I'm with you on the community aspect and online friends, but I have managed to take the online offline a few times.  It's amazing when you make a connection with someone first online, then email, followed by phone, and then in person.  Trust is a hard won commodity online, but taking it to the next level, if it seems appropriate, is a wonderful way to make online "real."

Thank you for answering my question.  Long walks, taking my camera of course, is one of my favorite activities, too.