Lauren Matison Crossley

For one pandemic-worn parent, the key to staying close to her family is getting some distance.

One of life’s guaranteed adventures, besides having kids, is a family camping trip. Because when we’re talking about that trusted recipe for fun—dirt, fire, stars, and wild places—it’s nearly impossible for kids not to have a good time. But if you're intimidated by the idea of planning your first family camping adventure, we have good news: there’s no one right way to do it.

My family and I bought a Ford Transit last spring, and it felt like a dirty secret. Despite being a relatively svelte RV, the typical Class B camper gets 16 to 20 miles per gallon and emits far more greenhouse-gas emissions than my Prius or bike, both my long-preferred modes of transit.

Our first day in the van didn't go the way we'd hoped. My husband and I got a late start, and we only made it an hour from home before we had to pull over for burgers and to put our kids to bed.

On a recent trip upstate, we checked in with a few of our favorite Black-owned bakeries and restaurants that are as resilient as they are travel-worthy. In the Catskills and Hudson Valley, amidst spectacular waterfall hikes, artsy small towns, and the vast expanse of open land, these inspiring places and people remind us why we should be celebrating and supporting Black-owned businesses far more than just one month or one trip out of the year.

Car camping has come a long way since the “dry-land yachts” of the early 20th century, when new Model T’s and a back-to-nature movement sent urban travelers packing with 42-pound stoves, ice boxes, and circus-style tents. Nowadays, there is no limit to the diverse range of adventures a well-rigged car can provide: Sleep in a tent next to your car at a drive-up campground in the Rocky Mountains or watch goats climb trees from your car’s rooftop tent at an artisan cheese farm.
Below, we're walk...

You’ve been dreaming about getting out of town for long enough. Between mind-numbing work days, small living quarters, and the general crippling anxiety and stress that comes with living in NYC during a pandemic, escaping for the weekend is completely essential -- especially when you can spend it drinking local wine, going on waterfall hikes, biking to seafood shacks, and roasting marshmallows like you're in a '90s summer-camp movie.

Here are a few tips, for biking and using public transit, that have helped me avoid the simple mistakes and fuel the fun.

My must-have eco travel tips for any kind of family adventure.

Amble, a crowd-funded start-up, organizes monthlong retreats that pair creative professionals with budget-strapped national park conservancies.

Here's something I've never told anyone: My three-year-old son Remy is my secret workout weapon. He has forever changed my relationship to exercise and competition for the better. Here's how, over the last few years, I've made exercise a fun and integral part of my family's life—without any of us feeling like we're forced to do it.

Nature is our happy place. But as much as we all love to camp, now and then it’s nice not to have to plan an entire trip, pack up heavy gear, pitch the tent, worry about running out of water (or running into bears). This season, let someone else sweat the small stuff so there’s nothing for you to do but explore, unwind and surrender to a s’mores state of mind. Glamping doesn’t make you less of an adventurer—just maybe a more relaxed one. With resort-like amenities and private, edge-of-the-world backdrops, these six new outposts have perfected the art of glamping.

Planning a trip, training for a big event, or looking to reinvent yourself? Well, these empowering reads have got your back—and by that we mean they seriously challenge the boundaries of your comfort zone. Celebrating women's athleticism and smashing stigmas about what it means to be a female adventurer, each of these profoundly personal journeys will show you how to develop a lasting sense of resiliency while tapping into your unlimited potential.

“You can't be unhappy in the middle of a big beautiful river,” said writer Jim Harrison. Whether your goal is to see the planet from a new perspective or unplug in an epic setting, few experiences match the invigorating rush of paddling out onto flowing water.
From barreling down America’s grandest rapids on the Colorado River to taking a peaceful stand-up paddleboard ride on the Danube, these aquatic tours promise unforgettable adventures outside your comfort zone.

Long before Norway was named one of the happiest places on Earth by the United Nations, travelers have been humbled by its powerful natural realm. In this land of the midnight sun, where the country’s total population is less than New York City’s, you can have the seemingly infinite wilderness all to yourself while hiking, biking, and paddling.