RSS
Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest
YouTube
Come on, isn’t this better than a shot of yet another European monument or church? And it’s right here in the U.S.!
Trying to figure out a fun Summer trip? Feeling guilty about jetting to Europe because of how much CO2 your ride would produce? Wanting to try something different, that’s low-impact on your wallet and creates a minimum of stress?
Taken while lying on the ground, contemplating the mountains’ geology
Consider visiting one of our nation’s national parks. After all, you’re already paying for them with your tax dollars! (Hey, I know I sound like an ad for our parks system, but they’re really important ecosystems that are more than worth supporting, I say.) Over Spring Break I drove down with one of my best friends to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, which straddles the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. (I know, to be super eco-friendly, I should have gone to a park closer to my Connecticut home, but I’ve been to most of them, and I was saving Vermont for the Summer.)
Who knew you could find old-growth trees this size on the East Coast? I felt like I was in California as I hiked through the Smokies. And yes, I am wearing a dress! Very comfortable and great to hike in. Eco Chicks should all try it sometime (thanks to Brianne for the suggestion)!
While some of the park was crowded, and it will probably be more so during the warm season (this park is THE most visited park in the United States), once you get on the beaten trail, you will have plenty of room. Most folks who visit this and other parks only ever check out the edges of the woods, at best going on short day hikes.
All-natural cool-down time at a waterfall
Try camping out for just a night or two if it’s not something you haven’t had much practice in. Or stay in a campground and use it as a home-base for extra-long day excursions. Ask park personnel about hikes that will be your speed. We got some really good advice and suggestions from all the park employees that we asked. I’ve found this is generally true in national and state parks.
Rain can turn everything into a gorgeous wet wonderland as long as you’re prepared with the right gear.
We camped out in two different sections of the park, really getting to see a variety of ecosystems within a small area, and spotting some wildlife. Remember, it’s always smart to hang your food up in a tree to keep bears away; in the Smokies many campsites have pulley-systems already set up for this purpose, which makes it easy to keep the bears away. After all, you’re in their home now, but they’ll still want to chow on your treats.
A not-so-shy coyote I caught on camera on evening
Needs no caption
Great suggestion Starre! I love traveling to the big parks and usually think, when I am in the midst of it, that I should explore more of them, more often. Traveling domestically is also a great way to maximize limited time/money for a vacation.
Great photos!
The waterfall pictures look amazing. I think I would have had to jump in!
I just sent the link to my boyfriend. Your photos make the Smoky Mountians look amazying. Ahhh, to be camping right now….
Growing up in the beautiful green hills of Connecticut I know what a true beauty nature really is. Romping through our own private woods we had the opportunity to explore lands that had no trails or foot prints. Sneaking up on dear was the most fun. Now living in a major city I miss it desperately. Your photos make me invious. I am glad you are enjoying and preserving nature’s beauty. God’s not making anymore of it.
hi, I am staying in the smokey mountains for a few days in a cabin and have been able to locate “wholefoods” shops in most places where we have stayed in the states. Cant seem to find an organic food outlet here. do you know of any, we are near gatlinburg, i love your site, thanks for your help in advance, Rose ooops just realised my address above is in Australia so maybe you could call me on my daughters ph numer, it is 9546 492558
or my email here is roselovesaly@hotmail.com
Catskill Mountainkeeper launches with a mission: Build active network of citizens speaking out for the Catskills way of life
Mountainkeeper Supporters Hold Up Jig-Saw Puzzle Map of the Six Counties that Make Up The Catskills
2007-08-30 00:15:15 – Group seeks to unite residents from all parts of the Catskills to protect open space and promote smart growth in the region’s villages, mountains and valleys
Monticello (June 5, 2007) – Catskill Mountainkeeper, a grassroots group intended to unite the entire region’s residents in the battle to preserve the quality of life here, announced it is open for business at a news conference in front of the Sullivan County Government Center.
‘Residents of the Catskills are as diverse as in any place on earth, but
one thing everyone can unite on is that this is a special region that needs its people speaking up so that its tremendous cultural and natural resources stay intact,- said Joe Martens, the group’s chairman. ‘Catskill Mountainkeeper will build an active network of citizens to make that happen.-
Martens also is the president of the Open Space Institute, one of several groups sponsoring Catskill Mountainkeeper. The group’s key priority is to push for a comprehensive, regional vision that takes into account new thinking about smart growth and wise use of the area’s natural resources, Martens said. Working with other established groups, Catskill Mountainkeeper then will organize citizens across the region’s counties to contribute their ideas for the region’s future as part of that process.
At the news conference on May 10th, 2007 members held poster-board cutouts of the region’s six counties (Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan, Ulster, plus a portion of Albany County, which is geographically in the Catskills), bringing them together in a symbolic illustration of the regional unity that the group plans to foster.
The group offers free membership in keeping with its goal of having a broad spectrum of citizen involvement.
‘With a combination of the web and plain old shoe-leather organizing, our goal is to bring together people who have never talked with each other and have them join in the fight to preserve the Catskill way of life,- said Ramsay Adams, the executive director of the new group.
On its website, http://www.catskillmountainkeeper.org, the group will post updates on regional development news, operate on-line discussion boards and provide campaign-organizing advice and tools.
‘We all know there’s a great deal of development pressure on the Catskills, but we also know there are good and bad options under review this very moment,- said Tom Alworth, another Catskill Mountainkeeper board member and the executive director of the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, another sponsoring organization.
‘When it’s out-of-scale, non-sustainable proposals like the massive casinos proposed for Sullivan County, Catskill Mountainkeeper can help get the word out – and make sure that those who want clear air, open space and a great quality of life win the day for our region,- Alworth added.
‘I live here, I work here, and I love living and working here, and I want the Catskills always to be a place I am proud to live in,- said Wes Gillingham, Catskill Mountainkeeper’s program director and also the co-owner of the Wild Roots Farm in Sullivan County.
‘The last thing my neighbors and I want to do is fight traffic, see the countryside taken over by haphazard development or breathe polluted air – so that’s why I decided to take on this job,- said Gillingham, ‘Our vision of the Catskills is for economic success by focusing on the industries that we do best, like the resurgence of farming, tourism based on the enjoyment of our natural beauty and vibrant downtowns.-
Another Catskills farmer, Amy Kenyon, said she is looking to Catskill Mountainkeeper to provide farmers and other local residents with the tools to get their voice heard.
Kenyon also is president of Farm Catskills, a Delaware County-based group intended to strengthen farming in the region. ‘If our rural character is to survive, we need a good regional vision that protects our region’s wonderful vistas, open spaces and farmland – the things that make us different,- said Kenyon.
Patrick H. Dollard, the chief executive officer of The Center for Discovery – Sullivan County’s largest employer – also endorsed Catskill Mountainkeeper.
The group will open an office in Youngsville, Sullivan County, this June. Other major sponsoring organizations are the Natural Resources Defense Council and Audubon New York.
Contact Information:
Catskill Mountainkeeper
Contact Person:
Wes Gillingham
Program Director
Phone: 845 439 8388
email: email
Web: http://www.catskillmountainkeeper.org