Daily Fun

09/21/2026 · Pinckneyville

The Weekend EscapeMore from The Weekend Escape →

Davis, West Virginia: The Weekend Road Trip Where the Water Runs Black

Drive into Davis for mountain air, excellent pizza, and a waterfall the color of strong tea. It’s an easy weekend that feels much farther from civilization than it actually is.

09/21/2026

Read Story

Move It Monday

The Push-Up Fix: Make Your Chest Do the Work

A push-up is not just a moving plank. Small changes in hand position, body alignment, and shoulder control can turn it from a useful full-body exercise into a wobbly argument with gravity.

09/21/2026

From Scratch

The Crispiest Chicken Thighs Start in a Cold Cast-Iron Pan

Chicken thighs, cabbage, and an apple turn into a one-pan dinner with crackling skin and a sweet-salty pan sauce. The trick is wonderfully unglamorous: begin cold, and leave the chicken alone.

09/21/2026

The Workshop

Build a Better Birdhouse From One Fence Board

In one afternoon, you can turn a single cedar board into a sturdy nest box for small cavity-nesting birds. The trick is not a fancy roof—it’s the entrance hole, drainage, and one detail beginners nearly always forget.

09/21/2026

Tight Lines

The Last Push of the Outgoing Tide Is Still the Best Bet

Cold water has fish acting stupid in all the right ways. Find moving water, throw something that looks injured, and quit worshiping the middle of the tide.

09/21/2026

Off the Path

Emerald Lake: Rocky Mountain’s Greatest Hits, Without the Ego

The Emerald Lake Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park packs lodgepole pine, three mountain lakes, and a genuinely jaw-dropping view into 3.3 miles. It’s crowded, yes—but there’s a reason, and a few tricks make the walk much more enjoyable.

09/21/2026