Love isn’t for Sale, but Hot Dates Are!
Support Richmond CenterStage’s Education & Artistic Programs by placing your bids on amazing date packages with the city’s top bachelors and bachelorettes.

Master of Ceremonies: Jason Roop, Editor in Chief of STYLE WEEKLY.

When: Saturday, May 19, 2012 6:30PM

Where: Richmond CenterStage, Rhythm Hall, 600 E. Grace Street.

Cost: Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. VIP Tickets are $60 and include premium auction seating, hors d’oeuvres and an open-bar reception.

Go to richmondcenterstage.com/singleinthecity for tickets and a sneak peek at date packages and who’s up for bid or call at 804.592.3370.

Come bid on my date package. Jim Beam / NASCAR VIP experience. 2 tickets to the Jim Beam Suite, 2 Pit Passes. Drinks before, during and after the race. Optional transportation to and from the race provided by BioRide.

Each year in late April or early May and again in mid September NASCAR invades Richmond, Virginia. There are four total races each taking place under the lights which makes it even more exciting. It is a huge event for the city and over 100,000 fans come out to eat, drink, camp and watch some racing.

I have had the pleasure of going to these races for many years thanks to my sister Michelle Williams, who at the time of this writing has six successful restaurants and our good friends at Jim Beam who until recently sponsored Robby Gordon’s race team. As you can imagine the Beam crew knows how to throw a party and having a suite overlooking the start finish line is hard to beat.

It is also really enjoyable getting to take someone to their first race because they either have expectations from television or what their friends tell them, but until you are there it does not compare. Rozlyn was my victim and she got to hold Dale Earnhardt Jr’s lug nuts in his garage after the race.  How is that for a first time experience? We were also able to attend a private Q & A session with NASCAR rookie Travis Pastrana thanks to Rich Denzler, Senior Manager of New Media & Communications at RIR.

On Friday night Kurt Busch edged Denny Hamlin to win the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 in an exciting finish. Then on Saturday Kyle Busch won the Capital City 400 Presented by Virginia is for Lovers beating Dale Earnhardt Jr by a few seconds. We were in Gatorade Victory Lane for all the celebrations and even got up close to Joe and J.D. Gibbs the car owners of Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch. Joe Gibbs is also very well known for winning three Superbowl Championships with the Washington Redskins in the 90′s.

Dennis Bickmeier, President of RIR and Rich Denzler took us on a little tour of some of his favorite fan camp sites following the Friday night race. All I remember is eating a huge brownie and drinking some delicious concoction.

Good times are always had at RIR. I am looking forward to September already.

Richmond’s first Food Truck Court is coming to the Museum District in April 2012 @ The Virginia Historical Society

According to The Virginia Historical Society’s Website:

“The Virginia Historical Society is hosting the RVA Food Truck Court, a gathering of several mobile catering vendors, for two weeks in April. Participating food trucks will offer gourmet chef inspired food, specialty beverages, and desserts. Patrons are invited to utilize the picnic tables and grassy courtyard located inside the VHS parking lot to enjoy their dining purchases.”

Read the rest of the article

Visit the Food Truck Court Website built by Fletch Padgett and I to promote this event.

What is Wunderlist you ask?

Wunderlist is a free online task management tool that allows you to keep track of anything and everything from any device. I use it on a daily basis on my desktop, laptop and phone.

You can of course create any lists you want, but here is how I use it.

Day of Week

I have a list for each day of the week. I use this for my day to day to do’s like which workout I’m going to do or things I need to get done that day.

General To Do

This list has things that are not day specific such as “Do Taxes” or “Return Clothing”.

Wants

This is where I keep bigger type items that I want. The General To Do List might have something like “Get Picture Framed”, but this list has things like “Get New Laptop”.

CVD Work

I use this list to organize my business leads so I know who I’ve spoken to, what kind of project they want, when we may begin working, etc.

CVD To Do

If I want or need something specific to my business I will put it here. For example buying and installing a new plugin or WordPress Theme.

Household

The household list has specific items to the home such as “Buy New Den Furniture” or “Replace Kitchen Light”.

Music

How many times are you in your car, watching Late Night with Jimmy Fallon or Saturday Night Live and hear a band you like? It happens to me often and so this list is for those situations. I just enter the artist and look them up later when I have time. No forgetting their name.

Groceries

Grocery list on pen and paper is so 2009. Using Wunderlist make this a breeze. As the days and weeks pass since my last trip to the store I just pop in and out of this list adding things I will need for my next trip. And if you happen to make an unexpected trip all you have to do is open it and get what you need. No forgetting your paper list at home. There is now also a great new app called Zip List. It’s a grocery list and recipe app all in one. Its main use is for this so I’m likely to transition my grocery list usage over to Zip List.

Foursquare Badges

My final list is used to notify me of potential badges that I can still earn on Foursquare. Yes, this is super dorky, but I don’t care. I like my worthless digital trophies and this helps me get new ones by reminding me about the unlock rules for each badge.

So this is my Wunderlist. Do you use Wunderlist? If so, how do you use it?

Top Tweeple

Grid Magazine Issue #13
1/16/2012
by Paul Spicer

So, why do you Tweet?

I tweet for many reasons. I work from home as a web designer so it gives me the social interaction that an office provides others. I also use it as a promotional tool by sharing my work, as well as informative blog posts and tweets from people I follow that my audience might enjoy. It’s a great source for breaking news, helping others with their questions, and even finding a missing person or a lost item. I tweet looking for recommendations on new restaurants or services I am interested in and that’s where my followers have an opportunity to lend feedback. Furthermore, if you travel a lot like me, having a Twitter following is extremely useful because you can instantly get feedback regarding the local surroundings.

And on an average day, how often do you figure that you tweet?

Howoftendoyoutweet.com will tell you. Currently I’m at 4.1 per day, but it takes into account your total number of days on Twitter vs your total number of tweets so mine isn’t exactly accurate since I’ve been a member for so long. In the early years people weren’t using Twitter like they are today. They either didn’t know it existed or if they did they didn’t know how or why they should be using it. I would try and interact with people, but it just didn’t catch on until a few years ago so my activity wasn’t like it is today. One of my favorite tweets to look back on now was from a friend that said: “What’s so special about this app? Seems just like email or IM.” That pretty much sums up what most people thought about Twitter until the last few years and today I would bet many would still say the same thing.

Time to brag — do you have a favorite tweet of your own that you’ve posted?

My brag would be my first tweet. I’m betting I’m the longest standing Twitter user in RVA. As of today, December 16, 2011, I have been active for 1751 days, or March 1, 2007. The actual project started on March 21, 2006 by @Jack, but didn’t go public until July 15, 2006. Until that point it was still an internal service being used by Odeo, a company that Jack and some others started. In April 2007 Twitter was officially its own company and I was already a user. That’s kinda baller I guess. If anyone can beat that, holler at me. We should be friends. www.howlongontwitter.com/

Which of your tweets have been the most popular, caused the most stink, or generated the most buzz?

I’m not a confrontational person by nature in real life so I don’t try and hide behind a handle in Twitter life and cause drama or just be a troller. I’m here to make friends, not enemies. I’m here to help people and in return be helped when I need it. I’m here to hopefully make you laugh and say what’s on my mind while treading that thin line of what’s appropriate and what’s not. Being confrontational on Twitter is the quickest way to get followers, because we all enjoy watching a good Twitter fight, but I just have no desire to be part of one. A recent tweet I posted linking to a blog post I wrote about a new restaurant in town got a lot of traffic because one of my followers endorsed it. That led to a dramatic increase in clicks and views on my blog. Thanks @ksiddall.

Got a good Twitter story?

Why yes I do. In March 2011 VCU Mens Basketball made it into the NCAA Tournament. Some of us on Twitter who had mostly only been virtual friends planned a meet-up at Home Team Grill to watch the game. We won the game so we met again. We won that game so we met again. We ended up hanging out for four games and had quickly formed a solid bond with each other. We are now all friends and hang out in real life.

Any favorite (good or bad) replies?

When you have an open forum like Twitter it’s the bad replies you should be worried about especially if you are tweeting as yourself or a business and not tweeting fictitiously. Having a tweet is awesome especially if it’s a well known Twitter personality, but that doesn’t compare to having someone or a group of people bash you for all to see. I’ve seen it a lot and if handled improperly it can greatly hurt your brand. #boomgate (@orlandowynn) anyone? It can of course also make the person or persons doing the trolling look terrible, but they probably have nothing better to do so I’m sure they don’t care.

Who are some of your favorite Tweeps that you’re currently following?

Design: @DesignerDepot provides good fresh content. News: @mashable because they know pretty much everything first. Sports: @danawhite and @RealSkipBayless because they are controversial. TV: @jimmyfallon because he knows how to use Twitter in a fun and creative way. Health: @EatThisNotThat because they provide healthy alternative food options. Comedy: @KF*CKINGP and @danieltosh because their shows are hilarious and you never know what they are going to say. Social Media: @garyvee because he

tells it like he sees it and @hubspot for amazing content and ebooks. My RVA crew mentioned earlier and any other RVA person who will share and communicate with me.

If you weren’t using your current Twitter handle, what would you call yourself?

@chadwilliams. Honestly I don’t even know what happened. As mentioned earlier I started using Twitter in 2007 with the handle @echadwilliams, because my first name is Emory, but the handle @chadwilliams wasn’t created until May 22, 2008. I don’t recall creating that account and it only has one super informative tweet, “Wmtpjm.” I’ve asked Twitter for years to clear it, but they haven’t supported that in years and at this point it’s irrelevant, but it wouldn’t be worth starting over.

When you’re not using Twitter what other platforms tickle your fancy?

I am very active on Facebook, yes one of their 800+ million users, since it’s still the best place to connect with friends, family and now even strangers via the subscribe feature which is like following on Twitter. I also use Facebook for my business. Klout is the newest and most interesting site because it ranks your social relevance (aka Klout) online. I’m also a member of Google+ personally and for business. It’s a more tech heavy, man demographic currently, but is growing. I use Tumblr for my one of my personal blogs and I was among the first 3% of Foursquare’s 15 million plus users, where I am a Level 1 Superuser. I also have profiles on Stumbleupon, Last.fm, Digg, Pandora, and Spotify. So you shouldn’t have any trouble finding me.

What’s coming up next for you in 2012, in terms of how you plan to use Twitter or other platforms?

I am a fan of all social media, but there is still a long way to go to educate the every day person on all the different options and why they might want to join a certain network or how they could use each to benefit them. Part of my job is to try and help educate those who want to know more, but just need a little help. The more people on these networks share information the more robust they become. Content is king in today’s Internet so the more valuable content you have out there or share the more recognition you will receive.

What I’m looking forward to is taking all the social interactions we share on platforms like Foursquare, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, etc. and using it to predict where we should go or what we might want to be doing, not where or what we are currently. We haven’t even begun to scratch the surface so I’m very excited for 2012 and beyond.

Snowboarding is by far one of my biggest passions and when my trip to Big Sky, Montana fell through I had to scramble to make something happen. Thankfully the Internet exists and we have these things called Facebook and Twitter.

Back in 2007 I met Espree Devora (@espreedevora) in South Lake Tahoe and during that trip she met Mascha van Tongeren (@xadness). I only know Mascha through Espree and have become friends with her through the usual social channels. Since my trip wasn’t happening I checked to see if she was doing anything and what do you know some of her friends were going to Colorado. Her friend Sarah Vergara (@nosaltadded) who is also a Twitter friend of mine and Kristen Ruiz (@kruiz) had a trip planned and they extended an offer to me and things were looking up.

I immediately bought a Epic Local Pass which is good at all Vail Resorts (Vail, Breckenridge, Beaver Creek, Keystone, Northstar and Heavenly) plus Arapahoe Basin and Sierra at Tahoe  is thrown in there for an extra benefit. It’s an incredible deal that really can’t be beat. Here is an example of what I’m talking about. Day tickets for each Vail resort we went to were $116 at Vail, $111 at Breckenridge, $116 at Beaver Creek and $107 at Keystone. That’s $450 to ride each of those resorts 1 time. It was also $79 at Arapahoe Basin so going to all five Colorado resorts would cost $529 and I paid $520 for my season pass. On top of that if you buy your pass early enough you get 4 “Buddy Passes” which allow you to purchase up to 4 tickets for a friend at $69. If you wait too long that price goes up to $93, but that’s still between $14-23 less than full price. You also get 6 “Ski with a Friend Passes” which give you discounted tickets as well. The point is that the Epic Local Pass offers tremendous value and essentially pays for itself in five days. On this trip alone I got 10 days on the mountain so I already saved at least $500.

If you make it out to Denver or these Colorado mountains here are some things I would recommend.

• We went to Steuben’s for dinner which happened to be on the Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Super cool place so if you are in Denver.
• Moe’s Original BBQ in Lionshead at Vail.
• Beavertails at Keystone. Do yourself a favor if you are there and get one.
• Fresh cookies are served outside at Beaver Creek at 3pm.
• Go to Garfinkel’s in Lionshead at Vail for sports and nachos.

I’m heading back out in late February for Part 2 so until then it’s back to work.

I just completed #70 of my Day Zero Project.

Originally I created this challenge when I was brainstorming things to add to the list. I choose 101 just to stick with the theme. The goal is to eat at 101 restaurants you have never been to before. These can be anywhere as long as you have never been. That means you must average at least one restaurant every ten days. For me it wasn’t a matter of if I would complete this challenge, but when. However to my surprise I completed it in 391 days or 1 year, 26 days which is less than once every four days. That might be a bit ambitious for some of you because you have to constantly seek out new locations to try. And if you look at my final list you will notice there are no fast food restaurants and no chains (ok one, Johnny Rocketts) which when you think in those terms makes doing it the way I did even harder because everything was local. At my current pace I will reach 250 new restaurants, but I think 200 will be a good new goal.

Taking a little deeper look here is the breakdown of where I spent my time.

• 61 in Virginia (56 in Richmond, 2 in Charlottesville, 2 in Virginia Beach and 1 in Elkton)
• 22 in California
• 10 in the Virgin Islands
• 6 in Anguilla
• 1 in Raleigh, North Carolina

Have you started a Day Zero Project? If so, share it in the comments below.

The BRO 100 – 100 Adventures, 12 Months, Zero Excuses

I picked up the free local monthly Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine at a local board shop and what do you know there is an awesome list of 100 things to do in Virginia that are all catered to the outdoors person. Click here to see their original post, but in the event theirs goes missing here is another opportunity to see it. I have only done 7 things on this list and many of them are quite extreme so there is certainly something on here for everyone. Next time you are bored use this as a resource or you can view my other post Things to do in Richmond Virginia for some additional inspiration.

JANUARY

1. Channel your inner animal. Polar bears may be disappearing in the Arctic, but their numbers are growing in the Southeast. Take the Polar Plunge at Lake Lure, N.C., on January 1, or head to Blowing Rock, N.C., on January 29 for a polar bear dip during Winterfest.

2. Freeze your paddle off. The 23rd annual Chili Run attracts paddlers from across the region to paddle the class II+ Cartecay River on January 1. Enjoy piping-hot chili afterward.

3. New Year, Old Rag. A handful of hardy hikers head up to Shenandoah every New Year’s Day to summit Old Rag Mountain.

4. Get tough this year. Train like a SEAL. Former Navy SEAL John McGuire has been helping people get into the best shape of their lives for over 10 years. Training as part of a team, you’ll get worked, you’ll get wet, and you’ll train hard–outside, nonetheless. sealteampt.com

5. See Blackwater Falls—in the snow. Whet your winter palate with a visit to Blackwater Falls, W.Va., then enjoy the cold-weather paradise of Canaan Valley area surrounding the falls.

6. Explore the South’s newest National Park. Congaree National Park, just south of Columbia, S.C., contains some of the largest old growth trees in the Eastern U.S. They also grow in a massive, swampy floodplain that you can canoe through year-round.

FEBRUARY

7. Ski Cupp Run. Snowshoe Mountain’s top-to-bottom, two-minute big boy run is downhill racer David Lippucci’s favorite run in Appalachia.

8. Train for a marathon or half marathon. Whether you’re training for the Charlottesville Marathon and Half Marathon (April 7), the Charlotte Half Marathon (April 14), the Blue Ridge Marathon and Half Marathon (April 21), or the Kentucky Derby Marathon (April 28), or the legendary Boston Marathon (April 16), February is the month to bulk up on mileage and get serious about training.

9. Catch a Bluegrass Show at the Purple Fiddle.

10. Skate ski at White Grass. Over in West Virginia near the Canaan Valley area, Chip Chase has carved out the most impressive cross-country ski park in the entire region. Whether you’re cross-country skiing or you want to get some speed going, White Grass will satisfy your thirst.

11. Paddle at the U.S. National Whitewater Center. The center in Charlotte, N.C., includes an artificial class II-IV whitewater river, along with hiking, mountain biking, and climbing on the 400 surrounding acres.

12. Try snowkiting. Dolly Sods and Roan Mountain are ideal spots for wind-powered fun.

13. Trek the A.T. in winter across Roan Mountain. The A.T. crosses the 6,285-foot Roan High Knob on Roan Mountain.  Keep heading north and the trail covers 10 miles of balds with incredible views–often touted as the best section of the entire A.T. Enjoy this winter wonderland on foot or on skis.

MARCH

14. Learn to roll a kayak. Visit the Nantahala Outdoor Center or Endless River Adventures in Western North Carolina, D.C.’s Potomac Paddlesports, Richmond’s Adventure Challenge, or join the Georgia Canoeing Association in Atlanta.

15. Catch a flick. And get educated while doing so. Since 1993, the D.C. Environmental Film Festival has showcased world-class outdoor documentaries and features.

16. Bike the Virginia Creeper Trail. Beautiful countryside, pristine creeks, and old bridges are highlights of this flat 34-mile ride.

17. Read the coal history of the New River Gorge, and then hike it. The New River Gorge was once the heart of the Industrial Revolution, supplying staggering amounts of coal to the entire U.S. Mining towns sprang up along the C&O Railroad throughout the gorge. There are still ghost-town remnants of some of them.

18. Get tropical at the Snowy Luau Festival. Timberline Resort’s spring Polynesian fest is a must for anyone looking to cap off their ski season in style. The night-time torchlight parade, where skiers descend the mountain in unison carrying torches to form a fiery lava trail, is spectacle all on its own.

19. Run an ultra. Terrapin Mountain 50K in late March is an ideal ultra for rookies: it’s a scenic loop trail course in George Washington National Forest with challenging-but-doable climbs and outstanding race support.

20. The Cold Mountain Challenge. Hike in the footsteps of Inman. Made famous by the book and movie, Cold Mountain is nestled in the corner of North Carolina’s Shining Rock Wilderness. Take the Art Loeb trail for a strenuous-yet-rewarding ten-mile roundtrip hike to the summit.

21. Paddle the Linville Gorge. Massive holes, great rapids, unspoiled canyon.

22. Rim to Rim Across the Linville Gorge. Named for William and John Linville, the father-son explorer team who fell to their fate when the area’s Cherokee Indians scalped them in 1766, the gorge is as rugged as its history.

23. Bike the Triple Crown of Dirt. Mountain bike three of the most popular fat tire destinations in the East—Tsali Recreation Area, Dupont State Forest, and Pisgah National Forest—over three consecutive days.

APRIL

24. Run naked. The Fig Leaf 5K at Paradise Valley in Georgia may be the best.

25. Team up for an adventure race. Bored of your standard routine? Try mountain biking, running, trekking, kayaking, canoeing, rappelling, orienteering, river crossings, climbing, mystery challenges—all with a team. The Blue Ridge Adventure Race, a 46-mile ordeal in Georgia’s Chattahoochee National Forest, is ideal for beginners and experts alike.

26. Ride dirt roads. The Hill Billy Roubaix is a Southern take on a European road cycling tradition. The 70-mile bike race covers 60 percent paved roads, 38 percent gravel roads, and two percent completely trashed roads in northern West Virginia. Do: bring extra tubes. Don’t: bring your road bike.

27. Learn to fly-fish. If you’re anxious to get a line in the water but don’t know where or how to start, check out Fly Fishing Adventures in Shenandoah Valley, Va. where you can schedule guided lessons or fishing trips year-round on Buffalo Creek, Back Creek, and the Jackson River.

28. Get dirty. The Goodwill Mud Run in Greenville, S.C. offers several race categories, including “Out for Blood” for competitive athletes and “What Were We Thinking?” and “If We’re Not Back in an Hour and a Half, Come Find Us!” divisions for less experienced folk. April 14-15.

29. Backcountry camp Dolly Sods. The closest thing to Canada you’ll find in the region, the Dolly Sods Wilderness is truly something unique and spectacular. Explore the sweeping, panoramic vistas from the 4,000-foot plateau.

30. See the Southeast’s largest falls. The 411-foot Whitewater Falls in Gorges State Park, N.C., are the largest falls east of the Mississippi. Head downstream to explore more fun falls, including Turtleback Falls, known to locals as “Bust-yer-butt” Falls.

31. Hike Cumberland Island Wilderness. Paddle by sea kayak (or catch the ferry) over to Cumberland Island National Seashore and explore its 8,000-acre wilderness, which includes windswept beaches, alligator-filled lakes, and ancient live oaks just begging to be climbed.

32. Run barefoot. Barefoot running can offer health benefits that normal running cannot, but there’s more to it than just shedding your shoes and hitting the trail. Step into a pair of Vibram Five Fingers shoes or the Merrell Trail Gloves. Start with just a half-mile on grass or soft terrain to allow your body to adjust.

33. Take the South Beyond 6000 or the Smokies 900 Hiking Challenge. There are a couple ways you can prove you’re worth your salt around here. Climb all 40 of the 6,000-foot peaks in the Southern Appalachians, or hike the 900 miles of hiking trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Or take it to the next level and create your own challenge.

MAY

34. Hike Lindy Point. The Lindy Point overlook near Blackwater Falls is a short, family-friendly hike offering stunning views of Appalachia.

35. Explore the A.T. Pick a spot anywhere along the 2,180-mile trail and get out there. The 72-mile stretch through Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers the highest and most spectacular vistas. For a less crowded adventure, explore the A.T. near Damascus, Va., then celebrate at the Trail Days Festival afterward.

36. Hike through Joyce Kilmer’s old-growth forest. California has their giant redwoods and sequoias. We’ve got our 400-year-old tulip poplars and hemlocks. These old-growth wonders eluded the axe and stand mighty and proud in a secluded corner of North Carolina.

37. Bike fishing. Throw your fly-fishing gear in the back seat of the car and your bike atop, grab a backpack, and head to Abington, Va. Here you can visit the Virginia Creeper Fly Shop before picking up the Virginia Creeper Trail where you can bike and fish all day. There are even camping areas on the trail if you decide to make a weekend out of it.

38. Experience a music festival in its infancy. A celebration of life every Memorial Day weekend, Rooster Walk remembers Edwin “The Rooster” Penn and Walker Shank, two young friends and music lovers who passed away a few years back. This year they are expanding from two to three days of music and planning to include a 5K run.

39. Do the ‘Vous. The New River Rendezvous climbing competition is celebrating its 10th anniversary in the New River Gorge, W.Va. Live music, food, camping, videos, climbing clinics put on by pros, cash prizes, and all the climbing you can ask for.

40. Hike in the footsteps of Bartram. Between 1773 and 1777, America’s first naturalist, William Bartram, explored the South. Dive into the past and hike this 100-mile memorial trail from Georgia into North Carolina.

41. Fly fish the Upper Chattooga River. The Wild and Scenic River passes Ellicott Rock, the marking point where Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina all come together. From Ellicott Rock to Highway 28 bridge is some of the best trout fishing in the Southeast.

42. Climb a Continuous, Vertical Mile in a Day by Trail. The best candidate in our region is Mount LeConte (elevation 6,593’) from Gatlinburg (elevation 1,289’). This hike begins at redlight #5 in Gatlinburg and finishes at the summit of Mt. LeConte gaining 5,302 feet. You start on the sidewalk, pick up the Twin Creek Trail, then Cherokee Orchard Road to Rainbow Falls Trail. 10.7 miles one way.

JUNE

43. Overnight paddling trip. A canoe is the perfect craft for a summer adventure. Canoe-friendly rivers include the French Broad, Tuckaseegee, New, and James.

44. Get your SCUBA license. A few days of bookwork, pool practice, and open water dives and you’ll have yourself a lifelong SCUBA dive license recognized worldwide. The great outdoors below the surface of the great blue seas may just be the final frontier.

45. Sleep in a hammock. String up a hammock between two trees and prepare for a night beneath the stars.

46. 24-hour bike race. The Dark Mountain trails in Wilkesboro, N.C. are home to the annual Burn 24 Hour Challenge: 24 hours of mountain biking on a seven-mile singletrack circuit. Grab some pals and get a team together or take it on solo.

47. Do Bonnaroo. ‘Nuff said.

48. Thru-Bike the Blue Ridge Parkway (or Skyline Drive). “Be prepared to be in the saddle for four to seven hours a day, several days in a row, and riding a consistent pace,” says Paul Wood, owner of Black Bear Adventures, who offers guided Parkway thru-rides. “It’s up and down all the time. There are no flats. You climb for two hours and descend for five minutes, then do that again, all day long.”

49. Stand up paddleboard on a river. The James and the Nantahala are paddleboard-friendly.

50. Wreckdive. The Outer Banks is host to a plethora of historic sunken ships due to its treacherous weather, large shoals, and wars of the past. Dive down and get a closer look at one of these sunken graves; Nags Head Diving offers guided tours.

51. Climb Like a Soldier. An elite group of GI mountaineers referred to as ski troopers came to Elkins, W.V., during WWII to train on the dangerous crag that is Seneca Rocks. The elite army Mountain Training Group was set up for low altitude assault training at the base of those powerful rocks that jut out of the Earth in Pendleton County. There’s a reason they were sent here to train. Seneca Rocks ain’t no joke.

52. Be Selfish…and Eco at the Same Time. Get to work some way other than your car. It will make your day better.

JULY

53. Get your festival on. Floyd Fest 11: July 26-29th, at Milepost 170.5 of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Floyd, Va. Headlining: Michael Franti & Spearhead, Brandi Carlile, Leftover Salmon, Matisyahu and many others.

54. Cliff jump. Head up to St. Mary’s Wilderness in George Washington National Forest. Drive right up St. Mary’s Road, park, and take the St. Mary’s Falls Trail for a mile to a refreshing and remote dip. You can get your cliff jumping jollies out here too.

55. Hitchhike. Here’s some advice from Virginia native Benjamin Jenks of AdventureSauce.com: “Be confident in yourself and in the goodness of people. The odds of you having trouble are small, especially if you say no to any rides that are fishy and are willing to let things roll off your back.”

56. Swim the hole at White Oak Canyon.

57. Climb Red River Gorge. Hit the road, head to Kentucky and take your pick of climbs—Red River Gorge is a climber’s playground. The area is riddled with great cliffs and bolted routes that attract people from all over the world whether they seek out challenge or child’s play. Grab a slice at Miguel’s afterward.

58. Skydive.

59. Explore Hungry Mother and other unusually named places you’ve always been curious about. Hungry Mother in southwest Virginia is one of the best places for a chill, laid-back weekend with the family, with lakes, hikes, camping, and cabins.

60. Skinny dip.

AUGUST

61. Stargaze. Bring a bit of strong drink, a pair of binoculars, and somebody close to you. North Carolina’s Max Patch bald mountain provides 350 acres of open 360-degree views perched up 4,600+ feet. The views are spectacular. Lie on your back looking at the stars; soak it in and contemplate complexity.

62. Canoe Lake Jocasse.

63. Take a Brewery tour. Drive through the George Washington National Forest section of the Blue Ridge Parkway, south to north, and arrive in Alcohol Valley. Beautiful wineries spread across the hills, along with a few breweries:

• Wild Wolf Brewing Company: Fantastic beers and a brand new location just opening. I recommend the Fresh Hop Alpha Ale. Their draft root beer is something to speak of as well.
• Blue Mountain Brewery: This place has a great patio and a handful of beers to match the quality of the view. I recommend the Steel Wheels ESB.
• Devils Backbone Brewery: The lodge-style brewery is nestled against the Blue Ridge Mountains and offers fantastic views of the valley. Enjoy their classic Gold Leaf Lager.

64. Swim across Lake Fontana or Summersville Lake.

65. Howl at the moon. Run the Cheat Mountain Moonshine Madness 50-miler in West Virginia. Follow a moonlit trail along the spine of 4,000-foot ridges on this 50-mile loop.

66. Bike the C&O Canal. The canal runs 180 miles between Cumberland, Md., and Washington D.C., roughly parallel to the Potomac River. The canal was built in the mid 19th century and its industrial livelihood now lies dormant, offering a long, flat straightaway for bike enthusiasts who want to do some long distance open trail riding.

67. Hike Old Rag. Old Rag is one of the better-known summits in Shenandoah, yet it’s no Sunday-with-grandma day hike. Be ready for a strenuous rock-scramble climb towards the peak.

68. Ride Canaan Valley.

69. New River Gorge Expedition. The New River Gorge has got it all: hiking, top-notch climbing and whitewater, mountain biking, even canopy tours.

70. Bike the Shenandoah Mountain 100. If you’re only going to ride in one mountain bike race your entire life, make it Shenandoah. For 12 years, this has been the quintessential endurance bike event in the South. The forest road climbs, technical singletrack descents, lively crowds, and ridiculously fast pros at the front of the pack make this a must.

SEPTEMBER

71. Hike the other A.T. The 288-mile Benton Mackaye Trail runs from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Davenport Gap on the northern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You could refer to this trail as the sister trail to the Appalachian Trail–it was even conceived by the same man who inspired the Appalachian Trail. This trail crosses through some of the most secluded wilderness areas in Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

72. A paddler’s wet dream. After derailing a dam project that would have changed the face of the Gauley River in West Virginia forever, a festival was started in 1983, and it was called Gauley Fest. Today it attracts thousands of people, offers top-notch whitewater adventure, and live entertainment.

73. Build a Trail. Join your local trail advocacy group and get involved in trail maintenance on your favorite trails.

74. Try a tri. And how about helping others while you’re at it! The Nation’s Triathlon held on September 9 benefits The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. You’ll swim the Potomac River, bike past the White House, and run past the Jefferson Memorial.

75. Explore the South’s newest wilderness. Stone Mountain Wilderness lies in Virginia’s Lee County and offers 3,270 acres of remote wilderness to enjoy and explore.

76. Run the oldest ultra in the country. In 1963 President John F. Kennedy wanted to get the country back into shape and challenge his military officers to meet the very fitness prerequisites Teddy Roosevelt had set for his military officers at the beginning of the decade. Along with a handful of other 50-mile events, this Washington County, Md., ultra-marathon was created. Later that year the president was assassinated and the race was changed from the JFK 50 Mile Challenge to the JFK 50 Mile Memorial. Most others shut down, but this one remains as a test of posterity and ultra fitness. Run it November 17.

77. Backpack the Jack. The 16.3-mile trail in north Georgia’s Cohutta Wilderness includes the Jacks River Falls and over 40 river crossings.

78. Hang glide from Lookout Mountain. Unleash your inner raptor at Tennessee’s Lookout Mountain, which offers a world-class hang gliding aviation school where you can get one step closer to the heavens.

OCTOBER

79. Tackle the Triple Crown. Three of the country’s best bouldering competitions raise cash for the Southeastern Climbers’ Coalition and The Carolina Climbers’ Coalition, both of which have been big players in developing the climbing sport in the region.

• Hound Ears: Boone, N.C. – Oct. 1
• Stone Fort: Chattanooga, Tenn. – Oct. 8
• Horse Pens-40: – Steele, Ala. – Nov. 5

80. Swim the Suck. This organized 10-mile open swim takes place in the Tennessee River Gorge outside of Chattanooga. In 2009, thirty-three volunteers paced 21 swimmers in 71-degree water for up to five hours.

81. Building. Antenna. Span. Earth. (BASE). Last year 800 people BASE jumped from the New River Gorge Bridge, W.Va. in one day. This is, of course, thanks to the massive Bridge Day celebration that takes place there every October.

82. Lord of the Fork. Nestled between Haysi, Va., and Elkhorn City, Ky., the Russell Fork River hosts an annual race held October 22-23. Named Lord of the Fork for Jon Lord who passed away in 2004, this race is a hardcore Class V downriver race in a wild gorge.

83. The Festy: One of the South’s toughest 10K trail races is followed by one of the South’s best festivals on October 5-7th, 2012 at Devils Backbone in Nelson County, Virginia. The Infamous String Dusters are among the headliners.

84. Winin’ and Dinin’ What better time to sit in the countryside sipping a glass of wine than when the fall foliage is at its best?  Take a gorgeous drive out to Barboursville Winery in Barboursville, Va. Head up to Three Fox Vineyards in Delaplane, Va. Or visit Carter Mountain Orchard in Charlottesville, Va.

85. Surf Road Trip in Outer Banks. The Outer Banks begins to get bigger swells in the fall, and the surfing gets serious. Load the boards atop the car, throw in a few tents and hit the road to hang ten.

86. Tough Mudder. Two English chaps created this 10-mile “run” dubbed as the toughest race on the planet.  It includes barbed wire, huge logs, tiny confined tubes and hardcore camaraderie. Wintergreen Resort Oct. 6-7.

87. Boycott the interstate. Drive back roads only for a month straight.

88. Run the Blue Ridge Burn. This annual 5K/10K trail run not only features a scenic run up old logging roads and singletrack trails heading up Horseshoe Mountain, with a ridiculously fast finish at the bottom. The Festy Experience is the perfect post-race celebration.

89. Squirrel-approved adventure. Navitat’s zip lines, just 20 minutes north of Asheville, N.C., span over 1,000 feet of fall foliage canopy. For added thrill, try zipping at night.

90. Witness the weird.The best time to view the mysterious Brown Mountain Lights is in the fall, so make it a Halloween experience.

91. Haunted hike. The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club hosts 38 cabins that can be rented out, including the Jones Mountain Cabin. Legend has it that a local moonshiner’s wife died there. Stop in Wolftown, Va., and pick up some local moonshine for a midnight toast to old man Nichols himself.

NOVEMBER

92. Watch raptors migrate. Hawk Mountain in Kempton, Penn., is one of the best places to see golden eagles, goshawks, and other birds of prey passing through.

93. Night rides. The edginess of night is often the best way to amplify any experience. And that applies to mountain biking as well. You’ll want a headlamp with at least 200-300 lumens.

94. Ski at Snowflex. This world-class skiing facility at Liberty University will get you out on the slopes and hitting the jumps–without snow.

95. Explore the swamp. Canoe-camp the Okefenoke. The winter season means fewer crowds (and snakes), but you’re still likely to see alligators in November.

96. New River Gorge Expedition. The Gorge has it all: top-notch hiking, climbing, whitewater paddling, mountain biking, even canopy tours.

DECEMBER

97. Holiday hiking. Choose your favorite day hike trail and try it out in the winter.

98. Get a gym membership — At a climbing gym.

99. Winter Camp Shenandoah. During the winter, the naked beauty of the forest reveals views previously covered by foliage and iced-over waterfalls, seemingly frozen in time.

100. Spelunk. The geographic quadrant formed by Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia (TAG) has the highest concentration of caves in the country, while the Virginias and Carolinas have their own fissures and caves. Join a club or hire a guide and go deep. Just make sure you follow protocol to avoid spreading White Nose Syndrome among bat populations.

BONUS!

101. Try cyclocross. It’s high-intensity biking with obstacles and usually a bit of running on a spectator-friendly course. It’s adrenaline and anaerobic threshold packed into an hour or less.

Since each new year starts with most of the world making resolutions, which if you’ve read my previous post you know I don’t do, I “challenged” myself to #54 on my 101 in 1001 Day Zero Project and ate vegetarian for a week. I am surprised at how easy it was, but non the less it was something I had never done before and I like trying new things.

I’m already a healthy eater in general, but I do eat moving creatures especially chicken, fish, shrimp, pork and turkey on a fairly normal basis. I have many friends that live a vegetarian lifestyle and say how good it makes them feel and I’ve watched a few movies in the past (Food Inc. for instance) and more recently because of the Top 50 Documentaries To See Before You Die show that have talked about the food system and the fact that we don’t “need” to eat animals to live a healthy lifestyle. Forks Over Knives is one movie in particular that I just watched that brings some interesting facts to the table and therefore I would suggest adding it to your queue if for nothing more than hearing from an opposite point of view than what you may be used to hearing or where taught growing up.

To be clear though, for me this is only a challenge. I do not plan on becoming a vegetarian for multiple reasons. First it’s difficult to eat out at many places that do not cater to vegetarians. Even the places that do will usually only have a few items to choose from it seems like that would become somewhat boring or repetitive to be forced to choose from the two apps or one entree that most places offer. It’s also difficult on the person(s) who might be eating with you since a non-vegetarian can eat pretty much anywhere especially in a pinch. Cooking dinner can also be challenging since meat isn’t an option. Just because it’s more difficult isn’t a great reason to not go vegetarian or try to cut down on your intake of meat, but for me it’s part of the reason why I would never go fully vegetarian.

Another reason is that fact that I just had a physical and blood work done and the body is happy which tells me what I’m currently doing is working just fine. I also don’t take any medications, nor do I smoke and I exercise regularly so other than just not enjoying meat, having specific health issues that would be caused by meat or having meat allergies my diet and lifestyle don’t require the change.

One thing that I am going to try and do though is participate in Meatless Monday for 2012. Meatless Monday is a global movement to not eat meat on Monday. It’s better for your health and the planet to reduce your overall footprint.

I just returned from the grocery store and here is what I bought to help accomplish the goal. A lot of these things I would buy anyways, but I got a few more things so I can experiment or cook some recipes I’ve found on Gojee.com.

Grocery List

Vanilla Almond Milk
V8 Fusion
Organic Strawberry Preserves
Organic Black Beans
Organic Grape Tomatoes
Organic Yogurt
Organic Crackers
Organic Cereal
Organic Brown Rice & Green Bean Lentils
Black Eye Peas
Lentils
Bananas
Apples
Limes
Green Beans
Sweet Potatoes
Avocado
Shallots
Tofu
Granola Bars
Quinoa
Chickpeas
Corn
Brown Rice
Asparagus
Cauliflower
Arugula
Paprika
Roasted Red Peppers
Spinach Ravioli
Sour Cream
Natural Syrup

What I Ate

Note: I only drink water throughout the day unless otherwise specified.

Day 1

Breakfast: Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese, V8 Strawberry Banana
Snack: Cottage Cheese & Grapes
Lunch: PB&J on 100% Whole Wheat
Snack: Blueberry Granola Bar
Dinner: Roasted Corn with Lime, Parmesan and Chili and Butternut Squash Soup

Day 2

Breakfast: Organic Cinnamon Raisin Granola Cereal with Vanilla Almond Milk and a Banana
Lunch: Arugula with Apple, Feta, Avocado, Peanuts and Balsamic and a sliver of Pumpkin Bread
Snack: 15 TLC Asiago Crackers, 10 Almonds
Dinner: Tofu Marinated in a Chili Glaze, Organic Brown Rice and Green Lentils, Red Pepper Strips, Golden Raisins and Honey (Pictured Above)

Day 3

Breakfast: Whole Grain Oatmeal with Vanilla Yogurt, Cinnamon Sugar and Banana
Lunch: Last nights dinner (tasted even better) and 15 TLC Asiago Crackers
Snack: 1/2 Cup Granola
Dinner: Potato Gnocchi with Grape Tomatoes and Feta in a Pesto Sauce

Day 4

Breakfast: Blueberry Crumble Bread Toasted with Grape Jelly an Over Easy Egg on top
Lunch: Black Bean Burger with avocado, Monterey jack cheese, corn relish and spicy pepper mayonnaise
Dinner: Pumpkin Coconut Chickpea Curry

Day 5

Breakfast: Organic Cinnamon Raisin Granola Cereal with Vanilla Almond Milk
Snack: Yogurt
Lunch: PBJ & Banana on 100% Whole Wheat, Pack of Crackers
Dinner: Fried Butternut Squash Potato Gnocchi with Apple Gouda Dipping Sauce

Day 6

Breakfast: Organic Cinnamon Raisin Granola Cereal with Vanilla Almond Milk
Lunch: Grilled Cheese, Banana
Dinner: Pumpkin Coconut Chickpea Curry Leftovers

Day 7

Breakfast: Pancakes
Lunch: White Pizza with Pesto Sauce
Dinner: Vegetarian Nachos

 Conclusion

Here’s my take away from this little experiment. If you are a healthy eater already it’s likely you are close to being a vegetarian. I for instance noticed that I don’t really eat meat but a few times a week, but I also noticed that after only having tofu, rice, beans, pasta, vegetables and salads there were times I was wanting a bit more substance. I could have kept going for at least another week if not more, but as I stated earlier my mind would have gotten tired of eating that same similar rotation. When you throw meat into the equation it opens up so many more possibilities. For the average American eating less meat is probably a good thing so if you are looking for a new challenge why not try Meatless Monday’s?

Join my challenge on Schemer.

On November 15, 2011 Amazon entered the tablet market. I had already pre-ordered mine because I was eager to see what a tablet priced at $200 could do and I didn’t already have an iPad2. I am normally not a first generation device kinda guy, but since I’ve been using Amazon for a long time and think they do a really good job of customer services my decision was pretty simple.

I’m going to give you a quick run down of why I bought a Kindle Fire and then you can decide for yourself if it’s worth the investment.

Price – $200

At $200, this is a very capable device. Does it lack some of the bells and whistles that the iPad2 offers starting at $499? Of course it does! I’m on a computer all day every day and so far I haven’t run into very many situations where I felt I really NEEDED the iPad2 for $300-$629 more. Is the iPad2 and amazing device? Absolutely! Would I love every second of owning one? Absolutely! But for now I think at this price to enter the tablet market most people will be very pleased with their purchase.

Books

I think it goes without saying that Amazon has been in the game a long time and they originally started out selling books so for me to have basically any book at my fingertips anytime is nice. They have also start to let publishers determine if their books can be available for “lending“. If they are you can lend someone your book for a period of 14 days or they can do to same for you. Since Amazon has a desktop software to read any book you don’t even need to have a Kindle to participate.

Amazon Prime

If you are smart you already do a vast majority of your shopping online. However, when you shop online you have to pay shipping and wait an unknown amount of time before getting your product. It would be as quick as a few days or it could be a week or more depending on the vendor. Enter Amazon Prime and you get it guaranteed in 2 days. I’ve even gotten it next day before. This is not only awesome, but sometimes it’s a lifesaver if you need something asap. So if you do buy online often this is a must have for $79 as it will save you money and then you get services like Prime Instant Video and Cloud Drive which I’ll comment on later.

It can’t go without saying that the discounts over your local store are just too great to ignore. For example, I recently looked into getting a Canon 60d dSLR. I was at my local camera shop and asked how much it was. Their price was $1200. The exact same camera was listed on Canon.com for $999. The exact same camera was listed on Amazon.com for $899. Now you tell me where you are buying that camera from? Supporting the local economy is one thing, and I try and do it whenever possible especially when I go out to eat, but do I feel obligated to spend $300 just to support that local vendor? NOPE.

On top of that you have Amazon Protection if something happens when a product is sold through a third party of theirs.

Amazon Cloud Drive

Once you purchase Amazon Prime you will receive 5 GB of free online storage and unlimited access from any computer. You can store an unlimited amount of music in the cloud provided you purchased it from Amazon, but if you want to upload your own personal music, photos or videos you can and it goes towards that 5 GB. As you can see this is very nice since most of us have our own MP3 collections or have purchased music from another store. You can also purchase different amounts of data. I opted to pay $20 for the 20 GB so I could load up some personal music, photos and videos when I go on vacation and I don’t have Internet access. Their plans go all the way up to 1000 GB for $1000.

Amazon Instant Videos – Free with Amazon Prime

On top of  Amazon Prime and Amazon Cloud Drive you also get UNLIMITED Streaming of Amazon Prime Instant Videos from your phone, Kindle Fire, computer, computer connected to TV or a slew of DVD/Blu-Ray players and my most recent purchase Roku. There is a lot of good content and it will constantly grow over time. You can also purchase most new shows or movies for a small fee. The Roku allows me to wirelessly connect to my home network and stream any content from 1000′s of sources. Amazon, Netflix and Hulu Plus are amount that list.

Email PDF documents to your private Kindle email address

If you are like me and read e-books which often come in PDF format this feature comes in handy. You can send an email to your private Kindle email address which you will get during the sign up process. You then just need to attach a PDF with “convert” as the subject and they will show up under the Docs section. I use this all the time for content I download from the web or books I find in PDF format online. The conversion process enables you to be read it like a book with progress points instead of the normal functionality of a PDF which has no memory of where you were if you close it.

There are definitely more reasons why I’m glad I purchased a Kindle Fire, but as you can see there is some great value behind this product. To highlight that value take a look:

Kindle: $200

2yr Insurance: $49

Hard Case/Stand: $44

Amazon Prime: $79

20 GB Cloud Drive: $20

Steve Jobs: $15

Roku: $89

As you can see I not only bought a the Kindle, with a cover/stand plus insurance for 2 years, but I renewed my Amazon Prime, added 20 GB of cloud storage, bought a book and a Roku for $496. To get the entry level iPad2 you would still need $3.

So I would say that is some serious value. What do you think?