Last weekend, my family went on our annual Labor Day camping trip. I can't tell you where we went because I don't want everyone flocking to our awesome secret spot. Just trust me when I say that it's an amazing place we return to every year to regain some of our sanity, and remind ourselves that there's more to life than sitting in front of a computer screen. Or, at least, that's why I go there.

While we were there, we heard about the Venture Vermont Outdoor Challenge. The parks people basically give you a list of activities, and ask you to fill out a check sheet — and take photos — to show that you've completed the items on the list.

Each item has a corresponding number of points. So, climbing a tree or boulder is 10 points, playing frisbee is 10 points, identifying an animal is 5 points, hiking a trail is 20 points, etc. When you get 250 points, you send them your checklist and your photos and they send you a free day pass to all Vermont State Parks for 2009 (and the rest of 2008)! How cool is that?

I wish I had known about this little contest sooner. The deadline is October 15, so you've still got time to play. Here are a couple photos that we took this weekend in our fabulous, undisclosed, state-owned location. The top one was taken just before sunrise. The bottom photo shows a family of loons.