Author: wildgreenquest@gmail.com

Published July 31, 2026 11:33AMKayaking the Chicago River into the heart of downtown might be the best-kept secret in paddling. It’s surreal to float under skyscrapers and alongside behemoth tour boats as you navigate one of the country’s most iconic urban waterways in a tiny shell.You can rent a kayak from a local tour company. However, you’re often stuck in a large group at the guide’s pace and restricted to exploring only one particular stretch of water near the river’s exit into Lake Michigan. For an even more epic adventure, I’d suggest paddling in your own boat to explore a…

An adventurous life is like a healthy diet. Daily habits matter. That’s why microadventures are so valuable. Saturday afternoon free? Make it count. Hours of daylight after work in the summer? Take advantage. Not every adventure needs to be, or even should be, a multiday epic, and these small, fast missions can bring a much-needed element of adventure into your daily life. And you can do more of these insta-excursions if your gear is organized and ready to go, especially if you’re into a variety of activities. Tips from a Pro L. Renee Blount knows the value of being ready…

The latest aurora borealis forecast is calling for displays across much of Canada and parts of the northern U.S. states on Friday, July 31, through Sunday, Aug. 2. Listen to this articleListen Red and green colors from the Aurora Borealis glow above a lake. (Photo: Getty)Published July 31, 2026 03:33PMSkywatchers could have the opportunity to spot the northern lights across North America tonight through August 2, according to the latest forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center.The northern lights are most commonly seen in fall and winter, but you might be able to spot…

Bernard Arnault has spent millions trying to change his image. It may have taken one sarcastic tweet to actually pull it off. The LVMH chairman, long nicknamed “the wolf in cashmere” and “the Terminator,” funded museums and underwrote the Paris Olympics over the past decade to soften his reputation, with little effect, the New York Times reports. Then came a three-page open letter responding to a critical Le Monde investigative series, posted to X. Instead of disagreeing with the reporting, Arnault poked fun at it, joking about details like being accused of making Hermès-tie-wearing visitors change clothes. The letter has…

Published July 31, 2026 03:06PMAs the chill reaches your bones on a high-altitude trail run, you remember the layer you brought exactly for this situation. You lift your arm over your head and rummage around in your pack, grabbing the first object you feel. It’s a flattened peanut butter sandwich. Shoulder aching, you drop the sando and keep reaching, arching your back and grimacing at the awkward angle. Next thing you grab surely has to be that layer, right? Wrong. It’s the Ziploc bag you stuffed with toilet paper. You stop, unhook the sternum straps, yank the bag off your…

Wade Oney started as a Domino’s store assistant in 1981. Today he owns 112 restaurants across three brands, including 96 Papa Johns locations, and he’s letting his employees in on the big picture success. Bam-Bam Pizza Inc., his franchise group, generates $160 million in annual revenue, Franchising.com reports. Oney spent over a decade climbing the ranks at Domino’s before Papa Johns lured him away to help grow the then-emerging brand, eventually making him COO. He stepped down in 2000 to focus on being a franchisee full time, scaling from 35 stores to 96 today. His signature program is letting managers,…

Published July 31, 2026 02:04PMThe Deschutes River is crowded. There’s no other word for it. It’s 92 degrees when I wade into the river with a bright, orange tube to float through Bend, Oregon, and hundreds, maybe thousands, of people have converged on the cold, mountain river to do the exact same thing. It’s a summer time ritual in this popular mountain town. You might spend your morning hiking or climbing, but in the afternoon when the temperature rises, you tube the Deschutes.I have a tinge of guilt as I set my tube on a downstream course. I’m one of…

In 1975, a 17-year-old named Peter Cancro bought his first sub shop in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. On Wednesday, that shop’s parent company went public at a $7.3 billion valuation. Jersey Mike’s and its backers raised $1 billion in an IPO priced at $23 a share, more than 10 times oversubscribed, Bloomberg reports. The chain now has more than 3,300 US and Canadian locations, plus an expansion deal with Cancro to open roughly 300 more across the UK and Ireland. Revenue grew 11% to $724 million last year, and Jersey Mike’s US sales growth has outpaced rivals like Jimmy John’s,…

Published July 31, 2026 11:50AMGas prices have been trending upward, increasing the cost of every car trip. While even the best commuter e-bike won’t replace a car for everyone or every trip, it can handle more daily transportation than many people realize.Before investing in an e-bike, take stock of how you’ll use it and how it fits into your daily routine. A rider carrying a bike to a third-floor apartment has different needs than a parent hoping to replace the family’s second car. For this guide, I tested five e-bikes, each built around a different commuter priority: light weight, portability,…

It sounded like overkill—until I stood on it, leveled it on uneven ground, and used it as my office desk.Published July 31, 2026 12:16PMI don’t think much about camp tables. I obsess over coolers, and I have very strong opinions about camp chairs. Coffee cups are important to me. Sleeping bags, tents, inflatable mattresses…all of these pieces of gear occupy space in my brain when I’m going car camping, but the table is an absolute afterthought. I bring a cheap, folding table that can barely support my car camping stove and say a prayer that it will be able to…