Recreation

A footpath weaves through ferns and trees on Denecourt Trail No. 6. The designer made sure the paths meandered around interesting features.

The Invention of Hiking

Follow the Frenchman who remade the woods surrounding a royal estate into the world’s first nature preserve

Johannes Vermeer's The Astronomer, 1668, (left) and recreation by Zumhagen-Krause and her husband featuring tray table, blanket and globe (right)

This Museum Is Asking People to Remake Famous Artworks With Household Items

The Getty Museum hopes its social media challenge will spark inspiration amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Exploring Five of the Most Iconic Wreckage Sites in Bermuda

The island’s ‘custodian of historic wrecks’ shares his favorite underwater sites for divers to experience

The Zamboni totally transformed winter sports by giving chopped-up ice surfaces a fresh-frozen smoothness in a matter of minutes.

How the Zamboni Changed the Game for Ice Rinks

Invented by rink owner Frank Zamboni, the ice-clearing machine celebrates its 70th anniversary this year

Visitors to CopenHill can ski or snowboard on four artificial slopes, a slalom course and a freestyle park.

You Can Hike, Fish and Even Ski at These Visitor-Friendly Power Plants

Copenhagen's new green power plant with a ski slope is just the latest energy facility with tourist attractions

Monon and Ottily Bayer, the daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Otto Bayer of Costamesa, California, pose in a small, "bunk bed" trailer at their campground in the Shasta National Forest. California, August 1953.

Ten Inventive Attempts to Make Camping More Comfortable

Making a stay in the great outdoors more luxe isn’t new—even if glamping and #vanlife are

Loop the Loop at Coney Island, 1903

14 Fun Facts About Roller Coasters

For starters, one of the oldest coasters in America carried coal before it carried passengers

The Wiffle Ball comes with slots on one side to make it easier to throw curves and other pitches.

How the Wiffle Ball Came to Be

Patented in 1957, the lightweight ball saved players' arms and more than a few windows

Blue Hole Regional Park, just south of Austin, Texas, is sought after for its canopy of bald cypress trees and its two rope swings.

The Sublime Sensation of the Swimming Hole

Kick off your shoes and jump into summer's most refreshing tradition on a lazy afternoon

Melting Glaciers on Denali Will Unleash Tons of Human Poop

An estimated 66 tons of feces left behind by climbers is coming out of the deep freeze on North America's highest peak

A Brief History of the RV

In 1915, technology merged with the "back to nature" movement, leading to the invention of the motorhome

The 20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2018

From Oregon Trail stops to Mister Rogers' original neighborhood, these towns are worth seeing this year

Ounce for ounce, this bird is worth more than gold.

How the Arrival of One Bird Brought $223,000 to a Pennsylvanian Town

The rare black-backed oriole showed up outside Reading, Pennsylvania, and birdwatchers flocked to the scene

Part of the Great Trail in Nova Scotia

Canada Completes World's Longest Hiking Trail

After 25 years and millions of dollars, the coast-to-coast hiking, biking and paddling trail has an official route

Parisian Nudists Get Designated Area to Frolic "au Naturel"

An increasing number of people in France espouse a clothing-free lifestyle

A family walks towards the entrance of Disneyland, circa 1960.

Disneyland's Terrible First Day Didn't Stop the Crowds From Coming

Nothing was ready. But by the end of the first week, more than 100,000 people had visited

Images of Yosemite, like this one taken circa 1865, helped increase public appetite for the park.

Lincoln's Signature Laid the Groundwork for the National Park System

The "Yo-Semite Valley" was made a California state park on this day in 1864, but it quickly became a national park

The interior of the 1876 Glaciarium

The First Artificial Skating Rinks Looked Pretty But Smelled Terrible

Before the technology to reliably freeze water existed, the first rinks used pig fat and salts

A surfer at Huntington Beach in Southern California

California May Lose Popular Surfing Spots to Rising Seas

A changing climate may make iconic breaks disappear

Chris Bertish at his finishing line in Antigua

Man Crosses the Atlantic On a Stand-Up Paddleboard

South African surfer Chris Bertish spent 93 days paddling 4,050 miles between Morocco and Antigua

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