I’ve come to believe there are two types of dads: indoor and outdoor. I felt lucky to have an “outdoor dad.” That meant a love for all things natural and wild – a passion for exploration and tinkering with the elements.

Our outdoor dad was ambitious. He got us a weekend place in the “country.” A sprawling landscape in Poplarville, Mississippi – with ATVs to drive and carte blanche to explore. He even made us ATV trails with his very own tractor. So what if my sister got thrown off the three-wheeler occasionally? Who could predict where the armadillos would dig their holes? It was all part of the fun.

The problem was, as I became an adolescent, in spite of the virtual outdoor buffet offered up by dad, I became an indoor girl. I just wanted to be at the mall or the movies with my friends. Family outdoor adventures became forced – often involving my sister and me crying out about “the injustice” of having to miss a school party or some small social function. I began to question the benefits of outdoor dad. Like the time our boat broke down between Cat Island and Bay St. Louis. We waded in the blazing sun for what felt like hours until someone towed us back to shore. In reality, it was more like 20 minutes, but it had me questioning whether I was tough enough for “outdoor dad.”

As I’ve gotten older and become a parent, I’ve come to understand and appreciate my outdoor dad for all of the good times. It’s hard to replace experiences like our trip to Yosemite to see the Giant Sequoias or experiencing a chilly summer for the first time on the New England coast. Now, I too want to be surrounded by nature whenever I can – to marvel at the grandiosity and serenity of the world around us. To be in a quiet place, away from screens where our kids can run wild. Outdoor dad excursions weren’t sugar coated. They typically came with bug bites, sunburn and life lessons. But more often than not, they were a lot of fun.

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Here are a few gifts from local shops I think outdoor dads would appreciate: