Hiking the Ozarks provides the finest outdoor education and training, along with gear and trail reviews and supports the Ozark Mountain Trailblazers on trips throughout the Ozarks.  Hiking the Ozarks explores the most wild and rugged areas of the Ozark Mountains throughout Arkansas and Missouri.Sometimes called “Sales Tax Holiday” or “Back to School Sales Tax Holiday”, Tax-Free Weekend is an annual event when shoppers may make certain purchases without paying local sales tax. States may choose whether to participate in the holiday or not, and decide what types of items to exempt. Typically, tax- exempt products include back-to-school clothing and gear. This year, 16 states have elected to participate in the Sales Tax holiday. Below, you’ll find information on Tax-Free Weekend dates, rates, and exempt items for each of these states. Rates include each state’s statewide tax combined with the average of any local sales taxes. Actual rates may vary by county, city, and municipality.

Price Thresholds: Unfortunately, not every state offers a tax-free shopping weekend, and there are restrictions on which items are included in the savings. Most states enforce a threshold of $100 on clothing and shoes in order to get the tax-free savings. This means each item in your cart will need to be less than $100 (now’s the time to really save on inexpensive essentials like socks, underwear, etc.) Computer and electronics have price maximums as well – averaging around $1,000. And you might see restrictions on school supplies, too – states range from having no maximum limit to $100. Exclusions: It’s also worthy to note that there will be specific exclusions on brands and types of products. For instance, you might save on a pair of penny loafers, but not on cowboy boots. Or you could get that Dell computer tax-free, but not that Toshiba. So be a savvy shopper and pay attention to details. Be sure to read your state’s Sales Tax Holiday Guidelines before heading out.

Get the most out of your tax-free shopping with 4 Things You Need to Know About Tax-Free Weekend. Make a list: Prepare a list of all the necessities organized by category – jeans, footwear, art supplies, etc. – and mark items off as you buy. It may seem like more work than it’s worth in the beginning, but you’ll thank yourself when you’re knee-deep in a pile of spiral notebooks on a crowded Target aisle. Do Research: Before you leave the comfort of your home, price compare online at different stores to see where you’ll get the most bang for your buck. Check out additional sales and available coupons. But ye be warned – not all states will honor the use of extra discounts on your tax-free eligible items. Be sure to get super cozy with your state’s sales tax holiday guidelines before you start your shopping expedition. You might also discover a few surprising saving opportunities: Shop Online: Though it may come as a surprise, you can even get your online purchases free of sales tax.

Of course it depends on the state and retailer, but hey, it beats rubbing elbows with every other frazzled shopper out there in the wild. And it’s an even bigger bonus for those who live in states that don’t have a tax-free weekend. flcl backpackStart saving at the best Back-to-School sales and shop some of our favorite stores:under armour varsity backpack for saleJuly 21 I took Luke for an afternoon kayaking on the James River at Springfield, Missouri [12 pictures].where to buy golite backpack I’m used to herons who usually make a lot of fuss and then fly away. arsenal backpack skinThis Great Egret stood his ground, so I was able to get a decent picture. bahama backpack beach chair

Great egret on Wikipedia The weather this weekend has been wonderful (especially considering it is still February). However, we’ve not had a chance to get away backpacking as we had commitments in town on Saturday. Today we went on a short hike at Busiek, hiking a little over three miles with around 700ft of elevation climbed.  tsr backpackRemaining true to our recent experiences, […] The next couple of months are going to be very busy for us, and opportunities for getting out hiking or backpacking will be limited. The prospect of a spell of warm Ozarks winter weather gave us a chance to squeeze in a midweek backpacking trip. We rearranged our work schedules and took off to Hercules […] When we stopped hiking / backpacking, we didn’t mean to. It started with a family wedding that coincided with our annual spring break trip, then work got busy, and all of a sudden years had passed. We tried to get out last year.

We managed three short day hikes. In marketing you look to removing […] We decided to fit in a quick hike at Busiek this weekend. We were originally planning on going backpacking at Hercules Glades, but life (this time in the form of pet-sitting for friends) threw a spanner into that plan. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to test some of the new backpacking gear we’ve bought, […] I’d have a whole lot of pack horses by now. This time last year (2015) we thought we were getting back into our hiking / backpacking stride, and we lost it. After about three hikes we stopped. Lots of work came in and we both spent most of the year tied to our desks and […] We’re still working on getting back in condition. Today, we wanted to increase the distance and elevation climbed while, not getting too wet and muddy, and not driving too far. We settled on hiking the complete Silver Trail at Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Area. We wanted a fairly quick and dry hike. Ginger didn’t want a repeat of Saturday’s wet and muddy trail.

I have a confession. We stopped hiking in 2013, it wasn’t deliberate. First we missed our ‘annual’ Spring Break backpacking trip, then we both got tied up with work. I abandoned my semi-retired state, and getting out just faded away. No backpacking, almost no hiking, kayaking or fishing. We made an attempt […] The Glade Top Trail is not a recognised hiking or backpacking route. It is a spectacular drive of over 23 miles on unpaved roads within 60 miles of Springfield and Branson. It’s especially worth visiting in the fall. I decided to ignore the temperatures in the high nineties and take the kayaks and our youngest daughter out for a short run on the James River. The plan was to put in at the Southwood Access point, go up river and drop back down-river and take-out at Lake Springfield. We found our van on Google Earth, it’s parked at the Coy Bald Trailhead, Hercules Glades. MDC have published their latest advice on how to protect yourself from ticks and tick-borne illnesses.

We’ve been updating the Ozarks Walkabout website with a new design developed to work seamlessly on all screen sizes from cell phones to giant desk-top monitors. Now you can read our site from home, the office, and out on the trail too. Today I managed to break away from my desk and actually get out into the air. I picked an excellent day to get out. The temperature was fine, and we had a fantastic blue sky to contrast with all the greenery. Want to take part in the 100 Missouri Miles challenge? Here are some tips on how to get started. On May 6, Arkansas proclaimed June 2013 as Great Outdoors Month. Missouri issued a similar proclamation on May 16, Sailing isn’t one of Ozarks Walkabout’s normal outdoors activities. In fact, despite looking a few years ago, I didn’t know that you could rent a sailboat in the Ozarks until last week. The 100 Missouri Miles challenge is to complete 100 miles of walking, running, biking, rolling, paddling or hiking on the trails of Missouri by the end of the year.