SCOTT SHALAWAY Words of outdoor action

Polite company frowns on four-letter words, but today I'll make an exception. If you're planning a summer vacation that includes at least some outdoor adventure, build a few four-letter words into the trip. Camp, fish, hike, bird, boat, view, and draw are the sorts of action verbs I have in mind. Stop thinking about outdoor fun; instead, do it.
If you feel unprepared, take a class. Many nature centers, adult education centers, and community colleges offer hands-on courses in outdoor recreation. A variety of organizations such as the Sierra Club offers similar opportunities. And in Pittsburgh, for example, the mission of the Western Pennsylvania Field Institute (www.wpfi.org) is simply to promote outdoor recreation. To that end, volunteers introduce adults and children to everything from climbing and canoeing to fly fishing and astronomy.
Pitching a tent
Camping can be as simple as pitching a tent in the backyard. Family bonds built roasting hot dogs and telling ghost stories last a lifetime. With a bit of experience, you'll be ready for state park campgrounds and eventually the more primitive sites available at state and national forests.
If you're not an experienced angler, hire a guide. Most major lakes and rivers offer a variety of guide services, and half day trips are usually quite reasonable. Many even supply the equipment. And if you prefer "catching" to fishing, a good guide's services are well worth the expense. On the other hand, a few hours on a neighbor's farm pond can produce a bucketful of tasty bluegills that can keep even the most energetic 10-year old entertained.
No matter where your vacation takes you, hiking opportunities abound. Even a visit to enjoy the night life of New York City brings a chance to explore Central Park on foot. Wilder trails criss-cross virtually every county, state, and national park. Nature centers offer marked interpretive trails. And if you're really ambitious, tackle a short leg of the Appalachian Trail.
Ready for a bird
Carry a pair of binoculars, and you're always ready to bird. I just returned from a trip to Cape May, New Jersey, where I had a chance to explore the back bays on a double-hulled pontoon called The Skimmer (www.skimmer.com; (609) 884-3100). Captain Bob Carlough and his wife Linda led our group on a two-hour tour through the bays and salt marshes where we saw thousands of shorebirds and gulls. Dunlin, red knots, ruddy turnstones, and black-bellied plovers fed madly on the mud flats as they fattened up for their journey north. We cruised past the world's largest nesting colony of laughing gulls. And a common loon in breeding plumage put on a show in the bay. If you get to the coast this summer, don't hesitate to take a nature-themed boat trip. And if you get up to Cape Cod or Maine, consider a whalewatching trip.
Rent a watercraft
If you're comfortable on the water, rent a boat or canoe and explore the back bay or your favorite lake or river on your own. Boating can be as relaxing or rigorous as you choose to make it. Just be sure to always wear a life jacket and don't drink alcohol while your on the water. On a sultry summer day you might tube (float in an inner tube) down a lazy river. Or if your looking for an adrenaline rush, raft some whitewater rapids. Some of the best whitewater in the east can be found in West Virginia, southwestern Pennsylvania, and Maryland.
Viewing and drawing are my four-letter verbs for more relaxing outdoor recreation. Get off the interstates, travel at a leisurely pace, and explore secondary roads. Have lunch at a tiny cafe in a town you've never heard of. Snap a few photographs at the scenic pull-offs that always catch your attention, but you've never got time for. Or sketch some scenic vistas and record the highlights of your trip in a journal. After nightfall, scan the heavens.
When you hit the road this summer, encourage the use of four-letter words. On vacation, they're not necessarily a bad thing.
sshalaway@aol.com