Erica Zazo is a Chicago-based freelance outdoor writer. She’s a big fan of urban nature, exploring lesser-known trails and towns and drinking post-adventure craft beers. The Midwest is her favorite stomping ground. REI member since 2017.
The beauty of birding is its ability to wow you both in the backcountry and your very own backyard. Whether you spot a rare species, watch a migratory flock or ...
In Chicago, I don’t summit mountain peaks and I don’t carry a heavy pack. My outings in nature include hikes along wood chip-covered trails at my neighborhood p...
This story was originally published on September 27, 2023 and was updated on April 5, 2024.
Biking roughly 3,000 miles from the northern tip of Maine to the ...
True story: I fell in love with the outdoors after moving to Chicago. It wasn’t until I bought my first real pair of boots and ventured on hikes that ribboned t...
