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"More than 1 billion people are reported to participate in Earth Day activities, making the April 22   observance the largest secular civic event in the world.    Here are few ways you and your family can appreciate Planet Earth.  Raft the Rivers \u2013 A day, a weekend, or a week on a river provides for great outdoor family time. Consider a trip on one of New Mexico&amp;#039;s waterways and you will learn about the rich cultural history of the region while exploring the Rio Grande or Rio Chama rivers.Whether you opt for a peaceful float or a thrill ride through frothy white-water, the natural beauty will be restorative. Contact:1-800-879-9035; www.raftingamerica.com  Splash in the Sea - Assateague Island, home to Maryland&amp;#039;s only ocean State Park, is a barrier island bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Sinepuxent Bay. Two miles of ocean beaches offer swimming, beachcombing, surfing and fishing. On the bay side, explore secluded coves by canoe or kayak. Check out the marsh areas for a variety of wildlife including the famous feral horses. Contact: 410- 641-1441; www.atbeach.com/mdstpark/index.asp    Hike the Canyons - Why not go for the grand daddy of them all? Get there by train from Williams   or drive straight to the South Rim. I&amp;#039;ve hiked the Grand Canyon with my boys and observed that children often scamper up and down the trails with more ease than their parents. Offering some shade and water along the way, the Bright Angel Trail is the best place to start for great views of the inner canyon.   Choose day hikes to the Three-Mile Resthouse (3 miles one way) or to Indian Garden (4.6 miles one way). Better yet, reserve a camp site at the Bright Angel campground (9.3 miles one-way) or bunks at Phantom Ranch (9.8 miles one way) for a fuller experience. Plan well in advance.Reservations for Phantom Ranch can only be made by mail, phone or fax.1- 888-29-PARKS; www.grandcanyonlodges.com/phantom-ranch. For camping visit www.recreation.gov.    Explore the Mountains. You will often hear it said that people come to the Rocky Mountains for the winter sports and stay for the summers. With plenty of sunshine and clear mountain air, every day is a play day. In the Vail Valley you can stay close in for bike rides, shopping, miniature golf or spa time. Or head into the back country for fly fishing, hiking, climbing and trail riding. 800-653-4523; www.visitvailvalley.com.   Look to the Skies -Arizona is one of the country&amp;#039;s top &amp;quot;dark sky&amp;quot; destinations, meaning that experts say artificial light has not diminished the beauty of the night skies in most areas of the state. Thus, opportunities for stargazing abound from hotel and resort astronomy programs and astronomy club &amp;quot;star parties&amp;quot; to world-class observatories and twilight adventures. Two well known observatories, Lowell Observatory (www.lowell.edu) and Kitt Peak National Observatory (www.noao.edu) welcome visitorsyear-round for tours and telescope viewing. Contact: 1-866-275-5816; www.arizonaguide.com. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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