Southern Indiana Living - March / April 2024

Business Spotlight
So, what do you get when you
put two adventure-seeking,
outdoor-loving, witty
personalities together? You
get the dynamic duo of Michael
and Vicki Keenan. Originally from
the Jersey Shore, family obligations
relocated them to Corydon a couple
years ago, and they quickly fell
in love with this historic town.
Michael had a 30-year career in the
garment industry in Manhattan
working for some of the big guys
like Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger
and Macy’s. Vicki retired from a
long career in banking.
Michael and Vicki both love
the outdoors, with some of their
favorite activities being biking,
walking, outdoor concerts, festivals,
gardening and just breathing in the
fresh outdoor air. After they had
lived in Corydon for a little while,
they felt led to fill an unmet need
in the downtown area and knew
they could use their natural gifts
and talents to do just that. Corydon
had never had a store quite like the
one they envisioned. After some
thought, and planning, Explore
Outdoor Adventures was launched
in September 2023.
“Our brands are brands you
won’t find in Walmart or Tractor
Supply,” Michael said. “We wanted
to bring in something different.” So,
what are some of the things you can
find here? E-bikes are becoming all
the rage, and Explore Outdoor Adventures
carries them. They can run
60 miles on a single charge. What
better way to enjoy nature than
cruising leisurely along on one of
these cool machines? Or maybe a
FatBear Scooter is more your style.
As soon as you walk in the front
door of the store, you’re greeted
by a cute skeleton couple, both
perched on one of these machines,
and dressed in some of the store’s
comfy outdoor-geared clothing to
fit the current season. And speaking
of comfy clothing, let’s talk a
little about that. Although Michael
and Vicki each spent most of their
careers wearing the typical corporate
attire every day, that’s all been
traded in now for sherpa-lined
jackets, flannel shirts, toboggans
and “shackets” — clothes that are
comfortable to live, work and play
in. Think you have to travel to Florida
to get a Salt Life shirt? Nope.
They’re available and waiting for
you in Corydon. And the Old Guys
20 • Mar/Apr 2024 • Southern Indiana Living
Explore Outdoor Adventure
Corydon Store Offers Many Ways to Explore the Outdoors
Rule brand shirts are a hit with people
who appreciate the clever sayings
on them. Women love Simply
Southern clothing, and you can find
it here at Explore Outdoor Adventures.
Since the Keenans are both
from military families, they also
carry shirts, sweatshirts and other
products to proudly represent all
branches of the military, and offer a
10% discount to all active and veteran
service men and women.
If you’re a true outdoor
enthusiast, you know that there
are some things that can be a little
tough to find. After all, not just everyone
sells things like inflatable
paddle boards, sleeping bags, tents
and kayaks. Here, you can buy
Brooklyn Kayaks, which offer the
best warranty of any kayak company
in the country (five years). And
when you’re out on the water enjoying
that kayak, you won’t want
to ruin your day by losing your
cooler overboard and having it sink
to the bottom of the river like most
of them do. No worries when you
Story by Michele Hardman
Photos submitted by Explore Outdoor Adventure
purchase a Rugged Road Cooler
from Explore Outdoor Adventures,
since they’re made to float for easy
retrieval. Skateboards from some of
the top brands in the industry are in
stock as well, and the store is a certified
retailer for the Disc Golf Association,
carrying discs that are used
on the pro tour.
There are so many things
in this shop that have inviting textures,
such as super soft ladies’
ponchos, sherpa jackets and handwoven
blankets that are a generous
size (74-by-48 inches). Vicki
has an obvious knack for interior
decorating and displays, and she
and Michael have done a fantastic
job of combining the look and feel
of the outdoors by bringing that
inside their store with black pipe
for shelving and clothing, wood
on the floors, metal accents on the
furniture and the ceiling, soft lighting
and some greenery. The two of
them joke about their slightly sarcastic
East Coast sense of humor,
and this shines through the fun say-