Head Out

Roll up your sleeves and make a difference with voluntourism.

New-experience getaways that help you leave old behaviors behind.

More than just a vacation, these retreat centers offer restoration for mind, body, and soul.

An Experience Life staff member unplugs her devices and enjoys some old-school fun at adult summer camp.

Experience Life’s fitness editor discovers that PrimalCon — an immersion into primal living in the modern world — involves more than just eating like a caveman.

EL‘s Heidi Wachter on the surprising rewards of learning to cook.

Breathtaking views and pristine mountain trails make the Yellowstone Ski Festival an early-season mecca for skiers of all abilities.

A canoe transports you to places you’d never see otherwise — at a speed that allows you to appreciate them.

Thanks to its physical and mental challenges, rock climbing gives new meaning to upward mobility.

Learn about yourself through equine eyes with hippotherapy.

Hoops Nation author Chris Ballard shares his unofficial primer on the unwritten rules of playing pickup basketball.

Skateboarding isn’t just for rebel teens. EL‘s Heidi Wachter drops in at her local skate park’s halfpipe.

No-frills restorative spas offer few amenities, but plenty of relaxation and stress relief. Plus, they’re budget-friendly.

Part yoga festival, part rave, the Wanderlust Festival feeds the mind, body and spirit — well into the wee hours.

Writer Jon Spayde takes a break from his noisy world and spends a few days in quiet contemplation.

Walking trips are a reminder that travel isn’t just about where you go; it’s how you get there.

Not every family outing has to be a big-deal production. Here’s how to get your kids off the couch and into nature the low-key way.

Experience Life‘s social-media specialist, Heidi Wachter, embarks on a photography expedition in the Arizona desert and learns to see nature through a different lens.

This surfing-related fitness trend is as close as most of us will ever get to walking on water.

Saddle up with Relief Riders International for a do-good adventure in one of India’s most dramatic desert landscapes — and find out if “voluntourism” is right for you.

Whether you hire an instructor or head off to surf camp, learning to ride the waves is an excellent way to conquer your fears.