Friday Finds #47: Ready for Adventure!

We all need a little adventure in life. Whether it’s a road trip, a tropical vacation, a hike in the woods, or simply learning about someone else’s adventure in a book or a movie. I’m a firm believer that exploring beyond your immediate world is good for the soul. You can physically do it – or just imagine it through printed or spoken word.

For the next few days I plan to do a lot of exploring by walking and hiking around southeastern Tennessee. I don’t need elaborate vacations – I just like to see things for the first time and discover new places. In fact, as a kid I often wondered why some of my friends traveled to the same vacation spot year after year. Didn’t they want to see new places? To each his own, I guess. Familiarity can be quite comforting after all.

You know, I realize that there are many places near me that I’ve never visited – and living in the Chicago area, there’s certainly a lot to see and explore. For example, I’ve never been to Pullman, which is an area on the south side of Chicago that was set up as a town with homes for workers at the Pullman rail car company. I’ve also never been to Waterfall Glen which has plenty of trails and of course, a beautiful waterfall. You don’t necessarily need to travel far to enjoy an adventure.

So this summer I’m making a list of local points of interest that I’ve never visited and will start marking the rounds. I’ll bet you can find places near you that you’ve never seen or enjoyed. It’s never to late to put on your adventurer’s cap!

For this week’s Friday Finds, I’ve gathered a few things you might like to explore!

You don’t want to miss this Swedish fire station that was transformed into a beautiful home! It just goes to show what can be accomplished with creativity and determination.

Looking for a nearby park to enjoy? Visit the America’s Parks website and click on your state, and then your area to find something close to where you live. You might be surprised at what you find.

Do you like learning about historic places? The Insider lists the most beautiful historic areas in each state.

And The Thrillest lists the most beautiful historic neighborhoods across the country. Maybe one of them will be your next vacation destination.

How about a cooking adventure? Go to the Supercook site where you can enter ingredients you have on hand and it gives you a recipe. How did I not know about this??? What a great way to use what’s in your fridge and pantry before the food expires! I’ll be using this site frequently in the future.

Hopefully I gave you a bit of an adventure today and have inspired you to go places where you’ve never been. Let me know if you plan to add something to your explorer’s bucket list! I’d love to hear your stories!