🌳 Taking the scenic route together | Outdoorsy Newsletter

Welcome to the first installment of Outdoorsy, The Inquirer’s weekly newsletter that will help you get the most of your time outside this season.

I’m a Florida native, coming up on my first anniversary in Philadelphia. It’s fun to learn about the city I now call home, and that includes venturing outdoors. Through this newsletter, we’ll do it together — with confidence.

📮 What would help you feel more prepared to navigate the outside world? Let me know by emailing me.

⛅ Your weekend weather outlook: a hot Friday is in store, with a high near 92 and a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms. More rain may show up Saturday and Sunday, but there should be some pockets of sunshine.

In our neck of the woods: Pack your bags and let’s go for a panoramic run through Philadelphia nature, and top picks for picturesque sites to behold.

If you see this 🔑 in today’s newsletter, that means we’re highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

— Paola Pérez (@pdesiperez, outdoorsy@inquirer.com)

Picture this: You’re walking along Kelly Drive, absorbing the colorful sights all around. You want to remember this moment, so you take out your phone to snap a photo.

Did you just capture nature, or did nature capture you? Both.

Pennsylvania has no shortage of scenic spots to connect with your inner photographer. Kick off your quest with a dozen places to check out, all within 150 miles of Center City, like the beautiful flora and dazzling fountain displays at Longwood Gardens, and Hawk Mountain’s unique view of the Lehigh Valley landscape.

Note: You don’t even have to be a photographer to enjoy them. These destinations are a nice day out either way. Remember to take a deep breath and soak up all the wholesomeness, too.

For the most snap-worthy spots, including longer day trip options, explore the full list.

At Valley Forge National Historic Park, there are plenty of opportunities to hone your camera skills. There’s just something about the way the sunlight peeks through the foliage, illuminates the scene and tangles itself between the shadows.

🪖 Then: Valley Forge was formerly a winter encampment of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.

🌳 Now: The park offers about 3,500 acres of historical monuments, forests and fields to explore. It’s also a prime spot for birding and wildlife photography (more on those activities a little later).

📍 Visit: 1400 N. Outer Line Dr., King of Prussia, ↔️ 21 miles from Center City.

For a chance to see your photos featured in one of my future newsletters, send me your stunning Valley Forge pics.

Saturday, June 3 is National Trails Day. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than this.

The Wissahickon Trail Classic Run returns after three years of absence due to the pandemic. The course leads you to a scenic route through natural Philadelphia — the steep, rocky, forested and everything else in between.

This year also marks the first time proceeds will go to Friends of the Wissahickon (FOW), a nonprofit that works with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation to maintain the park.

🥾 Distance: 10K (6.2 miles). If you did this run in 2019, the route will seem familiar.

💵 Cost: $50, with option to upgrade for membership to FOW

📍Time and place: West Northwestern Avenue on Saturday, June 3 at 8:30 a.m.

🌳 Level of difficulty: Challenging. Expect “a lot of curves, twists and turns.”

🗺️ Good to know: Volunteers are ready to help you stay on track along the route. There’s also a family-friendly nature walk (1 mile) if you’re not feeling up for the full path. Learn more about the run here.

🎤 Now I’m passing the microphone to Jason Nark. Jason reports on rural parts of Pennsylvania and the outdoors far from city life. You’ll always find his work here.

They went looking for a rural getaway, a small cabin, perhaps, somewhere to shed the stress of living in crowded Philadelphia during a global pandemic. But Brian and Joanna Linton, cofounders of the outdoor brand United by Blue, didn’t leave their business acumen behind. That’s how the couple wound up buying an old, drive-up motel a decade or two past its prime in an area of the Poconos known as “Promised Land.” “This is an area of the Poconos, up here at this elevation, that started to remind me of all the outdoor places I’ve loved,” Brian Linton said recently on his property there.

Escaping the cities for rural areas was common during the pandemic. A Manhattan family decamped to Eagles Mere, population 143, in Sullivan County. A cartoonist from Brooklyn liked Williamsport so much, she bought a home there and turned it into a comedy writer’s residence. The Lintons have chronicled their own ventures in the Poconos on an Instagram channel that’s garnered over 32,000 followers. — Jason Nark

It’s all in Jason’s full feature story. Discover the unique boutique, micro-hotel experience. 🔑

🎤 Jason says: This was taken from my kayak on Beaver Creek, a tributary of the Delaware River in Salem County on a weekend in May.

A refreshing, captivating view — and impressive balance from a kayak! I’m definitely getting back into kayaking this season. We’ll have more on water fun in future installments.

In my first Morning Newsletter, I mentioned that I love trails. A reader responded: “The best trails in Philadelphia are at SCEE (Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education). SCEE alone deserves a book.”

Naturally, I started digging for details.

🌳 Who they are: The Schuylkill Center is a nonprofit organization founded in 1965. It operates a wildlife clinic, and offers summer camps and programs in environmental education, art, and land stewardship.

🌳 In their own words: SCEE’s mission is to inspire meaningful connections between people and nature. “We engage with our forests and fields to foster appreciation, deepen understanding, and encourage stewardship of the environment.”

🌳 In the news: In December 2022, anonymous donors pledged $3 million to preserve 24 acres of woods in the Upper Roxborough section owned by the organization — a relief to neighbors who furiously pushed back against potential development of the site.

Special thanks to Dan Jefferson for the recommendation. I’ll report back on my SCEE adventures — there are over three miles of hiking trails to choose from!

📮 Give us a review of your outdoors experience for a chance to be featured in this newsletter by emailing me back.

Prior to launching this newsletter, I wanted to know what you’re most looking forward to doing outdoors this season. Here’s a taste of some responses:

🚲 biking and cycling

🪴 secret gardens

🧺 picnicking

🚶 nature walks

🐦 birdwatching

⛺ camping

We’ll definitely touch on those and many more outdoor activities in the weeks ahead. Stay safe, and I’ll see you next week.