We would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Easter Holiday season. But, let us take it one more step, we would like to recommend some great holiday activities that will involve your family as well keep you active with minimum risk of injury. So, we have made a list of safe, economical adventures in the great outdoors for your Easter Holiday:

1. Watch Jupiter — Jupiter will be low in the night sky in North America. The best time for telescopic viewing is 10:40pm. Look to the west, it will be the brightest object. My family took the 3ft Newtonian Reflector out just last night, and were able to catch a spectacular view of all the gas rings on the planet and (we counted) EIGHT MOONS in a 10mm eyepiece. You could clearly see 3 moons with a 32mm eyepiece but the gas rings were not visible without a filter. Jupiter’s 4/5 phase was clearly a spectacular view. If you have an especially powerful telescope and possess skill in catching objects in your telescope, watch to the east, just a few degrees above the moon to catch the spectacular view of Saturn’s rings! (They should be oriented in a NNW/SSE direction)

2. Go hiking! While the air is still crisp, now is the time to burn some calories before the outdoor sauna sets in making outdoor movement unpleasant in the US Southeast. Bring plenty of water, because even on cool hikes dehydration poses a greater risk when you are feeling cool! Also, if you choose a wilderness hike, bring a survival kit that includes one emergency mirror, a whistle, matches (or flint/steel), thermal blanket, and a first-aid kit.

3. Go camping! There are generally eight public camping locations within a one hour drive for anyone in the southeast United States (and even more in North Carolina). A tent will run approximately $100.00 on Amazon or Wal-Mart and will last you a lifetime if you take care of it! Remember to pitch your tent back at home when you return to allow the tend to air out — moisture left on the tent after packing can catalyze mildew which will eat holes in your nylon tent!

4. Go for a drive! There are amazing wonders to be seen all around the southeastern portion of the United States including: The Great Smoky Mountains, The Blue-Ridge Parkway, Stone Mountain (Georgia), Mt Mitchell, and the beautiful North Carolina beaches. Yes, I am a little partial to North Carolina scenery.

5. Take pictures! Everyone has a phone, and it can be very therapeutic to simply snap a few photos of blooming flowers and trees.

If you would like to make a recommendation, please email us, or post your recommendations in the comments section!