Let’s Give Thanks for the Outdoors!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! One of the things that Sylvia and I both feel most thankful about is that we have the ability to move around, enjoy the outdoors and be active. We also are thankful we live in a country where so many people feel as passionately about the outdoors as we do! As we give thanks (and […]

A Weekend of Coastal Fortification in Charleston, SC

Charleston, South Carolina ***Though BecauseItzThere is mostly a hiking blog, from time to time we will showcase travel of other sorts here, especially when it related to the outdoors, nature and history. As we’ve been hitting the mountains a lot lately, including two weeks of it in Europe, it was only a matter of time before Sylvia shouted “Enough” and […]

A Hidden Gem at Falls Lake!

  Blue Jay Point County Park, Wake County, NC **We have added Blue Jay Point County Park to our list of best local hikes. The park hosts part of the Mountains to Sea Trail, the continuous footpath that links the twin highlights of the Tar Heel State…it’s fabulous seacoast and its mountainous Western Border. It is one of our favorite […]

Bastille Day and an Update on the TMB

Today is the French Holiday of Bastille Day, when France Celebrates it’s independence. And tomorrow may be another special day in France. What better way to celebrate than with fu-fu coffee at a local French restaurant? But our special days in France are also coming shortly. Sylvia and I will soon be embarking on the adventure of a lifetime – […]

The Last Miles Before the Hundred

Our last conditioning hike of the pre-Tour Du Mont Blanc was completed Sunday. Seven miles out and back on the Falls Lake Trail with fully loaded packs…carrying exactly what we’d be carrying on a typical day of the TMB. The hiking days in the Alps will be longer with much more up and down, of course. The TMB is of […]

Oh Goody! Site Updates!

New updates to Becauseitzthere.com! In addition to some changes to the look and feel designed to make the viewing and reading experience a little better, we are busy building new landing pages for each of our hikes pages with all the details in one concise summary! The landing pages will still link back to the blog posts. You can view […]

The Back Forty: Umstead State Park

William B. Umstead State Park, NC **We have added William B. Umstead State Park to our list of local hikes. It is one of our favorite places to go for a conditioning day trip in the Triangle Area! If you live in the Raleigh/Durham area you almost can’t help but have heard of William B. Umstead State Park. It is […]

The Path to Green

The Neuse River Greenway Not every step you take in the outdoors has to be of the wild sort. Sometimes all you want to do is go for a walk in a peaceful place. Or go for a bike ride. Or jog to keep in condition for the bigger adventures to come. It’s always nice to have such a place […]

A Trail to Fall For

  The Falls Lake Trail, Raleigh/Durham. NC *We had added the Falls Lake Trail to our list of recommended local hikes in the Raleigh/Durham area.. We often train here for the bigger adventures. Being an outdoors adventurer requires a willingness to travel long distances in search of the great adventures of life. Adventures don’t generally come to you, after all. […]