We all have those times when we want to be out exploring the outdoors, but instead we’re stuck inside – either at work or at home – going nowhere fast. But, thanks to the magic of the internet, you can get your outdoors fix by watching videos. And, when it comes to capturing some of the best places in the Northeast on film, nobody does it better than the Unboring Exploring series.
Hosted and produced by Krysti Sabins, Unboring Exploring videos have captured destinations from Half Dome to Spain. But most of the series focuses on destinations in Sabins’ home region of the Northeast.
While many internet travel videos feature monotone narration and wildly boring slideshows, Unboring Exploring videos are informative and entertaining. Sabins’ quirky humor will have you actually LOLing. And, most of all, the videos are sure to inspire you to want to escape the confines of your home or office and get outdoors ASAP.
Northeast Explorer will regularly feature Unboring Exploring’s Northeast destinations on our site. We recently spoke with Sabins to ask her about her series and her favorite places to explore in the Northeast. (Be sure to check out the premier episode – Harriman State Park – below.)
Northeast Explorer: Where did the idea for Unboring Exploring come from?
Krysti Sabins: A few years ago after purchasing a Video DSLR, I began taking footage of my hikes and adventures. Being a naturalist/total goofball, I started acting as a host in my videos, so others could come along on my hikes while learning about their environment. This hobby quickly became a passion, connecting my love of the outdoors with my ability to engage and inspire others. And thus, “Unboring Exploring” was born!
NEX: When did you start making Unboring Exploring?
Sabins: The first EVER episode of the series was created after hiking Bear Mountain in Harriman State Park, New York, nearly 4 years ago. After producing that first video, I started making it a point to document the hikes I took as well as venture out to bigger and better places. Since Bear Mountain, I have produced videos covering a surfeit of northeastern hikes as well as traveled to many National Parks including Acadia, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, Zion, and Montserrat in Spain.
NEX: Did you have any TV/video experience before doing Unboring Exploring?
Sabins: In college, I studied photojournalism, which included multimedia experience, but no true TV or video work. It was only until I graduated and bought my own video equipment that I really began seeing with a videographer’s eye.
NEX: What do you look for when deciding on places to profile?
Sabins: I choose to profile places that deserve the public’s attention. What I find surprising is that so many AMAZING places are unknown to most people, or at least overlooked. My goal is to highlight these parks and nature preserves so viewers are inspired to explore them themselves. The ultimate goal, of course, being to encourage my audience to appreciate the outdoors, instilling a desire to preserve and protect them.
NEX: What are a few of your favorite places to explore in the Northeast and why?
Sabins: I have to say most of my top locations to explore are within New York State, though I am eager to get up to the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the Greens of Vermont VERY soon. My favorite LOCAL hiking spot has to be Harriman State Park in New York. It is the closest place where I can disconnect from man-made distractions after traveling just 40 minutes from home. A bit further upstate lays the Shawangunk Mountains. A superb location with its scenic beauty, unique ecosystems, and impressive topography (can you say ice caves AND waterfalls?!). Further still are, of course, the Adirondacks. With high peaks and true wilderness, I can immerse myself in its surroundings without the slightest hum of a highway nearby. Outside of New York, Acadia National Park in Maine is a top choice of mine. It houses both nostalgic and adventurous memories for me, and has some of the coolest, craggy cliffs you could come upon. ALSO, Puffins! Need I say more?
Below: The premier episode of Unboring Exploring as Krysti explores Bear Mountain in Harriman State Park.
Produced by Krysti Sabins of Unboring Exploring.
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