Let's face it, Black Friday has long lost its luster, now more code for weeks of holiday sales than the one-day bonding and shopping extravaganza with friends and family that it used to be. Most of us learned long ago to go online to get our Christmas shopping done quickly and more affordably. Or to shop local for that something special. Who wants to be crammed earmuff-to-earmuff inside a stuffy store anyway? Or get up hours before dawn to overrun a store's just-unlocked front doors?

On this Friday after Thanksgiving then, let's think outdoors rather than indoors. Let’s recall that there's no such thing as bad weather, only inadequate clothing. With boots and heavy coats and even bomber hats if necessary, let's consider an emerging new tradition this year: a long hike in a state park or r

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