My idea of camping is driving through the woods and up a hill \u2014 to the nearest four-star resort with restaurants, a spa and room service for late-night chicken tenders and fries.<\/p>\n
I have never been one with nature. When my cousins all played tag and hide-and-go-seek in our grandparents\u2019 front yard, I\u2019d stay inside to rewatch \u201cRugrats\u201d episodes, write sentences at my toy desk or pretend I was a character on \u201cClarissa Explains It All.\u201d My first canoe trip at 7 years old resulted in bug bites, tears, and a pledge to never paddle a boat or stay in a tent ever again.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m 36 now and am proud to say that I\u2019ve never camped or given up the simple pleasures of a running toilet or air conditioner since that traumatic weekend.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
But in my elder millennial age, I vowed that I\u2019d spend more time outdoors. For one, I want to be healthier and more active, and walking and jogging is an easy way to kickstart that journey. My adventures started when I moved to New Orleans in late 2023 and began spending time at Audubon Park.<\/p>\n
With an audiobook and Owala bottle full of flavored water, I started trekking down the paved path, admiring the mossy trees, squirrels running about, cute pups out for evening strolls and the ducks and birds near the water. The sunsets were breathtaking, as were the 2-mile jogs.<\/p>\n
Audubon Park has become a place of peace and comfort for me over these past 2\u00bd years, and I vowed to spend more time in nature in 2025, with one very important caveat: day trips only.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
I started simple and found fun stuff around the city: the Rusty Rainbow walking path, connecting the Bywater and French Quarter, and City Park became two instant favorites.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n The Crosby Arboretum in Picayune, Mississippi, has walking trails around the property that are surrounded by trees, water and nature.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Right before Thanksgiving, some friends asked if I\u2019d be interested in doing a short hike at the Crosby Arboretum<\/a>, a nature trail right in Picayune near Interstate 59. Despite growing up in Kiln and going to Picayune often as a child, I had only ever seen the sign right off La. 49 pointing folks to it.<\/p>\n You can\u2019t see it from the main roads, and it\u2019s cleverly hidden behind a strip of businesses near Walmart. But the Crosby Arboretum, dedicated to preserving nature and plants, feels like a secret forest full of tall grass, pine trees, mushrooms, butterflies and even bees.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Times-PIcayune reporter Justin Mitchell takes a walk at Crosby Arboretum in Picayune.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n
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