– By Janelle Goodrich

Step onto the Path…

Close your eyes for a moment and picture this: you’re standing beneath a cathedral of oaks, patches of sunlight flickering across the trail like confetti. A hush settles over the woods, broken only by the chatter of chickadees and the soft swoosh of lake water just out of sight. That’s exactly where you’ll be when MyOutdoorJoy guides us along a gentle three-mile loop at Latta Nature Preserve on Saturday, July 26 at 9 a.m.

Forget fitness trackers and personal-best times; this hike is about letting your shoulders drop. With every easy step, you’ll catch glimpses of Queen Anne’s lace nodding in the breeze, watch dragonflies zip over lily pads, and breathe air so fresh it feels like you’re tasting summer itself. Families, first-timers, and seasoned ramblers are all welcome—no special gear required, just a water bottle, a sun hat, and a pocket snack (hiking tends to awaken snack-gremlins).

“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.”

As naturalist John Muir once quipped—“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” By the time we circle back to the Quest Center, that dirt will feel like medicine.  Reserve your spot now ➜ Click here to register for the Latta Hike!

Craving a Deeper Escape?

If a single morning whets your appetite for more, keep July rolling with MyOutdoorJoy’s Cane Creek Campout (July 11–13). Picture kayaking at sunset, campfire crackles under a quilt of stars, and learning to read the night sky. As adventure-writer Jaime Lyn reminds us, “Jobs fill your pockets, but adventures fill your soul.” Let Cane Creek be the weekend your soul does a cartwheel.  For more details click here.

Details and registration for all outings live at myoutdoorjoy.com—bookmark it for a season’s worth of wanderlust.

So dust off those sneakers, tuck a peach into your daypack, and come collect a pocketful of summer stories. See you on the trail!