Reflections
Hi all! Thought I would take this opportunity to say hello and post a pic of me out hiking a mesa trail near my home in order to introduce myself. I love to be out and try to hike as often as I can…it is simply more satisfying than my normal walk/jog routine. I am always inspired by the views, the flora, and the liberation I feel when I get away, even if it’s just a couple of miles from the bustle of the town. I am a sun worshipper! I love the sun, it makes me feel like a lizard basking on a rock…content and warm…not a care in the world. I am blessed to live in an area that allows for me to be out most of the year and I take advantage of that in a variety of ways.
In my real life I am an former English teacher and and administrator and worked in public education for over 27 years. I love teaching because I get to learn every day. This blog is born out of my desire to continue to gain knowledge and stimulate a conversation between like-minded people who love the outdoors and have a deep respect for our national heritage. There may even be some of you that have never ventured out, but are looking for some insights and inspiration to get started. Perhaps you will find it here. Or others, like me, who have been away for a while and are finding your way back.
My other interests are skiing – although I do this on a limited basis; reading – I have no limits on this, I think I have four books started at the moment; spending time with family and friends – always amazing; drinking wine – an enjoyable pastime; listening to music – all kinds; drinking wine while listening to music – doubly delightful; and camping/backpacking – which I hope to do a great deal more of now that this blog is begun. I have spent many an hour imagining myself in national parks that I haven’t yet visited but know of or revisiting parks I haven’t been to in too long a time. The possibilities for adventure are endless…
I am excited to embark on the journeys this blog will inspire and hope you will check in to get information, insights and hopefully some humorous anecdotes…stay tuned, the rambles begin!!!
I have been sitting here trying to remember my first memories of the parks and these are the impressions I have…
The first place I remember visiting was Fort Union National Monument in northeastern New Mexico. This may or may not have been the first of our adventures, but it left an impression on me. I remember people dressed in period clothing, cooking out over open fires, acting as if they were from the “olden days,” and staying in character quite well, I might add. It added to the authenticity of the place for me. Walking out among the ruins of old housing and jail cells and seeing the “actors” in their roles brought it to life for me and so I remembered it. It seemed like a grand adventure at the time, but I was young and mostly unaware of the hardships that those mid-nineteenth century New Mexicans endured. I am looking forward to seeing this place again as an adult.
I don’t remember the order of any of the trips we took, but the parks and monuments are all so unique that it is impossible not to have enjoyed all of them. I absolutely loved climbing ladders to explore the Gila Cliff Dwellings, the Aztec Ruins, Chaco or El Morro or Bandelier…it made me feel like an archeologist. I knew at any moment I would make some astonishing discovery! Bandelier National Monument is a special favorite of mine. Not only are there ruins, but beautiful hikes. Of course, places like White Sands National Park and Carlsbad Caverns were quite literally worlds of wonder. The cave formations at Carlsbad are astonishing on their own, but add to that a trip into a deep hole in the ground where bats reside and you have magic. I have been back there many times in my life and have always been awed by it. White Sands is in my proverbial backyard and it never ceases to amaze me that so much gypsum sand can exist in one place. It extends as far as the eye can see, a never ending sand box. Beautiful, but to be respected…this is the desert.
And then there are the ladybugs…
When we journeyed to Capulin Volcano National Monument, there was a ladybug convention in progress. I have no idea how many, perhaps hundreds of thousands, but I do remember, as we hiked the rim trail, the trunks of trees completely covered in them. Sweet little red bugs almost indistinguishable from each other; they were so thick on the vegetation. My father, not only a writer but a pretty good photographer, wasn’t satisfied with taking stock pictures of bugs on trees. He decided it would make more of an impact if human and bug could come together and be memorialized in photos. Being the photogenic soul that I am, I was nominated. My dad scooped up a big handful of those lovely ladies and put them on my FACE! Then, because there were no digital cameras at the time, I had to hold still while he adjusted all of the settings to get just the right photo. Endless, endless minutes…seconds? No idea, but I do know that as innocuous as ladybugs are singularly, they are a bit overwhelming en masse. By the time the photo was taken, I was more than ready to shoo them off my face! I honestly don’t remember ever seeing that picture, nor do I know if it is still in existence, but I do know I’ll always remember Capulin because of it.
So these are my impressions…and they are just that. Except for a few of the parks, I haven’t revisited any of these and cannot wait to begin that particular journey. It will be interesting to see just what I do remember and what distortions youth has provided. Perhaps another ladybug encounter is in the offing…
What Visitors Say
Thanks to National Parked, our first trip to Yosemite was smooth and unforgettable. The tips really made a difference!
Snapshots
Moments captured from adventures across U.S. national parks.
