Looking for a something new to try this spring? What about a great activity to do with your family? All this nice weather we've been having has certainly inspired me to find things to do outside. Anyone who knows me is well aware that I'm not really big on sports. I had the pleasure of speaking with several local guys who are taking the sport to a whole new level – and I was rather surprised to find myself anxious to get out there and try it for myself.Sure, there are all kinds of places to go golfing in Steuben County. Enjoying the scenic beauty of the Finger Lakes region while out on the course is something really special. But there's another kind of golf that's taking hold here in Corning & the Finger Lakes – the kind that isn't exactly played with a golf ball.

Anyone who thinks Fourth of July festivities last only one day has not experienced the holiday in Corning and the Finger Lakes. With a multitude of musical performances, parades, and fireworks displays, Independence Day becomes a celebration that spans several days on either side of the actual holiday.Get fired up more than a week early with the 16th annual Pride Ride, a 160-mile motorcycle cruise for charity covering six counties. Register early to ride, or arrive at the Big Flats American Legion by 7 a.m. on June 25. At nightfall, the "Set the Night to Music" fireworks display brings the holiday to an explosive start. A "trimulcast" will accompany the display on local radio stations WINK 106, WNGZ 104.9 and WPGI 100.9. This is a great (free!) way for the whole family to start celebrating early.

 What are you looking for when you plan a trip? Adventure? Scenic beauty? Educational experiences? Family fun? How about ease of getting around? Unless you are completely focused on one single interest it can be difficult to decide which of many available sights and activities to include in a vacation.But what if you could combine several important items from your "Must See – Must Do" list into one trip? We have the very place – Corning & the Finger Lakes!

A French author once wrote that it "is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves - in finding themselves." It's true adventure often affords us the chance to reconnect with the natural world around us and, in the process, to reconnect with ourselves, but that's not the only appealing thing about adventure. It's also exciting and challenging and flat out fun.

When I was about ten my parents bought this awesome tent and all this cool camping gear (lantern, portable stove, sleeping bag – and no, back when I was a kid, sleeping bags weren't made from wooly mammoth fur). We set the tent up in the backyard for the whole trial run experience (mostly because kids have no patience and once you've got a thing you have to use it). But growing up allergic to basically all things of the earth and air made it a bit challenging for me to follow the undeniable urge I had to be outside. I got sick. And that was the end of my camping career. More and more evidence suggests that that there are ways around obstacles like that pesky inability to breathe or those annoying migraines. As a result, one thing I can't wait to try this summer is camping!

Green's not just a color anymore. It's a mindset, a philosophy, a way of life.In the early 60's, "Going Green" was something comic book character Bruce Banner did after a mishap with gamma rays turned him into the Incredible Hulk. Today, the concept of Going Green is about humanity's attempt to show respect to the natural world. Of course, going green seems to be the catch phrase of the new millennium and you'll find it used everywhere you turn these days, from commercials about cars and underwear to grass roots movements and political platforms. As wonderful as the intentions are, it can all be a little confusing since, it seems, there are many different shades of green.