skiing and snow tubing fun. For example, hop a bus to Hunter Mountain, a local favorite for skiing, boarding and tubing for a day trip. 

If you have more time, go for a weekend up to Gore Mountain in the Adirondacks. There is also Whiteface in Lake Placid. I can personally attest to the monumental fun you'll have riding the Olympic bobsled run! (More on that in later posts.) 

You can also take a bus to Jiminy Peak in Hancock, MA. I grew up skiing on this mountain, and now my kids get to enjoy it, too. Plus, they have a mountain roller coaster!

Please stay tuned for more posts about hitting the slopes and other winter fun activities throughout the Northeast.

Even if you don't "do" a winter sport, that doesn't mean you have to lose your connection to nature just because it gets cold outside. Put up your hood and go for a walk when it is snowing. There are few things as magical as the muffled sounds of snow falling and the glistening of snowflakes all around you. New York City also has nature centers that have activities for all ages. 

You'll see the world in a whole new way in winter if you just get outside to enjoy it. As Knapp says, "Always choose adventure, because you don't know where it will take you, but it is always worthwhile."