Animals are awesome. Not only are they cute and furry, but interacting with four-legged creatures has major health benefits. Just petting a dog can reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Interactions between people and animals can boost levels of oxytocin, the same feel good hormone that鈥檚 present in mothers bonding with their babies.

Not all of us can take care of a pet 24/7, but we still long for interaction with them. That’s why these resorts and sanctuaries that help save animals are so magical鈥攖hey want you to come hang out with them.

These are my five favorites where you can interact with different species, from alpacas to kittens, in serene settings, helping to further the cause of animal rescue while boosting your own spirits.

1. Ojo Santa Fe

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Puppy Patch might be the happiest two words in the English language, and you can visit this wonderful place at , a full-service spa and resort on 77 acres, located 15 miles southwest of downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico. In addition to early-morning yoga and thermal-pool soaks, Ojo partners with Espanola Humane, a local animal shelter, to foster rescue puppies, and you can frolic with them in the resort鈥檚 grassy Puppy Patch (open daily from 9:30-11 A.M. and 5-6 P.M.). All of the puppies are up for adoption.

Ojo is also home to a flock of silkie chickens, a breed of hen that is known to be particularly soft and playful. The resort hosts a daily Chicken Chat in the outdoor coop, where you can learn about the birds and feed them fresh greens and veggies. Rumor has it that the chickens actually purr like cats when you pet them.

The 77-acre property also offers some solid high-desert hiking, with two miles of trails traversing arroyos and rock outcroppings while delivering views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains (overnight start at $298).

2. Red Robin Song Sanctuary and Guest House

New Lebanon, New York

You don鈥檛 know charisma until a 700-pound pig sidles up to snort hello. That鈥檚 what happens at , a rescue outfit for domestic and farm animals on 85 acres bordering the Berkshire Mountains of upstate New York. Red Robin Song鈥檚 impressive array of 鈥済uests 鈥� also includes yaks, rabbits, goats, a donkey, and a mini horse.

鈥淢ost people have never seen animals like these in person before,鈥� says Red Robin鈥檚 founder, Lisa Robinson. 鈥淲e rehabilitated orphan beavers for a while. So many animals need to be rescued and need a forever home.鈥�

Currently, Red Robin houses almost 50 different animals. Guests to the farm get a full tour that includes education about the drawbacks of a meat-based diet and commercial animal farming, while also spending time with many of the friends on site.

鈥淵ou get a chance to meet the animals you might normally eat,鈥� Robinson says. 鈥淎nd we respect the animals and the kind of interaction they want.鈥�

For instance, some rabbits are skittish and only want to be admired from afar, and a few Tibetan yaks that were rescued from a meat farm aren鈥檛 quite ready to mingle with guests. But the goats are super social and many of the dogs are psyched to hike with you on the sanctuary鈥檚 85-acre property.

Visitors can come for the day or stay overnight at the , a three-room vegan bed and breakfast (from $162 a night), where proceeds directly support the rescue endeavor. In addition to the property鈥檚 immediate 85 acres of ponds, pastures, and woods, the adjacent 447-acre offers more than two miles of hiking trails.

3. Atlanta Alpaca Treehouse

Atlanta, Georgia

The packs a mighty punch in a small space. The property, which sits in East Atlanta in the midst of the South鈥檚 largest city, is only 3.5 acres, but it鈥檚 loaded with four alpacas, four llamas, and two guanacos. (A guanaco is a South American camelid similar to a llama, but typically only found in the wild.) All of the animals were rescued and on hand to interact with guests at the property鈥檚 treehouse, made from reclaimed wood and tucked into a lush bamboo forest.

鈥淲e started with chickens, and they were the gateway livestock to these other animals,鈥� says Kara O鈥橞rien, owner of the Alpaca Treehouse. 鈥淟lamas and alpacas are so smart. They鈥檙e just under dolphin intelligence. They communicate clearly with me and each other. They鈥檙e like big, teenaged smart cats. They鈥檙e hilarious. Each has radically different personalities.鈥�

Stay at the treehouse and you can watch the herd of llamas and alpacas from your window, feed them baby carrots out of your hand, or take a yoga class with them. 鈥淥ne of our llamas, Figgy, actually goes into the yoga room and does yoga. She鈥檚 obsessed with it,鈥� O鈥橞rien says.

All of the proceeds from the one-bed Treehouse (from $385 per night) go to rescue more llamas, which O鈥橞rien then works to place in permanent homes.

4. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

Kanab, Utah

in Kanab, Utah, is the largest no-kill sanctuary in the country, housing more than 1,600 animals, ranging from cats to parrots to pigs, on a 3,000-acre property in Utah鈥檚 canyon country 45 minutes south of Zion National Park. Visitors can take the free daily Grand Sanctuary tour to learn about the ins and outs of caring for and rehabilitating the animals, or download the to go on a self-guided tour. You can also volunteer to work in one of the care centers, hanging out with cats, picking up after bunnies, or tending to pigs.

If you feel a connection with a particular dog, you can even schedule a hike together on the sanctuary鈥檚 three miles of trails, which traverse red rock canyons and creeks, where you鈥檒l find overlooks, Pueblo ruins, and a cave filled with water on adjacent BLM land. A stream runs through the property, making for a fun and splashy adventure.

The sanctuary has a welcome center, cafe, and store, and a variety of overnight lodging if you want to spend more than an afternoon. is a 40-room hotel in downtown Kanab with a fenced-in dog park, splash zone, and slide-out pet beds (rooms from $133), and the sanctuary just updated its 18 on-property (from $61 a night).

If you score a room or RV site, you can even host a sleepover, giving a dog or cat a night away from communal living and you an opportunity to see if you鈥檙e compatible for full-time adoption. Proceeds from lodging help support the rescue mission.

5. Animal Place

Grass Valley, California

This 600-acre sanctuary in Grass Valley, California, which focuses mostly on farm animals, has rescued or re-homed almost 30,000 hens alone, not to mention numerous roosters, goats, turkeys, pigs, dogs, and even pigeons. Currently, more than 300 farm animals live at , which sits in the Sierra Nevada foothills in an area that鈥檚 most famous for its gold-mining history.

Guests can take a guided 1.5-hour tour of the facility ($20 donation, in advance) to learn more about the animals and the rescue process, while also spending time with some of the more social residents, like goats, sheep, bunnies, and pigs. Drop-in visitors can embark on a self-guided tour of the sanctuary on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. (but that does not allow contact with the animals). Keep an eye out for special events, like a Paint 鈥檔鈥� Sip, where you drink bubbly and paint one of the cute farm animals.

Animal Place runs a with enough bedrooms to host six to 10 people for stays up to a week. It鈥檚 a single-family home with three bedrooms and a central kitchen and living room. You can rent it by the bedroom (from $75 a night) or the entire house ($750 a night). Each stay comes with a free 30-minute tour where you鈥檒l meet up to two species of animals. The guest house is currently being renovated, but is expected to be open for bookings in October.

6. Golden Dog Farm

Jeffersonville, Vermont

is not an animal rescue, and has no overnight option, but if you like hanging out with adorable dogs in a beautiful setting, put this small farm on your list. The place is a family-owned maple-syrup facility (also producing honey and fruits) in Vermont鈥檚 Green Mountains 10 miles from Stowe Mountain Resort.

If you book a visit in advance at Golden Dog Farm, you can interact with the dogs. Yes, the dogs are popular and you need a reservation. There are two options; sign up for the Golden Retriever Experience ($80), which is essentially a playdate with at least 10 doggy cuties in a pasture on the farm where you can play ball, frolic, or just snuggle (while getting your share of social-media images).

Or book a slot for the Friday and Saturday night Wines and Wags, where a Master Sommelier discusses grape growing in Vermont while guests sample local wines鈥攁nd then you get to play with the dogs. Yes!

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national-parks columnist. The best part of his day is walking his own rescue dog every morning.

For more by Graham Averill, see:

The 10 Best Bike Towns in America, Ranked

8 Surf Towns Where You Can Learn the Sport and the Culture

The Best Ways to Get 国产吃瓜黑料 in West Virginia

The 10 Best National Parks in Canada

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Twenty minutes from downtown Atlanta sits the South River Forest, known as one of the city鈥檚 鈥渇our lungs.鈥� Like similar green spaces in and around the neighborhoods of Buckhead, Cascade Heights, and Druid Hills, its vast tree canopy inhales carbon dioxide and exhales oxygen. For most of the 20th century, 300 acres of this land was a prison farm. Before that it was a slave plantation, and before that a home to the Muscogee people, who were violently forced out of what they call the Weelaunee Forest in the early 1800s. Since the 1990s, the abandoned woods and surrounding waterways have been treated as a dumping ground by local businesses and residents, leaving nearby, predominantly Black and lower-income neighborhoods to deal with the literal downstream effects. Yet its trees go on filtering rainwater, purifying the air, and counteracting the urban heat-island effect鈥攊n which paved surfaces trap solar energy and drive up ambient temperatures鈥攂reathing life into the metropolitan area by simply existing.

It was here that Manuel Paez Ter谩n (who went by the name Tortuguita) took their last breath after law enforcement shot them at least 57 times during a multiagency raid on January 18. The 26-year-old was one of dozens of activists protesting the construction of a sprawling, $90 million training center for police and firefighters on 85 acres of the South River Forest. The project was spearheaded by the Atlanta Police Foundation. Approved by the Atlanta City Council in 2021, the campus鈥攚hich opponents call Cop City鈥攚ould include a shooting range, a driving course for practicing high-speed chases, and a mock village to rehearse raids. With Atlanta still reeling from the police killing of Rayshard Brooks in 2020, activists saw Cop City as a repudiation of protesters鈥� calls for racial justice and police accountability.

Questions linger about the circumstances of Ter谩n鈥檚 death. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says that officers fired in self-defense after Ter谩n shot a state trooper, who was seriously wounded. Authorities also allege that a handgun recovered from the scene belonged to Ter谩n. But activists believe that the officer may have been struck by friendly fire. The state claims that there is no body-camera footage of the shooting itself, but in a video captured just after the incident, an Atlanta police officer is heard saying, 鈥淵ou fucked your own officer up.鈥� He later approaches two other officers and asks, 鈥淭hey shoot their own man?鈥� An autopsy by the DeKalb County medical examiner did not find gunshot residue on Ter谩n鈥檚 hands, but further testing by state investigators revealed more than five 鈥減articles characteristic of gunshot primer residue.鈥� The report also stated, 鈥淚t is possible for victims of gunshot wounds, both self-inflicted and non-self-inflicted, to have [gunshot residue] present on their hands.鈥�

In a statement, attorneys for Ter谩n鈥檚 family referred to the test results as 鈥渋nconclusive.鈥� An earlier autopsy commissioned by the attorneys concluded that at the time Ter谩n was shot, they were sitting cross-legged, with their hands in the air.

鈥淭here has always been a risk of violence in environmental activism,鈥� says Keith Woodhouse, a history professor at Northwestern University. 鈥淏ut this is the first time ever, in the history of the United States, that there has been an environmental activist killed by law enforcement.鈥�

The public may never know the truth about what happened to Ter谩n. What鈥檚 clear is that they were an advocate for passive resistance. In an interview with reporter David Peisner last December, Ter谩n said, 鈥淲e鈥檙e not going to beat them at violence. They鈥檙e very, very good at violence. We鈥檙e not. We win through nonviolence.鈥� After graduating magna cum laude from Florida State University, Ter谩n became active in the organization Food Not Bombs, helping feed homeless people in Tallahassee. They were growing their hair long to donate to children with cancer, their brother Daniel Esteban Paez told the Associated Press. According to the DeKalb County medical examiner鈥檚 report, Ter谩n鈥檚 black curls, pulled back in a ponytail, measured 12 inches in length.

The decentralized 鈥淪top Cop City鈥� movement has not been entirely peaceful. Demonstrators have thrown Molotov cocktails at police and torched construction vehicles. Georgia has charged dozens with domestic terrorism, a move that human rights groups have criticized as excessive and politically motivated. In a statement in March, the American Civil Liberties Union speculated that the state had leveled such extreme accusations because the protest 鈥渃hallenges the increasing militarization of the police.鈥�

In October, the Georgia Bureau of Investigations announced the officers who shot Ter谩n will not be charged.

Ter谩n died rejecting the idea that training neighborhood cops to fight protesters like insurgents would increase public safety. Their spirit lives on , 鈥溌iva, viva Tortuguita! 隆Viva, viva Tortuguita!鈥�

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If you鈥檝e been to a yoga festival, you know the hum that takes place. Everywhere you look, there鈥檚 activity. Attendees are unrolling their mats on the grass, lecturers are offering insights, vendors are sharing artisanal wares, and food trucks are dishing out their creations. As the sun goes down, the live music becomes louder and the learning shifts to dancing. It鈥檚 an unparalleled experience.

In recent years, yoga festivals have evolved to appeal to those of all experience levels and interests. Some focus on traditional practices while others are more new age-y and 鈥済littery.鈥� Whether you鈥檙e just starting yoga or are years into your practice, there is a festival that will vibe with you.

Although each yoga festival has its own distinct personality, they all share the common threads of connection, presence, and celebration. The following list explores 11 annual yoga festivals along with some of the history and highlights of each.

11 Yoga Festivals You Need to Know About

1. Bend Yoga Festival

Bend, Oregon | June 8-11, 2023

Explore the majesty of the Cascade Mountains at . Situated in the beautiful mountain town of Bend, Oregon, this festival features a focused mix of world-class presenters, wellness sessions, and outdoor adventures.

This year, the Bend Yoga Festival moves to Riverbend Park, offering direct access to the flowing Deschutes River, stunning mountain views, and more than 15,000 square feet of lawn. During the festival, attendees can explore nearby natural attractions, such as the lava caves and . Join a guided hike to the top of Smith Rock, followed by a yoga practice and local brew tasting, or take to the river in an open paddle class.

Throughout the weekend, you can join international and locally loved presenters including and for afternoon yoga sessions at participating local yoga studios, all within walking distance of the main venue. You can also schedule your own yoga photo shoot with acclaimed photographer . Lodging isn鈥檛 included, so you鈥檒l want to find a stay at a local Airbnb, campsite, or hotel.

2. Telluride Yoga Fest

Telluride, Colorado | June 22-25, 2023

For a fully immersive yoga experience, the is not to be missed. The four-day event offers more than 100 classes, including yoga, meditation, music, hiking, wellness talks, and social gatherings. The event takes place amid the intimate setting of a small village nestled at the base of the Telluride Mountains, surrounded by rugged peaks, mountain air, and crisp blue skies.

Start your day with a mountain-top meditation, hike the fan-favorite Jud Wiebe memorial trail, practice standup paddleboard (SUP) yoga on Elk Lake, or simply sleep-in. With its new campus in Mountain Village,聽 connected to the historic Town of Telluride via a free gondola, the festival provides a unique gathering that鈥檚 entirely removed from the hubbub of everyday life. The festival has hosted some of the most well-seasoned yoga teachers, including , , , , and .

Telluride offers a selection of hotels, condos, and private residences that cater to every budget.

3. LoveShinePlay

Asheville, North Carolina | July 20-23, 2023

The , formerly known as the Asheville Yoga Festival, is a four-day event held in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. The festival offers an expansive schedule that includes more than 70 styles of offerings, including Bhakti and anatomy, Kundalini and Yin, and everything in between.

Asheville is considered the wellness capital of the South, and the festival takes advantage of its surroundings, allowing attendees to expand their knowledge and practice in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Throughout the weekend, attendees can experience lectures on practical astrology, Ayurvedic yoga classes, 鈥測in yoga and story time,鈥� plus classes and concerts from and .

Classes are dispersed around Asheville in hotels, community centers, and outdoor stages, all walkable from the marketplace. The central hub for the festival, the marketplace features 60-plus hand-selected vendors offering high-quality wellness products. You鈥檒l also find food trucks, free community events, and outdoor spaces to rest.

LoveShinePlay started in 2016 as the Asheville Yoga Festival and has since grown to include partnerships with Lululemon and Yoloha. In 2024, the festival will expand and offer a similar incarnation in Charleston.

4. OM Festival

Manchester, Vermont | July 26-30, 2023

Dance, flow, and play your way to wellness at the annual , a summerfest held on 150-plus mountainside acres overlooking the Battenkill River. Also known as the Vermont Yoga Festival, it offers five days of yoga, meditation, dance, and flow arts classes where festival-goers can flow, play, and groove.

The OM Festival combines natural beauty and historic charm. Classes take place in a 200-year-old barn on the expansive private grounds and in the perfectly coiffed meditation garden. At night, the festival comes alive with music and embodiment celebrations, including kirtan, bhakti yoga, and ecstatic dance DJs.

Most guests stay on-site, either at , the hub of the festival, or camp in a private field or alongside the river (river camp sites are limited and sell out quickly). Those staying at the inn can expect romantic, antique-y rooms, mountain views, and farm-fresh dining.

5. Soul Circus

Elmore, UK | August 17-20, 2023

somehow manages to be both healthy and hedonistic. And somehow it works. Spearheaded by the charismatic founders, Roman and Ella Wroath, Soul Circus is a holistic yoga, arts, and music festival set in the rural countryside of Cotswold, United Kingdom. The combination of yoga asana, wellness workshops, and live music is undeniably more glittery wellness rave than traditional yoga festival. With its world-renowned DJs and afterparties that last until 2 am, Soul Circus wants to help you tune in and let loose.

By day, stretch out in yoga tents dotted along the countryside or join sought-after yoga instructors and wellness practitioners in any of the 300-plus wellness sessions, including cacao ceremonies, astral projection, lucid dreaming, and ecstatic dance. It鈥檚 a chance to indulge your woo-woo side.

As the light fades, the festival takes on an entirely different vibe. DJs set the skies alight with exhilarating music and dance. Those who need a reset after a marathon dance session can settle into a wood-fired hot tub or sauna at the on-site Soul Spa, which also offers daytime holistic therapy sessions.

Soul Circus is an undoubtedly energetic and unique yoga experience.

6. Dirty South Yoga Festival

Atlanta, Georgia | August 25-27, 2023

The , held at the end of August, is a homegrown celebration that鈥檚 all about promoting community and mindfulness in a way that embraces the 鈥渞ough around the edges鈥� energy of the South.

Founded in 2013 by a group of Atlanta-based yoga teachers, Dirty South Yoga arose from a need for authentic connection in the wellness community. The group cites the Zen Buddhist Monk Thich Nhat Hanh and his famous saying 鈥淣o mud, no lotus鈥� as a foundational inspiration and will be the first to admit they鈥檙e not prim and proper. They regularly practice falling and try to show up to themselves, their practice, and each other as best they can.

The festival takes place at The Loudermilk Conference Center in downtown Atlanta, where participants can revel in an entire weekend of workshops, classes, and activities. Founder has said she knows what it鈥檚 like to long for connection in the yoga world, and with Dirty South Yoga, she hopes to provide a place of support, guidance, and friendship. It鈥檚 yoga, real and raw.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CoYRp9NPMgR/

7. Mammoth Yoga Festival

Mammoth Lakes, California | September 14-17, 2023

is a getaway for those seeking adventure, growth, and connection in California鈥檚 Sierra Nevada Mountains. Every September, it offers 鈥測oga and meditation for every body, every age, and every ability,鈥� making it accessible to all who wish to make the pilgrimage.

Whether you鈥檙e a curious beginner or a yoga teacher seeking to expand your understanding of how to share the practice, Mammoth Festival shares an array of classes to help you develop your practice. Anyone can attend early morning sessions on creative yoga sequencing, the power of cueing, and decolonizing yoga. And every night, the Vendor Village Market lights up with performances from mystically-minded musicians, which included , , and in recent years.

Weekend asana and meditation classes from teachers such as and will help you settle a restless spirit and immerse yourself in the present. Also, presentations from yoga and health institutions such as Mammoth Hospital and the work trade and job opportunity website, , allow instructors to diversify their teaching tools beyond advanced asana. The festival is recognized as an approved Continuing Education Provider by the National Academy of Sports Medicine, making it an excellent opportunity for yoga and fitness professionals to gain needed continuing education credits.

8. Lamu Yoga Festival

Lamu Island, Kenya | October 25-29, 2023

From sunrise yoga sessions on pristine beaches to moonlit meditations beneath the stars, emphasizes total, undisturbed bliss. This celebration of yoga, culture, and tranquility happens in the coastal region of Kenya and immerses in a world of serenity, culture, and mindful exploration.

Yoga, breathwork, and meditation are taught at a dozen unique venues and studios. Discover the allure of Lamu Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its charming architecture and captivating history. With no cars in sight and donkeys and boats instead dotting the landscape, the scene creates a true escape from the everyday. Experience the local culture and traditions through an awe-inspiring opening ceremony on the beach, a traditional Kenyan dinner, a scenic sailing trip, and a mesmerizing bonfire to close your journey.

9. International Yoga Festival

Banks of Ganges River, India | March 2024

A week-long celebration of yoga and meditation, the in Rishikesh, India, attracts thousands of people from around the world to the birthplace of yoga. Nestled among the Himalayas on the banks of the holy River Ganga, the festival takes place at Parmarth Niketan Ashram, one of the largest interfaith yoga institutions in India. It鈥檚 a tranquil environment where participants can connect with themselves and their spiritual practice.

The aim of the International Yoga Festival is to 鈥渆xpand global consciousness and bring healing back to the planet, one person at a time.鈥� In support of that, it hosts some of the greatest teachers from both eastern and western lineages of yoga, making it an ideal pilgrimage for dedicated students looking to connect with the origins of the practice.

The extensive schedule includes a mind-boggling array of activities, from early morning kundalini sadhana to evening kirtan and everything in between, including asana classes and talks. It regularly draws more than 2000 participants from 80 countries, offering a unique opportunity to come together and share in the transformative power of yoga. The festival鈥檚 emphasis on the origins of the practice is a testament to yoga鈥檚 enduring spirit, influence, and ability to unite people in the pursuit of growth and well-being.

10. Sedona Yoga Festival

Sedona, Arizona | April 2024

Many believe that certain locations on the planet experience a higher vibrational energy than others. With its seven vortices, or energy centers, Sedona is one of those places. The , now in its tenth year, draws on this enigmatic energy to foster community and spiritual growth.

Billed as a 鈥渃onsciousness evolution conference,鈥� the festival boasts an impressive roster of speakers and rich coursework and continues to be a pioneer of large-scale mindful events in the United States. Workshops and immersions take place amid Sedona鈥檚 mystical landscape and world-class performing arts facilities and offer opportunities to explore all eight limbs of yoga.

Attendees can gather in the mornings for a communal ceremony before dispersing into lectures or desert excursions. There are more than 100 sessions to choose from, including yoga practices amid the red rocks. Evenings feature keynote addresses from top-tier spiritual minds, lectures, sacred chanting sessions, and live entertainment.

11. BaliSpirit

Ubud, Bali | May 2024

If practicing yoga in Bali is your dream, the in Ubud may be the ultimate destination. Held annually at the , this three-day 鈥渟pirit festival鈥� encompasses yoga, dance, martial arts, breathwork, personal development, and more, making it a catalyst for transformation.

A magnet for conscious travelers and spiritual seekers, BaliSpirit has grown considerably since it was founded in 2008, bringing economic growth and evolution to the town of Ubud. Held in a traditional Balinese open-air venue surrounded by wildlife and flanked by a sacred river, the fest offers a unique opportunity for attendees to connect with themselves, others, and the surroundings.

The holistic approach of the festival is reflected in its more than 150 workshops representing different styles of yoga (including Hatha, Yin, Anusara, and Ashtanga) as well as other types of movement (Capoeira, Qi Gong, Silat, Poi, Laughter, and hula hooping). Each night ends with a musical lineup of global performers, creating an intimate concert experience leading to deeper connections and sacred celebration.

About Our Contributor

Sierra is a writer, yogi, and music lover living in the Pacific Northwest. She鈥檚 been practicing yoga for nearly a decade & got certified to teach in 2018. She writes and teaches all about connection: connection to the body, to nature, and to the universal love that holds us together. She鈥檚 also the author of , a moon magic journal and witchy workbook.

For free yoga and witchy wisdom, find Sierra at , on Instagram , and on .

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The graffiti on the bridge in front of us is colorful but not exactly the cultural experience I was hoping to give my kids. We鈥檝e been cruising the streets on the edge of Macon, Georgia, looking for a collection of Native American mounds, but so far聽all we鈥檝e found is liquor stores and some randy messages spray-painted on an overpass. We are lost.

It鈥檚 an odd feeling and an increasingly uncommon one;聽given the GPS devices in our pockets, it鈥檚 pretty damn hard to make a wrong turn. Unless, that is, you decide to ditch the GPS entirely and let your two 12-year-olds choose the route for the family road trip using an old-school atlas.

A week before we arrived in Macon, I聽bought a Rand McNally and told my kids they would聽navigate our spring-break journey. We鈥檇 be traveling from our home聽in 础迟濒补苍迟补听to , a barrier island six hours and 300 miles southeast聽on the coast of South Carolina, where we鈥檇 spend a few days camping and paddleboarding. I set the atlas in front of them on the kitchen table and explained what it was. Then I circled our starting point and destination on the map and asked them to plot our course. I may as well have given them an abacus and asked them to do algebra. It didn鈥檛 help that they can barely agree on the color of the sky.

Call this an experiment in GPS detox. I鈥檓 as guilty as anyone when it comes to relying too heavily on my devices to tell me where to go. I subscribe to and OnX听补苍诲 use my phone to find Chinese food when I鈥檓 hungry; I always know where I am in the woods and the location of the nearest egg roll. But I don鈥檛 really know how to get anywhere on my own anymore. I just drift through the landscape on autopilot, turning wherever the nice lady in my phone tells me to turn. As a result, I鈥檝e lost my sense of place, and I鈥檓 oblivious to the landscape around me. 鈥淵ou can feel completely disconnected and lost in space using GPS,鈥� says Dave Imus, a cartographer that focus on the ridges, valleys, and rivers that define a region instead of its town names and interstate exits.

If it鈥檚 gotten this bad for me, I鈥檓 even more worried about my kids, Cooper and Addisson, who could grow up without ever using a paper map鈥攚hich feels like bad parenting on my part. Hence the spring-break road-trip experiment. 鈥淧lease don鈥檛 turn our beach vacation into a lesson,鈥� my daughter pleaded. She might be sassy, but she鈥檚 not wrong. The beach trip is totally going to be a lesson.

First聽we have to get out of Atlanta, which聽on the map聽looks like a snake鈥檚 nest of highways. The blue circle of an interstate wraps around the whole聽city, so in theory, you could take a wrong turn and do laps until you run out of gas. But my son figures out that I-75 cuts through Atlanta, so if we keep heading south, we鈥檒l eventually get past the mayhem.

The kids pore over the atlas in the back seat, getting a kick out of finding town names that are dangerously close to being dirty words, like Bullocks and Blichton. They also think it鈥檚 cool that the border of Georgia and South Carolina is defined by the Savannah River, not just some arbitrary line drawn in the sand, and that the coast of both states is聽painted with a lot of green because of an abundance of wildlife refuges there.

Middle Georgia is mostly flat, hot, and full of pecan trees. But I鈥檓 determined to give the kids a sense of聽the landscape we鈥檙e traveling through, so I ask them to look for cool detours, like patches of green or blue on the map indicating parks or rivers and lakes. They trace I-75 through the state and contemplate different places we could check out鈥擮conee National Forest, High Falls State Park鈥攂ut settle on , a collection of Native American earth mounds just outside Macon.

Navigating the surface roads to the park doesn鈥檛 go smoothly. I lose count of the number of U-turns I make, and we end up sitting in the parking lot of a sketchy liquor store while the kids argue. But I refuse to pull out my phone. If we drive into a river, it鈥檚 going to be at the hands of my children. Eventually, they guide us to the park, which is worth the trouble. We walk to the top of the聽, a ceremonial 55-foot-tall clay hump that archeologists estimate took ten聽million baskets of dirt to create. It鈥檚 the highlight of the road trip.

A couple of hours later (call it two and a half, due to聽some confusion around which direction we should go off the exit),聽we make it to the coast. There鈥檚 not enough detail on the atlas for the kids to comprehend the sheer volume of islands that litter the edge of South Carolina, so we use one of those cartoonish tourist maps of the area to navigate our way across a string of inlets and聽islets聽to Hunting Island State Park. Once we arrive at our campsite, the kids take advantage of their newfound navigational power and use the map to direct us to ice cream shops and a waterfront park with big oaks covered in Spanish moss.

I鈥檓 not gonna lie and say we took the most efficient route. We didn鈥檛. But my kids got us to the beach. I thought we鈥檇 fumble around a series of back聽roads until we ran out of gas or I started crying, but instead we actually all had fun.

A good lesson never ends, so now that we鈥檙e back home, I keep quizzing them on directions. I鈥檒l pull over into a random parking lot and ask them how to get to our house. I鈥檒l bring out the atlas and have them look for cool parks we should explore. I ask them where a certain river eventually leads to and which direction we should walk to reach a ridge of mountains on the horizon. They get annoyed with me, because they鈥檙e 12, but they鈥檙e learning their way around their corner of the world.

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If you haven鈥檛 discovered at least a dozen hidden gems in your backyard and hometown since the start of the pandemic, you鈥檝e been doing it all wrong. But don鈥檛 worry, there鈥檚 still time to build that list. For those of us living in cities, there are plenty of weekend-long detours that will make you feel as if you鈥檝e escaped the grind, without having to had to travel very far at all.

If You鈥檙e in Seattle or Portland聽

Go to Sisters, Oregon. The聽聽(from $125), three hours from Portland or five from Seattle, has everything you want in a quick summer getaway: a lake with kayaks, canoes, and SUPs on loan, a bar serving up lakefront cocktails, mountain bike trails nearby in聽, and musicians playing music around the campfire most nights. Stay in one of 11 newly restored lodge rooms or 16 rustic cabins on Suttle Lake.

If You鈥檙e in San Francisco or Los Angeles聽

Go to Mammoth Lakes, California.听It鈥檚 a six-hour drive from San Francisco, or聽five hours from Los Angeles. 聽is staying open for skiing through Memorial Day; then the resort offers lift-accessed mountain biking, hiking trails, and scenic gondola rides. Need a camping rig?聽聽has rental campervans you can pick up in L.A. or San Francisco. Or check in to the聽聽(from $169), which has independent chalets.

If You鈥檙e in Boston or New York聽

Go to North Adams, Massachusetts. A聽three-hour drive west of Boston and a 3.5-hour haul from New York City,聽the northern Berkshires in the spring is a good place to be: the summer crowds haven鈥檛 arrived yet and hiking on a stretch of the Appalachian Trail is good to go. For birdwatchers, you鈥檒l find plenty of action at the Audubon Society鈥檚 in Lenox, which has seven miles of hiking trails. Stay at , 1.5 miles from downtown North Adams, which has 100 lakeside and wooded sites for RVs, campers, and tents (from $25). Pick up barbecue and a growler of craft beer at in town.

If You鈥檙e in 础迟濒补苍迟补听

Go to Ellijay, Georgia. Less than two hours from Atlanta, this is a mountain biker鈥檚 dream spot, but there鈥檚聽plenty to do here鈥攆rom hiking to fly-fishing through聽鈥攊f you don鈥檛 ride聽bikes. Stay in a cabin or park your van or RV at聽聽(from $70 per person) and you鈥檒l have miles of singletrack and gravel riding from your door.

If You鈥檙e in Chicago

Go to , Illinois.听Its waterfalls and wildflowers come alive in the springtime, and the park鈥檚 campground and lodge see relatively fewer crowds. Hike into the sandstone canyons or scenic bluffs via 13 miles of marked trails or fish for white bass and walleye in the Illinois River. Less than two hours by car from Chicago, the park has a sprawling (from $25) and a (from $120), built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

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According to KOA鈥檚 , more people are pitching tents closer to home. And that鈥檚 even more true now as we navigate state-by-state reopenings聽from coronavirus shutdowns. Luckily, there are more urban places to camp than you鈥檇 think, like these sites鈥攁ll within 100 miles of big cities.

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park

A smattering of 34 islands and peninsulas just off the coast, this park has no shortage of activities, including swimming. We recommend , one of four that offer camping, for its hiking and views of the harbor. Seven primitive sites (from $8) are tucked into the woods and walkable from the beach. While most visitors take the ferry from Boston, those looking for a challenge can kayak an hour to reach the island. Note: the park is currently closed. Check for updates.

Phoenix, Arizona

Lost Dutchman State Park

Lost Dutchman has the same dramatic landscape as the region鈥檚 Joshua Tree and Saguaro National Parks鈥攖hink classic Sonoran Desert full of majestic cactus鈥攂ut without the crowds. Forty miles east of downtown Phoenix, the 320-acre park serves as a well-appointed trailhead for Tonto National Forest. At the RV-friendly campground, to get a site with views of the Superstition Mountains (from $25).

Atlanta, Georgia

Panola Mountain聽State Park

Atlanta is famous for suburban sprawl, but tucked amid all the chaos is Panola Mountain State Park, a 1,635-acre swath of wilderness 15 minutes east of downtown. You鈥檒l have to hike half a mile to reach (from $22), which sit next to a pond filled with bream. There are 36 miles of hiking trails and a tree-climbing program that will have you reaching the tops of 100-foot red oaks. Time it right and you can sleep in the canopy during one of the park鈥檚 overnight climbs.

Chicago, Illinois

The Vaudeville Urban Farm

Sometimes you don鈥檛 even need to leave the city to pitch a tent. A 9,000-square-foot farm tucked into Chicago鈥檚 East Garfield Park neighborhood, this has five campsites (from $48). Gather eggs, feed the goats, and use the prime location to explore the city. Run or pedal the 606, an abandoned rail line that鈥檚 been converted into a 2.7-mile-long park; kayak along the Chicago River; or take the train to Lake Michigan and run or bike the Lakefront Trail.听

San Francisco, California

Angel Island State Park

The best view of San Francisco鈥檚 skyline聽is from a tent in the middle of the bay. The 740-acre has 12 campsites (from $30). Catch a ferry聽to reach the island, or kayak to one of聽two sites accessible from shore. Rent a bike from the Angel Island Company听补苍诲 ride nine miles of car-free roads, or hike the Sunset Trail to the top of 788-foot Mount Livermore for 360-degree views of downtown San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz.

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I鈥檝e heard many strange things from Uber drivers. But this was a new one.听

鈥淎re you sure?鈥� she asked, questioning my destination as I hopped into her car at Atlanta鈥檚 Hartsfield-Jackson airport one night last fall. 鈥淚鈥檝e been driving Uber to and from the airport for five years now, and I鈥檝e only taken someone south twice.鈥� North is the city proper and Atlanta鈥檚 endless suburban expanse. South is deep country. The crickets get louder and the sidewalks vanish.

Tucked into Georgia鈥檚 remote Chattahoochee Hills, a mere 30 miles from one of America鈥檚 biggest urban centers, is (pronounced 鈥渟aren-be鈥�), a 750-resident, 1,400-acre 鈥渁grihood鈥� founded in the early 2000s. Billed as a premium-living paradise鈥攊n its own literature and in 听补苍诲 , among others鈥攊t allows residents to connect with nature while surrounded by award-winning architecture. When I arrived, an employee handed me the keys to my lodging and an electric golf cart to use for the duration of my five-day stay. But after a pause she reconsidered. 鈥淢aybe I should drive you,鈥� she said, skeptical of my ability to navigate to my temporary home in the dark. We drove by a rustic-chic farmhouse restaurant and down a winding country road, past a stylized rusted-metal signpost displaying the quote 鈥淎ll beauty is an outward expression of inward good.鈥� I found the language pretentious, self-satisfied, and utterly irresistible. Still, I felt a vague sense of panic rising within as we drove through the darkened woods: Where was the award-winning architecture?

Just as my concerns began to peak, we reached Serenbe鈥檚 residential area, a fully formed, cleverly constructed community like something out of a Narnian fantasy. Currently divided into three large 鈥�,鈥� the development is a whimsical hodgepodge of more than 300 minimalist-modern homes, townhouses, cottages, and farmhouses. We passed a general store, a florist, a high-end bike-repair shop, a school, and a playhouse before reaching my two-bedroom townhome in the hamlet of Grange. The 1,500-square-foot lodging was nearly three times the size of my New York apartment and had the ambiance of a premium Airbnb, with elegant decor, a library of self-help books, and Serenbe-branded glass water bottles. I stepped out onto the back deck overlooking a wooded expanse and was met with silence; even Serenbe鈥檚 dense neighborhoods are free from the sounds of traffic and commerce. Many residents have electric vehicles, and Serenbe rents out golf carts like mine to visitors in an effort to reduce noise pollution. Even during the busy day and evening hours, you can hear a pin drop.听

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Last month, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Japanese government announced that the 2020 Tokyo Games would be聽postponed聽until聽July 23, 2021, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It鈥檚 clearly the right call. But maybe you, like me, are still in shock, confronting the loss of an event we鈥檝e been looking forward to for years.

Four recent books, however, remind us of other times when the Olympics overcame global crises and persevered through dark periods聽during聽its 124-year history. There were the World Wars, of course, which resulted in聽the cancellation of three Games. But it carried on through the Great Depression, terrorist attacks, and, most recently, a rogue regime threatening the use of a nuclear bomb. So while you鈥檙e sheltering in place without sports for the foreseeable future, try one of these reads to put this moment in historical perspective.

The Time an Olympic Hockey Team Helped De-Escalate a Nuclear Threat

The Olympics are often as much about politics as they are about sports. That was certainly true for the聽2018 Pyeongchang Games, which helped ease tensions between South Korea and North Korea, even though聽organizers feared the latter might test a nuclear weapon during competition. In the middle of this geopolitical chess match was Korea鈥檚 first-ever unified women鈥檚 ice-hockey team. South Korea originally proposed the idea as a symbolic gesture to mitigate the tension on the Korean peninsula. Kim Jong Un聽eventually bought in, and a squad聽of 23 South Koreans and 12 North Koreans was created. In , Seth Berkman, a sports contributor at The New York Times, unspools聽the fascinating backstory. 鈥淓veryone on the team has a story worth sharing,鈥� he told 国产吃瓜黑料.

The ups and downs that led to the unified team are especially engrossing. In 2013, South Korean officials sent mysterious emails聽to recruit Canadian and American collegiate players who looked Korean in their yearbooks. As a result, five North Americans of Korean descent joined the roster, which at that point was comprised solely of South Koreans. And the players didn鈥檛 just hail聽from different countries but聽all walks of life鈥攖hey were college students, actresses, convenience-store workers. They became close as they prepared for the Olympics聽but then, four weeks before their first game in Pyeongchang, found out that 12 North Koreans would be joining the squad. In the end, everyone聽developed a special connection through training sessions, K-pop songs, Big Macs, and ice cream.

While the group didn鈥檛 win a single match, it wasn鈥檛 all a loss. Their teamwork overcame cultural, societal, and political challenges to make history. And the Olympics helped get Donald Trump and Kim Jong聽Un to the negotiating table, which, at least for a while, provided hope for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

The Time an Ex-Cop Saved Thousands from a Bomb at the Olympics

The Atlanta bombing at the 1996 Summer Games was the worst Olympic terrorist attack since the Munich Massacre of聽1972. Still, until , at least, most people forgot about Richard Jewell, the heroic security guard who spotted the bomb and prevented聽greater calamity. In , Kent Alexander, U.S. attorney for the northern district of Georgia at the time of the 1996 Olympics, and Kevin Salwen, a seasoned journalist, bring us back to the eighth night of those聽Atlanta Games.

At Centennial Park, Jewell, a hapless former cop turned hypervigilant guard, spotted a discarded bag near thousands of spectators watching a concert. It turned out to be a bomb. He helped evacuate the crowd, but it was too late to save everyone. It exploded. Two people died, and 111 were injured. In the following days, newspapers and TV networks from all over the world hailed Jewell as a hero. Everything went south, though, once an FBI agent leaked to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Jewell was a suspect in the attack. Law enforcement finally cleared him after three months of investigations, but during that time, TV crews in vans and helicopters shadowed Jewell and his family, speculating that he was the bomber. In 2003, the actual perpetrator, an American named Eric Rudolph, was captured and confessed聽not only to the Olympic bombing聽but three other antiabortion and antigay terrorist attacks in the South as well. Yet even today, some people continue to think Jewell is guilty.

Alexander and Salwen conducted 187 interviews and sifted through 90,000 pages of documents over five years while researching the story. They concluded that the Jewell episode was, as they write in The Suspect, 鈥渃onvenient for law enforcement that got its suspect. Convenient for the media that got its story. Convenient for Olympics organizers who could move the Games forward with fans and athletes believing the bomber had been safely cornered.鈥� It was convenient for everyone but Richard Jewell himself. False information spread widely, shaped public opinion, and dragged law enforcement in the wrong direction. After that聽it was hard for the suspect to recover his life听补苍诲 his reputation. In an interview with , Salwen says the tale is 鈥渁 social-media story from a time when social media didn鈥檛 exist.鈥�

The Time the Olympics Arrived in America聽During the Great聽Depression

Los Angeles has Billy Garland to thank for putting it on the map: the real estate tycoon brought聽the Olympic Games to that city in 1932, helping establish it as the global cultural capital it is today. Yet most people in Southern California have probably never heard of him. Pulitzer Prize鈥搘inning journalist Barry Siegel revives his incredible story聽in .

At the turn of the century, automobiles were a rare sight in the underdeveloped city, and fig orchards covered what would become the Hollywood Hills. The movie industry only started to take root the following decade, and by 1920, three-quarters of the world鈥檚 films were shot around Los Angeles. But when the IOC鈥檚 European establishment began searching for the host of the 1932 Games, Los Angeles was still not on its聽radar. Garland decided to change that. Dreamers and Schemers uses extensive archival material, including letters exchanged between Garland听补苍诲 Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic movement, to recount Garland鈥檚 improbable effort to bring the world鈥檚 largest sporting event to the City of Angels.

Some document-heavy sections move slowly, but the book conveys the amazing amount of ambition and confidence it required to convince both European representatives in the IOC and Californians themselves that the Olympics should come to Los Angeles. Garland pushed the state government to issue a million-dollar bond听补苍诲 then corralled Hollywood and local newspapers to drum up morale for hosting, even as the Great Depression rocked the country. He endured聽police corruption and political scandals to produce a successful Olympics, introducing聽Los Angeles to the world. 鈥淭he story of Billy Garland is the story of Los Angeles,鈥� Siegel writes. And that鈥檚 not an exaggeration.

The Time a Group of African American Athletes Defied Racism and Fascism to Compete in the Olympics

Typically, the world only remembers one black athlete from the notorious 1936 Berlin Olympics鈥擩esse Owens. But in , based on , director Deborah Riley Draper and author Travis Thrasher tell the story of the other 17 African American athletes who competed in those Games.

Their presence and victories in Berlin were聽a blow to racial prejudice on both sides of the Atlantic, and the book, though sometimes scattered, explores their fascinating backstories. The athletes pushed聽through unfair and rigorous trials to represent a country that considered them second-class citizens at an Olympics聽hosted by a fascist country. In some ways, Nazi Germany actually treated them better than the Jim Crow South. Owens and his fellow African American聽athletes were welcomed with applause and respect from competitors and spectators, and they all stayed in an integrated Olympic Village. Then聽they defied the Nazi regime鈥檚 ideas of Aryan superiority by scooping up 14 medals, including seven golds, in track and field and boxing.

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 just Jesse. It was other African-American athletes in the middle of Nazi Germany under the gaze of Adolf Hitler that put a lie to notions of racial superiority,鈥� write聽Draper and Thrasher. The athletic excellence demonstrated by the group foreshadowed Hitler鈥檚 defeat in Germany听补苍诲, back home, was a precursor to the civil rights movement.

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Say what you will about 鈥攖he French aristocrat who founded the modern Olympics鈥攂ut the guy had a talent for branding. He came up with those five interlocking rings back in聽1913, creating聽one of the more ubiquitous logos of the 20th century. De Coubertin is also credited with the聽aspirational 鈥溾�� which reminds us that: 鈥淭he most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.鈥�

Of course, the taking-part-is-everything ethos extends beyond the Olympics itself. Just ask any of the hundreds of amateur athletes who are competing in this Saturday鈥檚聽聽in the marathon, which are being held in Atlanta. These men and women represent the cream of their local running communities, but have no realistic shot at contending for one of the six spots鈥攖hree for men, three for women鈥攐n the Olympic team. While they may be grateful just to be in Atlanta, they are unlikely to treat the race as a 26.2-mile victory lap. Because to do so would be at odds with whatever it was that got them there in the first place.听

How will these runners define success on the big day? I聽spoke to a few of them to find out.

Matt Rand聽

Age: 28
Residence: Portland, Maine
Job: Research Manager at US News & World Report
Qualifying Time: 2:18:36

鈥淭his race definitely is different for me, in that I feel accomplished just making it to the start line. Making it there has been a goal for about four years; I鈥檓 one of many people who are just happy to be there. That鈥檚 not to say that I don鈥檛 have a goal for the race, but I鈥檓 defining success a lot more loosely than I would be for a marathon where I have a specific time goal in mind. That鈥檚 how I鈥檝e been racing marathons for the last four years or so鈥擨 was deliberately picking fast, flat courses to try to run a PR and success was really defined by that finishing time. For this one, the time just doesn鈥檛 matter at all. Normally, leading up to a race, I can be a little bit anxious, uptight, and maybe not so pleasant to be around for the people close to me. It鈥檚 like you have a big weight on your shoulders. In this race, that鈥檚 not going to be the case鈥攖he weight鈥檚 already been lifted off. So I will be a little more relaxed and able to enjoy it. But, once the gun goes off, it鈥檚 still a 26.2-mile race where, if you鈥檙e not suffering, you鈥檙e not doing it right.鈥�

Katie Casto Hynes

Age: 37
Residence: San Francisco, California聽
Job: Diabetes Educator at the Pediatric Diabetes Clinic at UCSF
Qualifying Time: 2:41:37

鈥淚 think that because I鈥檝e lived in a lot of cities鈥擭ew York, Louisville, Portland, and now San Francisco鈥擨 know a lot of the women who are going to be racing. That鈥檚 exciting and going to make it more fun, but also I鈥檒l know, with a lot of the women, that I should be near them in the race. I run for 听补苍诲 we have nine women from our team going to the Trials. Having these fast women to train with, the depth and strength of having eight other fast women training for the same thing has really elevated my training overall. So I do think that part of defining success will be about how I am doing compared with women I know that have run similar times to me. I think a little bit of a personal fear is that I feel like I鈥檓 in really good shape and if it was a different type of course I think I would probably have more of a time goal. I think that that鈥檚 been a little difficult; I鈥檓 in the best shape of my life, but I can鈥檛 necessarily go out at the pace that I鈥檝e trained at. It鈥檚 going to be a big mental race. I鈥檓 hoping, mostly, to not go out and die.鈥�

Patrick Reaves

Age: 34
Residence: Portland, Oregon
Job: SCI and Purpose Strategic Planning Director at Nike
Qualifying Time: 2:17:45

鈥淲hen you鈥檙e a person like me鈥攁n amateur runner who works鈥攐nce you qualify for the Trials, it would be easy to treat it like a victory lap of sorts. I鈥檝e got some numbers in my head. I know where I鈥檓 seeded, relative to the field, and I鈥檓 pretty close to the middle. For me, top 100 would be a good day. Top 50 would be a great day! I have a chance to beat some people who are faster than me鈥攕o that will be really cool, too. The number of people I can pass during the race will be a good performance indicator鈥攖hat鈥檚 the quantitative way of looking at it. The qualitative way of looking at it is how strong am I going to be feeling on that last leg. Am I fading? Can I accelerate to the finish? I鈥檒l have spent a lot more of my life thinking about this race than I will actually running it. So I want to be able to look back on it and be able to say, I had my best day at the highest level of the sport. Not only did I have a great day, but I left it all out there. I don鈥檛 want to have any regrets, so I鈥檓 planning to race my ass off.鈥�

Rena Elmer

Age: 37
Residence: Flower Mound, Texas
Job: Mother of nine children
Qualifying time: 2:40:21听

鈥淭he only thing I really can base success on is a PR. My qualifying marathon was the first marathon I鈥檝e ever run. I ran 2:40 on a flat course in Indiana and my last eight miles were really fast; I think I averaged a 5:51 mile. This one is going to be completely different because you鈥檙e either going uphill or downhill the entire time, at least from what I鈥檝e heard. I mean, just going and knowing I did the best I could do鈥攖hat鈥檚 success, but I would like to PR. I鈥檓 just going to try to replay exactly what I did in Indianapolis鈥攍ooking at my splits in the first half and just try to stay on pace, and then the second half just race and not look at my watch. In Indiana that was a huge blessing because I ran way faster than I thought I could. I have to realize that there are 500 women running. I might be top 100, I might not be. I think I鈥檓 ranked 137th. So if all goes well, I have a possibility of being in the top 100. It鈥檚 hard to call though, because if you see 100 people running ahead of you, you have no idea if it鈥檚 110 or 90. It鈥檚 going to be so awesome.鈥�

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On Sunday, Lindsay Crouse, the producer and editor who broke last year鈥檚 news about against Nike Oregon Project coach Alberto Salazar, published in the New York Times titled: 鈥淚鈥檓 35 and Running Faster Than I Ever Thought Possible.鈥� Crouse, who is an accomplished amateur runner, describes how she just ran her best marathon at 35鈥攁n age where she 鈥渄idn鈥檛 think it was still possible to improve significantly in anything.鈥� This athletic achievement, Crouse goes on to note, was mirrored by successes in her professional life; in addition to the Cain/Salazar story, she was the driving force behind a viral Times story of former Nike runners taking the company to task for for contracted athletes. 鈥淚 realized I could do a lot of other impossible things,鈥� Crouse writes. 鈥淚 could be a reporter like the journalists I鈥檇 always admired.鈥澛�

Marathon training can be very time-consuming, and there鈥檚 something seductive about the idea that the benefits of this ostensibly useless hobby might not be limited to eventually being able to run 26.2 miles slightly faster than before. Based on the experience of another runner I know (let鈥檚 call him Spartan Ritz), it鈥檚 tempting to convince yourself that achieving an ambitious time goal will help you unlock your potential in other areas.听

For Crouse, that time goal was two hours and 45 minutes鈥攖he women鈥檚 Olympic Trials standard for the 2020 race, which is taking place in Atlanta on February 29. A record 511 women have qualified for this year鈥檚 event鈥攗p from 198 in 2016. (On the men鈥檚 side, the standard is 2:19, and 260 managed to qualify.) Although she ended up falling eight minutes short, Crouse suggests that for her and hundreds of women like her, the pursuit itself was transformative.听

Two hours and 45 minutes is a daunting yet attainable target for hundreds of the best amateur female marathoners in this country, but that standard is expected to get harder for the 2024 cycle. In the past, USA Track and Field has based trials times on the official Olympic standards鈥攖he logic being that it shouldn鈥檛 be harder to qualify for U.S. Olympic team trials than for the actual Olympics. However, when the IAAF (which has since renamed itself World Athletics) released the qualifying standards for the 2020 Olympics last March, they had become much more difficult in several events鈥攎ost conspicuously in the marathon, where the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 standards went from 2:19 to 2:11:30 and 2:45:00 to 2:29:30, respectively. USATF will likely follow suit by making its own standards harder, albeit not quite to the same extent as World Athletics. (Only 11 American men and 18 American women have achieved the current Olympic marathon time standard.) 聽

Whether or not this is a good idea is a popular debate topic among those who care about the American sub-elite distance running scene. The marathon trials are unique in that they can accommodate much larger field sizes than the Olympic Trials on the track, where are generally much less feasible for talented amateurs. (In the 5,000-meters, for instance, the standard is 13:25 for men and 15:20 for women. If you can hit those times, chances are you鈥檙e a professional runner, or at least you should be.)聽

The big tent nature of the event, so the argument goes, generates collective enthusiasm for the domestic marathon scene, as dedicated amateurs with regular jobs qualify for the race from all across the country. Even if an elementary school teacher from San Francisco聽has no realistic shot at taking down Galen Rupp, it鈥檚 still exciting to see them competing on the same stage. Culling race fields through tougher standards would result in fewer of these stories. Perhaps it might also reduce the likelihood of aspirational, running-themed op-eds in the New York Times.听

On the other hand, when it comes to the Olympic Trials, hyper-exclusivity is sort of the point. The fact that over 300 more women qualified for the trials in 2020 than in 2016 changes the nature of the event, both in terms of athletic significance and race-day logistics; another subject of fevered speculation among running nerds is how race organizers will supply all trials participants with a personalized bottle every four miles without the whole thing devolving into a congested nightmare. If this proves to be an issue in Atlanta, USATF will be all the more incentivized to dramatically reduce the number of runners who take part.

But even if prospective new standards wind up being substantially harder, there鈥檚 a sense in which it might not matter to those for whom 2:45 already represented an audacious goal. What鈥檚 a few more minutes when you鈥檙e already shooting for the moon? One of the tantalizing aspects of this sport is how the limits of what might be possible are constantly evolving. (Especially in our current moment, when advances in shoe technology are ushering in a brave new era that will either allow runners to flourish like never before, or .)

Crouse points out to me that roughly a quarter of the women who qualified for the 2020 trials finished within a minute of the standard. This, she suggests, speaks to how much what transpired during this 鈥渦nicorn鈥� of an Olympic cycle was as much mental as anything else. 2:45 is the magical threshold鈥攗ntil it isn鈥檛.听

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to be an Olympian to know the difference between 90 percent effort and 100 percent feels the same鈥攜ou make up the difference with your mind,鈥� Crouse says.听鈥淎nd of course the women鈥檚 standard right now is relatively easier than the men鈥檚 standard.鈥澛�( has the women鈥檚 equivalent of 2:19 at roughly 2:38.)聽鈥淣ow that women have shown we can get there, it鈥檚 probably time to make the two standards consistent. For me, it鈥檚 all the same: Impossible. So I鈥檓 sure a lot of us will get there next time, too.鈥澛�

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