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Fri, 10/05/2018 - 1:53 PM | Ben

Here we go again with another football season. But with all the controversy associated with pro football, a lot of folks are thinking about alternative autumn activities. Tailgating can be a fun, social experience.

But the beer and brats can devolve into a not-so-healthy same-old, same-old if pursued on consecutive weekends. Time to use a little imagination and plan some salubrious, family-friendly outdoor adventures away from the big screen TV, iPhone, Android or any form of wired-in distractions. 

Living in the middle of the Digital Age, with big screens at home and bigger screens in the sports bars, many folks, including the kids, are devolving into couch potatoes. We tend to forget that a lot of people actually participate in sports and outdoor activities.

Americans are traditionally a sporting nation, and we love the bracing feel of autumn air and the sting of competition. Getting up and getting out is really a return to a truer American identity.

Consider the sports that start up in fall, besides football. In high school and college, we have cross country running, ice hockey, field hockey, soccer, softball, lacrosse, fencing, wrestling and plenty more. And let’s not forget cheerleading. These kids may be the best athletes of all!

Not all of us are into organized sports. We prefer to pick and choose our activities according to our personal and family preferences. Hiking and biking are two of the most popular casual activities that don’t require planning, other than the weather.

This author is blessed to live in an exurban area with an abundance of walking trails and cycling paths. In the winter, these all turn into cross-country skiing trails. Nothing could be simpler than lacing on your hiking boots or packing your bike and heading for the park.

Getting up and getting out can be as easy as jumping in the car and heading for a fall festival, an art show, the cider mill or just a scenic tour with a few stops and walk-arounds.

Don’t forget your camera! Photography is one of the best hobbies for getting up and getting out. Digital cameras also provide a wonderful excuse to spend money you don’t have! The new camera phones are capable of taking high-quality images: but you have to get up and get out to find photogenic scenery! 

The one thing that all these sporting and spectator events have in common is that they build up a heck of an appetite. This is when the Beef Jerky Outlet comes into the picture. BJO beef, turkey, wild game jerky and hunter’s sausage are the plus ultra of portable snacks for all of our autumn activities.