As soon as I got home, I excitedly told my husband that I, Jen, self-professed hater of all things involving running, had run four whole miles and I even kinda liked it.

In the summer of 2020, a good friend and I decided to head out of town and get our feet on a trail. Some lockdown restrictions had lifted and we were able to fly, so with some stimulus cash and unused airline miles, we prepared to head out of state.

Living in Fort Worth, Texas, it can feel like there aren’t a lot of places to hike or recreate outdoors. One of the most common things I hear people say about Texas as it relates to outdoor recreation is “what do you do there?” Or “where do you go?” As it turns out, there are so many options for getting outside whether you’re a hiker, cyclist, paddler, camper, or backpacker. Sometimes you just have to look a little closer or get a little more creative to find them.