Did you know that June is Great Outdoors Month?

In 2019, the U.S. Senate designated June as "Great Outdoors Month."

So what is Great Outdoors Month? Well... here is the explanation from the National Park Service:

‘Great Outdoors Week’ began under President Clinton in 1998 and has grown under the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations into a month-long celebration of the outdoors. Since 2008, governors from across the country have joined in designating June as a month to celebrate the great outdoors and more than half the states have already proclaimed June 2019 as Great Outdoors Month!

Now that we are half-way thru June, what have you been doing for Great Outdoors Month?

I know many of us are going thru terrible heat waves, so anything you can do to head into the cooler mountain temperatures (for us in Arizona, it's up in our High Country), will help combat the heat and help you enjoy the great outdoors!

Here are some ideas to enjoy Great Outdoors Month and things we've done in the past that help us get out and enjoy nature:

• Go Camping! - preferably somewhere in the mountains where it is cooler

• Go Fishing - usually being around lake water will cool off everyone

• Get Away! - just like Clark Griswald did, load up your station wagon (or SUV or whatever car you can) and head out, get away. Even just a change in scenery can help your enjoy the great outdoors.

• Take a Hike - for anyone in hotter climates, do this early in the morning before the heat of the day makes it unbearable.

• Visit Bearizona - for anyone in the Southwest, this is a fun way to enjoy the great outdoors. And, since it's particularly hot, this makes for a great option because it is a Drive-thru Wildlife Park - stay in the comfort of your air-conditioned car and still enjoy the outdoors :)

• Visit a Nearby Lake - most everyone across the country has a lake within driving distance. Get out there and play in the water - swim, ski, boat, fish, and do whatever other water sports you can. It's always a great reset to enjoy the great outdoors on a lake.

And, no matter where you are, make sure to use sun screen! Even when you feel cool because you are in or around water or in higher elevations that feel cooler, the sun is still beaming down. 

These are just a few things we like to do to enjoy Great Outdoors Month.

We hope you get out and enjoy and relax!