Our skies have been getting darker sooner since the clocks fell back. On the bright side, that’s meant more opportunities to admire this week’s supermoons.
Here’s our itinerary:
For the camping-curious: Pennsylvania state parks are offering a new perk — glamping sites with spacious tents, king-size beds, and more.
Flock to this: A new walking group offers a bird’s-eye glimpse of South Philadelphia.
Winter snow forecast: This has been one of the least snowy five-year periods in Philly’s weather history. What lies ahead this year?
⛅ Your weekend weather outlook: It’s a mixed bag of some sun, some rain, and high temps in the high 60s.
— Paola Pérez and Julie Zeglen (outdoorsy@inquirer.com)
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If you’re reading a newsletter called Outdoorsy, you’re probably already inclined to venture into nature. But for those who feel some trepidation about sleeping in the woods, there’s glamping, aka glamorous camping.
⛺ The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) last month debuted 61 glamping sites across eight state parks. The safari-style tents include amenities such as king-size beds, mini-fridges, coffee makers, and heating and air-conditioning.
⛺ DCNR’s goal is to attract new people to the great outdoors by “expanding overnight options in a way that’s affordable, sustainable, and beneficial to local communities,” executive Cindy Adams Dunn said.
⛺ The closest sites to Philadelphia are at French Creek State Park in Chester and Berks counties.
Learn more about the new accommodations, including their price point.
News worth knowing
Chester’s mayor and other opponents testified Wednesday in response to a plan by Penn LNG to build a liquefied natural gas export terminal in the city or nearby along the Delaware River.
Forecasters are already predicting Philly will see more snow compared to recent winters. But that isn’t saying much, considering the city has been in a historically snow-starved era.
Love Your Park Fall Weekend is Nov. 14 to 16. Organizers are looking for volunteers to clean up, collect leaves, and do other maintenance tasks at any of 100 parks in Philadelphia. Sign up here.
Join the Appalachian Mountain Club for free hikes across the Philly region over the next week, including a moderate hike through Valley Forge on Saturday afternoon.
Have you seen our new Field Trip series? In one of the latest editions, learn how to spend a cozy fall weekend in Honesdale, Pa., just three hours from Philly.
🎤 Now we’re passing the microphone to culture reporter Mike Newall.
Early on a recent sky-blue Saturday, 12 people stood rapt at Sixth and Washington, gazing up at a flock of pigeons perched along a telephone wire.
“What do you see?” a guide posed, as the pigeons cooed, contently.
The docent’s cheerful query loosened a chorus of replies and conversation, including enthusiastic observations on the birds’ shimmering iridescent hues and micro-feather structure, to discussions on the airfoil-like curvature of their wings, obsessive preening, and seasonal molting.
Just then, a white-speckled feather drifted down from the high wire.
“Here’s a feather floating down right here to make a point,” another guide interjected to laughter.
Welcome to South Philly’s hottest new excursion: Philly Pigeon Tours. A weekly, 90-minute morning stroll to several of the Italian Market’s most established flocks, offering an engaging and enlightening glimpse into the long-revered — and more recently rocky — relationship between humans and rock doves, the fancy term for urban pigeons. It’s a look at South Philly through a pigeon’s eyes. — Mike Newall
Take the tour with Mike Newall to learn how it casually covers 5,000 years of pigeon history.
A sunny view
One more thing
Outdoorsy will be taking a break soon. Since this newsletter began, we trekked through a lot of ground, including:
🐻 Learning how to coexist with creatures of nature like coyotes, bears, stinging ants, and ticks
🧑🌾 Prepping our gardens, drying herbs and planting sustainable pollinators
🥾 Finding our perfect hiking trails — solo or with outdoor clubs — with key safety tips
Before we bundle up for the season, it’s time to hear from you. Which activities did you try outside? Did you try a new activity or join any outdoor clubs? Email us back to share your favorite experiences. Pictures, if you have them, are welcome.
See you next week for our 2025 finale!
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