Robert Annis
Outdoor Travel Writer For Hire
After spending nearly a decade as a reporter for The Indianapolis Star, Robert Annis finally broke free of the shackles of gainful employment to freelance full time as an outdoor travel journalist.
PROJECTS
outsideonline.com
Campers are Great, But (Gasp!) You Really Should Rent an RV | Outside Online
“That sign warned trucks about going up this road—tight switchbacks and no shoulder,” I said. “Should we find another route?”
“I think we’ll be alright,” Sally said.
bicycletimesmag.com
The Mirage: Cycling Death Valley
“The universe is monstrously indifferent to the presence of man,” echoed through my mind in Herzog’s soft-spoken German rasp, and arguably nowhere on the planet is that more true than this sparse, desolate desert.
AFAR
How to Explore America’s Most Underrated Biking City
With races, rides, and plenty of paths to pedal, there’s always something bike-related going on in Indianapolis.
While it may be better known for its eponymous motor speedway, Indianapolis has, over the past decade, earned a reputation as one of the best U.S. bicycling communities. According to local bikeshare data, at least 10,000 visitors were psyched to cycle the Circle City’s lanes and trails last year. But how did a city deep in the heart of car-loving Indiana manage to adopt such a prog...
bicycling.com
Biking the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indy 500’s Legendary Racetrack
It’s nearly 7 a.m. when I roll up to the starting line of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Next Sunday, the venue will fill up with some 300,000 cheering fans for the Indy 500, the most popular auto racing event in the world. But today the stands are empty, and the only spectators are a few pit-crew members and track staff preparing for an action-packed day of practice. Even so, my neck hairs stand at attention. I may be in the saddle of a Giant TCR Advanced road bike, not an IndyCar cockpit,...
adventure.com
Bariloche’s little brother: Patagonia’s secret adventure town
It has all the trappings of Patagonia: Towering volcanos, glacial lakes, soaring mountains and scenic trails. But unlike its neighbor Bariloche, San Martin de Los Andes isn’t making headlines—yet.
We’d only been hiking for about 90 minutes when we reached a rocky clearing. Although steep in parts, the hike up the small mountain wasn’t terribly technical. The remnants of that winter’s snowfall obscured the trail in many places, forcing us to improvise our way through thick evergreen forest and...
bicycling.com
The Top 6 Secret Mountain Bike Destinations in the US
I was riding some fairly famous singletrack out West when I came across a couple of locals on a long climb. At the top, we sat on some weathered logs in the shade and chatted for a few minutes. When I mentioned I was visiting from Indiana, I could see their slight, crooked smirks, followed by a barely stifled guffaw and the snide question, “Do you actually have mountain biking in Indiana?”
Yes, we have singletrack in the Hoosier state. Some damn good singletrack, thankyouverymuch. But Indiana...
AFAR
Why (and Where) You Need to See a Concert in Hamburg
The state-of-the-art Elbphilharmonie concert hall may be the buzziest venue in Hamburg—but the city’s long musical history means there’s something for everyone, from the stately opera houses to gritty Beatles-era rock clubs.
Music surrounds Hamburg visitors from the first moment they step out of the Hauptbahnhof, the city’s main train station. Buskers serenade passers-by with the latest German pop songs and American rock classics. In the nearby Reeperbahn
district, live hip-hop, electronic da...
Time Out
The 24 best things to do in Indianapolis
Indianapolis may have once been mockingly known as Naptown to its residents years ago, but over the last decade the city has quietly become one of the hippest destinations in the Midwest. On any given night, you’ll find local and national bands playing at clubs across town, while crowds pack venues to see local theater groups perform.
Breweries are popping up seemingly in every corner of the city—more than 30 and counting—each capturing its neighborhood’s distinctive spirit and vibe. Indiana...
Lonely Planet
Fast & furious: 4 high-speed Indianapolis adventures
If you visit Indianapolis in the month of May, you may notice a preoccupation with a certain legendary race. The Indianapolis 500 is the world’s largest single-day sporting event, bringing in hundreds of thousands of auto-racing fans from around the globe.
But if you can’t make it to the Brickyard on Memorial Day weekend – or if simply watching the action on the oval isn’t enough – these four Circle City activities can put you into the driver’s seat any day of the year.
Do a hot lap in a go-k...
mtbproject.com
Finding Gnar at 75 Feet Above Sea Level
I tried to cry out “For MTB Project! For Journalism!” as I pushed off, but only a garbled yell escaped my throat as I plummeted down the chute.
pastemagazine.com
Skiing in Japan: Powder Paradise in the Land of the Rising Sun
As I picked up speed gliding from powder stash to powder stash—go too slow and you’ll get mired in the knee-deep white—my legs burned from the effort and my lungs seared from the cold air and my hoots of joy.
Indianapolis Monthly Magazine
Out Of Line: A Monon Trail Etiquette Handbook
How to I.D. Monon morons and trail terrors—and tips on how to avoid being one of the offenders.
1. TIME-TRIAL TODD
How to I.D. Todd will never enter a competition, but still wants to show off how fast he can ride. So he races on the Monon, buzzing walkers who rudely refuse to leap out of his way. How not to be like Todd. When the trail’s empty, like, say, on an early weekday morning, feel free to unleash your inner Coryn Rivera. But on a busy Saturday, expect stretches of pedaling at a crawl—...
Mens Journal
The New Specialized Venge Could Be the Fastest Road Bike Ever
The New Specialized Venge Could Be the Fastest Road...
pastemagazine.com
Exploring Chicago’s Underground Country Music Scene
When you think of country music hotbeds, Chicago probably doesn’t spring to mind. But at one time, Chicago was the country music capitol of the world, before Nashville shoved it off the throne.