Recreational pursuits enjoyed by Anabaptists?

[MaxPC]

A tangential of this thread:
In my younger years when coming to the USA, I remember being absolutely gobsmacked that hill-walking or rambling were not recreational passions here. With all of the lovely parks systems and open land I would have thought it would be a natural.

That said, what recreational pursuits are enjoyed among Anabaptists?

[Ken]

A tangential of this thread:
In my younger years when coming to the USA, I remember being absolutely gobsmacked that hill-walking or rambling were not recreational passions here. With all of the lovely parks systems and open land I would have thought it would be a natural.

That said, what recreational pursuits are enjoyed among Anabaptists?

Who says they aren't? In this part of the country one can rarely even find parking at popular trailheads on nice weekends. And the more popular national forests in OR and WA are getting so overcrowded that they are contemplating limited access permit systems during peak seasons.

My elderly Mennonite parents who are in their 80s are constantly out birdwatching and walking their nearby open lands and trails.

In my own extended family I would estimate that gardening by the women and woodworking by the men are the two most common and popular recreational pursuits or hobbies.

Also hunting and fishing, mostly by the men but also some of the younger women as well.

[RZehr]

In Britain, you can ramble across private lands. In the US, that will get you arrested.

[Neto]

When I was growing up, the county fair was not an approved form of entertainment for us Mennonite Brethren. I do recall one time, however, when we went thorough the building where the canning competition was being held. So maybe that would have been something which the ladies did, not only as a way to provide food for the winter, but also as a form of enjoyment.
Some that were more-so for the men would have been horseshoe tossing, and as non-group activities, restoring old tractors and farm equipment. (We were into old cars, rather than tractors.)
We also had special congregational meetings on some Sunday nights which were called "Christian Endeavor" services, where it would be an evening of special music by women's trios, men's quartets, and some mixed groups with guitars, accordian, harmonica, zylophone, etc., or recitations of Scripture or poems, or reading of other kinds. In times past (before my time) a large tent would be set up, and people would come from other areas for a day or more of songfests.
(This is all from the Dutch Mennonite tradition, AKA "Russian Mennonites".)

[Ken]

In Britain, you can ramble across private lands. In the US, that will get you arrested.

Well sure. But Oregon is over 60% public lands. You could spend 10 lifetimes and still not ramble across all of it.

[ken_sylvania]

In Britain, you can ramble across private lands. In the US, that will get you arrested.

Well sure. But Oregon is over 60% public lands. You could spend 10 lifetimes and still not ramble across all of it.

No doubt. Considering the nature of the terrain, I would certainly die 10 deaths before I got across even half of it...

[Wade]

BC has crownland abounding. We've got such high mountains and deep valleys growing up I've been over 9000ft snowmobiling and a couple hours later swimming in the lake below in the hot summer sun all in the same day.

Beautiful waterfalls, natural hit springs, lots of wildlife, glaciers, clear waterways, and amazing views in BC.

Driving up logging roads you'll find people but if you don't mind hiking up rugged terrain it is easy to find many places where few human beings ever venture.

I hear the young men in our church are having a lot of fun hiking all over this area.

I very much enjoy cross country running and finding a big mountain and hiking to the top of it with my rifle over my shoulder. I think I enjoy the hike more than hunting....

[Bootstrap]

In Britain, you can ramble across private lands. In the US, that will get you arrested.

Well sure. But Oregon is over 60% public lands. You could spend 10 lifetimes and still not ramble across all of it.

Even in central North Carolina I can find hundreds of miles of trails without going far - local trails around lakes and through forests and such. If I am willing to go an hour or three out I get to the Joyce Kilmer Forest and the Appalachian Trail.

American's national parks and state parks and trails are truly a treasure.

[Grace]

Going to a cabin in the mountains with friends and spending the weekend playing games, hiking, singing, and hitting the Amish stores in a nearby valley.

[steve-in-kville]

I've been amazed at how many conservative people respect our industrial history by attending airshows, local harvesting/plow days, owning & restoring hit-n-miss engines, the railroad, coal and/or steel mining and the like.

Travel is one thing that hasn't interested me, but I see that tide turning now that the family is older. My wife and I talked about doing an Amtrak across the country for our 25th. Not sure how feasible that will be until then.