Exploring - Val in Real Life LLC

The Len Foote Hike Inn: Unplug in North Georgia

If you’re unfamiliar with the Len Foote Hike Inn, it’s time to get familiar! Georgia’s unique lodge getaway in the North Georgia Mountains is located five miles up the Appalachian Trail approach that leads to Springer Mountain, the official starting point of the AT.

The Sunrise room, complete with eco-friendly features such as solar panels and stilts.

Are you putting the puzzle together? That’s right, the only access for visitors is by hiking five miles to the lodge. So yes, you’ll have to haul yourself a long way in but once you’re there you’ll be treated to warm fires and hearty meals in a rustic lodge that’s perfect for unplugging from the modern world. The lodge provides your linens, meals, and even some basic toiletries… you just have to get there.

The history…

The lodge is named for noted naturalist, Len Foote, a conservation pioneer. The lodge itself is remarkably eco-friendly with the likes of solar panels, vermiculture, and composting toilets just for starters. Even in it’s construction there was minimal waste. Rather than fit lumber cuts to the design, the design was made to fit standard lumber cuts, resulting in the maximun use of every inch of lumber. It’s stilts also provide maximum seepage area for precipitation, resulting in the bare minimum of runoff. As a former geomorphologist, that fact alone makes me giddy.

All of these construction considerations were taken into account before the now-popular LEED certification process came along in 2000. And guess what? Even without LEED guidelines during construction, the lodge qualified for Gold certification in 2004.

New friends are waiting to be made over games, puzzles, and music in the Sunrise Room.

The setup…

The lodge consists of four buildings: a bunkhouse, a bath-house, a dining hall, and the sunrise room that are connected by covered walkways. The lobby and bunkhouse are the first to greet you when you arrive. It’s there that you’ll check in and grab your linens before you head off to your two-bed bunkroom. Once you’re settled, you’re free to explore the Inn, grab a snack and a drink in the dining hall, and take in the lodge tour before dinner.

The bathhouse is where you’ll find the intriguing composting toilets. Most people automatically wrinkle their noses at the prospect but once you’ve learned how they work during the tour, you’ll change your tune. They’re so well designed, you’ll find that your fear of smell is unwarranted.

The dining hall is your key to comfort at the Hike Inn. The dining hall is open 24 hours and lemonade and coffee are available well into the night. You’ll be asked to label your mug or glass for reuse during your stay… another eco-friendly, resource-saving measure in place at the Inn. As for dinner and breakfast, the food is served family style so you’ll get to know your lodge-mates as you pass around the always-yummy dishes. At the Hike Inn, minimal food waste is a high priority and in order to help us all be aware of it, they weigh the waste at the end of the meal… and everyone likes to have a happy face on the board for their stay!

And then there’s the Sunrise Room. It’s an all-purpose place to chill. It’s filled with games, puzzles, and new friends. The view spans three sides of the building with lounge chairs all around the deck so you can relax and let your cares drift away. And just outside of the Sunrise Room you’ll find horseshoe pits, more chairs from where you can gaze over the mountains, and the uber-cool Star Center… but you’ll have to take the tour to find out more about that unique feature.

On the Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes, the Star Center reaches its full potential.

And because the good folks at the Hike Inn don’t want you to miss anything amazing, they’ll gently play a drum around the bunkhouse if there will be a nice sunrise. Those of you motivated enough can get up to take it in and the rest can roll over and go back to sleep.

Know before you go…

So with that introduction to the Hike Inn, here’s some last tidbits you should know for your visit:

The Hike Inn is a place to unplug so you won’t find outlets in the bunkrooms. What you will find are friendly signs reminding you that the inn is a cell-phone fee zone.
Pay attention to the weather both on your way in and out. The weather along the trail can change quickly; you just want to be prepared.
Breakfast and dinner are both included in the price of your stay. You may also buy lunches for the trail though. I highly recommend the hummus sandwich… it’s far from ordinary and oh so yummy!
Remember, this is a rustic lodge, not a luxury resort. The beds are thin as are the room walls. Earplugs will be your friend.

Your key to refreshment during your stay… coffee, tea, lemonade, and more.

Give your feet a break from your hot hiking boots by bringing a pair of sandals (or the like) to roam around the lodge in during your stay.
The showers are stocked with basic hair and skin cleansers so no need to pack those in if you’re not picky and don’t have special requirements.
The Hike Inn is a popular weekend getaway and is booked well in advance. If you can sneak away during the week, that may be your best bet for getting a reservation sooner.
Kids are very capable of doing this hike. I’ve seen all ages who were up to the task in my visits to the Inn. Just be sure to know your child’s abilities and be prepared to take a little longer for the journey if they’re particularly young or new hikers.
You must check in at the Amicalola Falls Visitor Center by 2 pm in order to proceed to the lodge.

To book your reservation, call the Hike Inn reservation line at 1-800-581-8032.

Also take note of the Georgia Conservancy’s service weekend at the Inn coming up in June… there’s still some spaces left. For a report on last year’s event, click here. You can also find photos of that event on the Georgia Conservancy’s Facebook page or more photos of the Hike Inn on my Flickr page.

And now for your moment of green…

Wishing you a brilliant sunrise when you visit the Len Foote Hike Inn.

March 14, 2013

Geowoodstock to TBEX: Limping Home…

There are many ways for something to end. There’s can be a big finale, a long-and-sorrowful farewell, or possibly a satisfied exit — you get the idea. Anytime an end visits our lives, there’s a variety of emotions associated with it.

After almost five weeks on the road, our Geowoodstock to TBEX expedition was at an end. With many ups-and-downs throughout our journey, it was time for us to find our way back to Georgia and in this case, that end was signified by a whimper… it was time to limp home in both the figurative and literal senses.

The extra days we spent at Great Sand Dunes due to the “toe situation” meant we couldn’t be as leisurely about our return as I’d originally planned. There would be no getting to know the great states of Kansas and Missouri better like I’d thought. We still had to manage geocaches under the No-State-Left-Behind policy but we were facing a blitz. A cross-country blitz.

But first…

…the most painful camp break in my extensive camping history, both physically and emotionally. There was the obvious physical pain, a throbbing-aching-highly-insulted broken toe. Breaking down the tent and packing a lot of gear into a little car proved oh-so-painful. Fred and George were absolute troopers and helped tremendously but when it comes times to cram all that gear into the roof box, that’s on me and it usually involves climbing on top of the car. You can imagine the difficulty under the circumstances.

We managed of course but it was not the funnest of times. I’ve been to Great Sand Dunes a fair amount but this departure was harder than any. This is one of my most treasured places and I was left with an unrequited longing for an incomplete journey. So I left feeling grateful for having been able to visit but feeling like a piece was missing.

Easing on down the road…

So we limped out of Great Sand Dunes, car packed full and not quite ready for the journey to be over. We took it slow at first, stalling our time in Colorado with lots of geocaching. After a bit though we abandoned even those thoughts as even just getting out car became laborious. Temperatures kept rising, and rising, …and rising. As we approached Kansas, Blubaru’s thermometer reached a soul-sucking 110 degrees. I kid you not. At those temperatures, curiosity about the melting point of rubber tires on scorching asphalt starts to dominate your thought-process.

You can get a good feel for our state of mind by the fact that I took all of three pictures of the journey home. Between the throbbing foot, insane temperatures, road fatigue, and need to be back in Georgia, something had to give. And so we oozed our way through Kansas, only able to focus on the task at hand, getting home. Our slow-travel mindset was long gone but we were at least successful in the No-State-Left-Behind project.

The final plodding, limping, arduous leg…

After an overnight in Topeka, far short of where I’d hoped to have reached that day, we powered on. But getting from Topeka to Atlanta was a tall order. Initially I thought we’d have to do one more hotel night given the distance left. Final decision time was upon us as we entered Tennessee though… press through until the wee hours of the morning or stop with only a couple hundred miles to go?

Another night in a hotel sounded miserable and my calculations of time left vs. my remaining driving alertness potential left me on the keep driving side of the equation. And so we drove… and drove… and drove until we capped off nearly 1,000 miles and something like 19 hours, having added some extra time with an epically wrong turn somewhere near Paducah and my insistence that we stop for decent sit-down meals…

I wish I had the presence of mind to track of things how much coffee I drank, how many podcasts we listened to, or how many times we ran through our entire Weird Al music catalog. It would be funny to know now but at the time all my energy was going into driving.

I do know that we covered 18 states, 1 Canadian Province (barely), and about 6,500 miles overall but more importantly, we saw some amazing things. Fred and George are really starting to undertand how big our country is and how different the people and places can be. They’re attaching real understanding and connection to historical places because they’ve been to them. They’re understanding

Stick a fork in the expedition…

So there you have it, our five-week expedition from Geowoodstock to TBEX. For a full recap (I know how painfully long it has taken for me to post all this…) here’s the laundry list of posts:

Stay tuned for news about our next big adventure!

And now for your moment of green…

The road home seemed as endless as the dunes we left behind… I’m looking at *you* Kansas!

February 12, 2013

Geowoodstock to TBEX: Zapata Falls and a Tale of Toe Woe

I’ve alluded often since last June to the demise of my big toe while visiting Great Sand Dunes on the final leg our Camp Granola’s five week cross country expedition. Well, it’s finally time to tell the tale.

Zapata Falls…

Like I mentioned in my post about Great Sand Dunes, there are lots of trails to be explored in the area of the park. One of the ones I’d never ventured out to during previous visits was Zapata Falls. With a week at the park, I wanted to spend more time expanding my sense of this area by getting outside of the park proper. Not that I couldn’t spend a week playing solely in the dunes mind you, but with paw burning sand temperatures we couldn’t take His Beagleness out during much of the day so exploring cooler areas was in order.

A pre-toe-disaster frolic in the stream.

So off to Zapata Falls we went for a morning hike, knowing we’d be in and out before lunch. It’s a short, and consequently popular, trail that leads to a slot with a waterfall. In order to get to the falls you have to ditch your boots and very carefully slip upstream over the slick, round rocks of the stream bed.

The funny part of this is that George was the one excited and Fred unmotivated at the start. Once we began trekking through the frigid Colorado stream water though, George was singing another tune and Fred became exhilarated by the adventure. They’re like a box of chocolates those two boys… And since the beagle pretty much disapproves of everything, I had no expectations he might enjoy this outing. He’s a little trooper though and made it up without problems other that giving me those disapproving looks of his.

Post-hike frolic…

With our quick waterfall exploration behind us, we took the time to enjoy playing in and around the stream sans boots. This is always Fred and George’s favorite part of an adventure, the opportunity to experience and explore on their terms and no agenda with regard to time.

So we played a bit, I tried to grab a few images so I could share this fabulous place with you all at some point, we played some more. It was just an all-around relaxing day until…

Even His Beagleness got in on the stream frolicking… and it showed.

A good outing goes bad…

George wanted to play a game of who-could-keep-their-feet-in-the-freezing-water-the-longest. I was happy to oblige but rather than packing my gear away knowing I still had some pictures left to take, I tucked my tripod and camera behind a nearby bench and carefully placed our packs around the legs. I was quite aware this was a high-traffic trail and so, took what I thought were reasonable precautions. In theory the camera was well out of the way.

I was wrong. Very. Very. Very. Very. Very. Wrong. Did I mention very?

Standing near the stream after toasting the boys at their own game, I was a good 20-25 feet from the bench and my camera. There were lots of folks milling about but nobody near my tripod. There a was large group slightly downstream from us looking about and enjoying the scenery. No big deal…

Until I realized to my sheer terror that a lady in that group had a dog on an extendable leash. She was facing away from the bench but her dog, nearing the full extent of his leash… and might I add, well beyond the 6-foot rule, was headed directly away from her and between my tripod legs. You know, the ones I’d taken such care to protect.

Of course, it all happened very quickly but, as you’ve probably experienced in those moments, it seemed like slow motion at the time.

I thought the slippery, tricky climb upstream to the falls would be the most dangerous undertaking at Zapata Falls. Wrong!

Like my life depended on it (…and in many ways it does!), I sprinted like an axe-murderer was on my tail. Half-way to the bench, I managed a shout that got her attention at which time she managed to pull the dog back. About a nanosecond later, I plowed my right foot into a jutting rock and heard my toe snap like a twig in winter. Searing, intense, faint-inducing pain shot up from my foot, through the top of my head, and is probably floating out in space somewhere to this day, a miasma of insult, pain, and anger that some future astronomer will name the Val Nebula.

At any rate, my forward momentum carried me to the bench where I held myself up, shaking with agony. I managed to choke out a gutteral “I heard it snap.” The woman, now just on the other side of the bench from me said “I heard it too.” She paused a moment as I tried to move my foot and then she walked away.

That’s right. She walked away.

Damage control…

I was obviously in far too much pain to be concerned with this woman’s sheer lack of responsibility or basic human decency in that moment. I had to assess my situation and perform enough basic first aid to get myself, my two kids, and the dog back down the short but bouldery trail to the car.

Believe it or not, this is the next day and it was actually looking considerably better by the time I got to the ER. (And yes, I realize my foot is really dirty… camping will do that.)

My first step was plunging my foot into the frigid stream. Who needs an ice-pack when nature’s got it going on, no? That at least numbed things a bit so I could regain my mental composure. I sat there for a bit, allowing the cold water to work it’s magic and holding my swooning head in my hands.

With the pain down to a numb sort of throbbing, I was able to formulate my exit strategy. As I was planning, the “dog lady” was emerging from further down the trail, headed back to the trail head, and again proceeded to simply walk past with nary a word spoken to me. Grrrrrr…

Realizing she was not worth my energy even on a good day much less this particular day, I focused on taping up my toe to the best of my ability. The next decision was trying to hobble down a rough trail bootless and likely bumping the toe repeatedly in the process or cram my now enormously swollen foot back in the boot where it would at least be protected from further boulder insult. I opted for the boot, knowing it was a short trail and that it wouldn’t be long before I’d be able to get it back out.

The next step was getting boys and dog packed up. No problem. This was followed by the quick realization that even the slightest pressure on my right foot was excruciating. I don’t generally hike with poles or stick so I had nothing to brace myself with… except my tripod. So as much dignity as I could muster, I hobbled my way down trail using my tripod as a makeshift walking stick to at least minimize the pressure on my foot.

This is the sandal hack I performed on my Keens with my multi-tool back at camp. Not pretty but it got me through the next two months since they were all I could wear.

Back at the car I immediately pulled of my boot with a moan of relief that creeped out some nearby hikers. Now I had to face driving back to camp. Turns out I’m a pretty decent left-foot driver. Once back at camp, we obviously didn’t do much else except ponder the state of my foot and what lied ahead… how big would it get, is it just a little broken or a lot broken, how exactly am I going to get camp broken, the car packed, drive back to Georgia, etc.

I do want to point out that in spite of the circumstances, overall I kept my cool. My mind was racing certainly, but outwardly to the minions I had the whole situation in control. I’m also known for my, shall we say “colorful” language, so I have to say I deserve huge credit for choking back the string of profanity that almost came spewing forth from my mouth like the Three Gorges Dam had failed, sending a torrent to scour the land as far as the eye can see. Many young ears were spared that day…

The aftermath…

So pondering all of these things, the biggest question in my mind was how broken it was. Just a little and all you do is tape up and let it heal. A lot broken is a different story.

I needed an answer to that question so I could decide what to do next, so we took a field trip down to the Alamosa ER to find out. Turns outs it was somewhat weirdly broken in that I wedged off the end of the toe joint from blunt-force, straight-on impact. That meant no need to rush home to my foot doctor, just tape up and take it easy. My idea of taking it easy was hanging out at the dunes so I extended our time there by a couple of days to avoid having to pack the car until the pain and swelling had subsided at least a little… plus I had some unfinished business left.

Unfinished business…

I’d been meaning to shoot this gorgeous sunflower and the amazing tree (shown below) and couldn’t bring myself to leave without doing it, broken toe be-damned. Seriously the most painful photography I’ve ever undertaken given the squatting and various positions I had to get into to get the shots. Actually it was the most painful camping trip I’ve ever undertaken in general. Even with Fred and George’s help, getting through basic tasks like cooking meals was horrendous.

But the boys still wanted dune action so we still went out to the edge to play every day. There was no way I was getting very far in but they were content with the fringes under the circumstances. I can’t tell you what a bizarre dichotomy it is to be in such a fabulous place but to be there in pain and stuck at the edge like a kid with his face pressed against the candy-store window… so close yet so elusive.

We managed to make the best of our remaining time given my new limitations by cutting back on adventures and slowing down our pace. Just accepting the situation went a long way towards alleviating the initial grumpies I had for not being able to summit the big dune… there’s always next time and I’ll certainly be back.

So that’s the story of the toe. I know there are many who scoff at the level of pain I claim for this injury but the foot is indeed one of the more sensitive, nerve-packed areas of the body. And I know it’s by far not the worse thing that can happen on the trail but it is something I now struggle with daily, but that’s a discussion for next time…

And now for your moment of green…

I spent over an hour shooting this tree with pain shooting up my leg from my insulted toe. Was it worth it? You betcha. Is it weird to be in love with a dead tree?

January 30, 2013

Unexpected Treasure: Skidaway Island

I’m going to fess up from the start. I’m a mountain girl. So when I visited Skidaway Island for the first time in November 2011 it was because of a geocaching event, not for the allure of Georgia’s coast. Which brings me to my next confession… I loved it. And I was very excited to return this past November, not only for a repeat of the geocaching event, but for another chance to explore the area.

The slow pace of Skidaway begs you to take a break and soak up the sights, sounds, and smells of Georgia’s coastal marshes.

The park…

Skidaway Island State Park is located along Skidaway Narrows on Georgia’s Intracoastal Waterway. Just south of Savannah, this nearly 600 acre park lies in the marshes inland of the Georgia’s beaches and is home to a variety of wildlife including the ever-entertaining fiddler crabs.

Given that it’s a coastal area, the park trails are flat and easy and expose you to the various landscapes of the area. There is such remarkable scenery to be taken in here: the ancient oaks, the spanish moss, the reedy marshes…. A walk to the Observation Tower is a great way to get a birds eye view of the narrows. When out on the trails, especially the Sandpiper Trail, you’ll want to watch your tides. We found ourselves with a decision of wading or coming back later in one quest to solve an Earthcache!

This park has a couple of perks you may find makes your stay all kinds of groovy. For on-the-road bloggers like yours truly, the wifi access at the park office comes in quite handy. To help round out your activities at the park, you also have the option of rental bicycles or striders to explore the trails. And like all of our fabulous Georgia parks, ranger programs are an excellent resource for getting to know the park.

The campsites at Skidaway Island allow you to spread out and enjoy.

The campground…

Skidaway’s 87-site campground is also amongst my favorites of the Georgia parks. The sites are generously-sized which gives lots of room for play around camp without having your little ones right under foot or nail-bitingly close to the road while you’re trying to cook dinner. Many of the sites are separated by fabulous coastal pines and palms which adds an element of privacy you don’t find in many other parks.

The spaciousness of the sites did leave me flummoxed on our first visit since my trusty extension cord didn’t reach the tent pad. I was more prepared this past trip with two in hand. So if you require power, say if you’re a blogger who types madly away in the tent at night while the kids are sleeping, be sure to bring enough cord to stretch a good 50 feet to the tent pads… which, by the way, are amongst the largest I’ve seen in my extensive camping experience.

Be sure to say hi to Elvis the King snake when you visit!

The interpretive center…

Anyone who frequents Georgia state parks knows there are a few “marquis” parks that get a lot of attention for their scenery, amenities, and interpretive centers… Unicoi, Amicalola Falls, etc. In all honesty however, Skidaway’s interpretive center is my favorite. This little unassuming center is packed with groovy things like petrified wood and a giant ground sloth skeleton. It houses archaeological artifacts as well as a bird-viewing window where you can simply sit and enjoy the birds or get more serious by honing your bird ID skills.

Their critter collection has been the most-loved by my crew. It’s very small but very accessible and we’ve found the rangers and volunteers very accommodating in taking the time to talk with us about them even outside of official presentation times.

Exploring the trails of Skidaway… the boardwalk to the observation tower.

Nearby…

Not only is the park itself a wonderful place to relax, explore, and learn, there are a great many additional activities nearby. The park is very close to Savannah and Tybee Island so as you plan your time at Skidaway, keep these wonderful places in mind as well…

UGA Marine Extension Service Aquarium: another unexpected gem, this tiny aquarium was a delight. We were able to get right up to the tanks and because of the lack of crowd, we were able to take as much time as wanted to watch and learn. The nature trails behind the center were surprisingly intriguing with exhibit buildings along the way and geocaches to be found as well.
Tybee Island Marine Science Center: we payed another visit to this aquarium because our first visit the previous year was so worthwhile. Even the grandparents and older cousins with us on this trip agreed. This is a fantastic little science center is right next to the Tybee Island pier and has a low admission which makes for a convenient and affordable outing. The Spotted Batfish alone is worth the time to take in!

Fort Pulaski: Another favorite that deserved multiple visits, Fort Pulaski is a Civil War era National Monument rich with history. Be sure to time your visit for one of the cannon firings and don’t forget there are many trails to explore on the monument grounds, including one out to the Cockspur Island lighthouse.
Wormsloe Plantation: This Georgia Historic Site is just a hop-skip from Skidaway and has a variety of history to take in including tabby ruins and colonial life exhibits. The oak-lined main road to the visitor center adds to the quintessential Georgia charm.
Fort McAllister: One of Georgia’s combination parks, both historic site as well as state park, this facility combines the history of the civil war with hiking trails, fishing, boating, and camping.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg in terms of activities. Keep in mind that there are even more Georgia State Parks and Historic sites in the area so if you’re planning a visit, I highly recommend an annual State Park pass. It will more than pay for itself in one trip to this park-packed area!

For more images from our coastal Georgia adventures, you can visit my Flickr pages for Skidaway Island and Tybee Island.

And now for your moment of green…

Be sure to check tides before you head out on coastal trails… you may find yourself surprised by a wading adventure!

January 28, 2013

Geowoodstock to TBEX: Whirlwind in Keystone…

Exploring Colorado history through geocaching. Cemeteries are an intriguing window into the story of a place.

Just as I was nearing the end of the Geowoodstock to TBEX tale, life got in the way… the relocation of the Val in Real Life headquarters has proven to be quite an undertaking especially amongst all the other chaos of life and the holiday season. But as I mentioned, I’m slowly getting back into the swing of things here at Val in Real Life. And it’s about time to finish up the tale of this adventure…

The recap…

We played most of our five-week Geowoodstock to TBEX summer expedition fast and loose. There were only two events set in stone… Geowoodstock and TBEX (a travel bloggers conference for those of you who aren’t up on the lingo). Other than that, we were free as little granola-munching birds deciding when and where to go.

And so we wandered our way from the festivities in Indiana to the excitement in Colorado, exploring places like Theodore Roosevelt National Park and Custer State Park along the way. Our meandering route put us in Estes Park in the days leading up to TBEX but as I mentioned, we cut our time short which meant an early arrival in Keystone for TBEX events…and a little extra time to explore. Once TBEX started though, it was a whirlwind.

The Inn at Keystone…

Fred and George were giddy at the thought of five days straight in a hotel. After three weeks on the road, mostly living out of a tent, you’d think they’d arrived at Disney World by their delight.

Believe it or not, the beagle does actually approve of some things… especially when it’s red carpet treatment at a hotel.

I’m not going to do a review of the hotel but I do want to give a little credit where it’s due as follows: the staff was beyond excellent, they took dog-friendly to new heights, and the in-house restaurant was pretty damn good. So yes, if I have to stay in a hotel, this is the kind of place I’d pick. With the Snake River meandering its way through the resort, a quick dose of Rocky Mountain grooviness was always at our doorstep.

Exploring Keystone…

So what to do with three days to kill before TBEX? Aside from some logistics like gathering some basic food supplies and just decompressing after three weeks in the car, we also had to get the Disapproving Beagle to a local vet for routine maintenance. That would be the ever-chill-inducing anal sac expression that’s even more disgusting than it sounds for those of you who are not familiar with this foul-smelling affair. Throw in that he was impossibly dirty at this point (and my sensitivity to that level of filth in a very clean hotel) and a bath was in order for His Beagleness. Yep, Keystone proved to be the height of indignities for The Disapproving Beagle.

Who knew nachos could be legendary? This offering at the Inn at Keystone has quite a reputation.

For we human-types however, our pre-TBEX time was filled in with a little geocaching and sampling of local restaurants.

Dreadful Day in Denver..

You know how I like to keep things real? Well, I would be remiss in not including our day in Denver… (cue ominous music)

See, when you’re on the road with the kids and you have to be at a conference, you have a child-care dilemma. You need to be able to focus on the conference and all that jazz without trying to keep tweens entertained who think this is probably the most boring stuff in history. Ever.

So why not have Jester fly in for the weekend? It was Father’s Day weekend after all and hanging out in Colorado with the minions and pup so Mom can get down to business without a care in the world seemed like a brilliant plan. And it was really but…

I also had the great idea of heading to Denver early to spend the day then sweep through the airport that night, collect Jester, and head back to Keystone. I hadn’t made any concrete plans, just thought we’d explore a bit. Which we did.

Outdoor-lovers mecca.

With a little of the dog-juggling that’s required when traveling with a pooch in tow in the summer, we managed to visit the REI mothership. We couldn’t buy anything with the car already busting at the seams of course, but I wanted to see one of REI’s flagship stores with my own granola eyes and bask in its glory.

Not having done any previous research on what we might do in Denver for the day, I didn’t realize there was a river playground of sorts right next to REI… and Fred and George’s swim trunks were inconveniently stowed away in Keystone an unsightly 90 minutes away. Opting not to shell out for new swimwear for an hour of water play, we wandered a great nearby park, letting Dobby stretch his legs and to possibly get a little geocaching fix.

Unfortunately, the little Camp Granolans were simply grumpy. That’s just how it goes. It happens at home, it happens on the road, it can happen anywhere. There’s no place the grumpies can’t penetrate when they want to and they hit full-steam while stranded in Denver… too far away from Keystone to go back and cool our jets at the hotel and Jester’s flight still hours from arriving.

So with minions not in the exploring mood and me a little worn out from trying to keep the grumpies at bay, we headed closer towards the airport to see what we could find for an early dinner and break free from the navigation hassles of the downtown area. Being unfamiliar with Denver however, that turned out to be a bad idea. There’s pretty slim pickings out that way so this was one of those hindsight scenarios where I should have stopped for a few minutes to make a short-term plan instead of flying by the seat of my pants.

The folks at TBEX certainly treated the conference-goers to epic scenery.

Anyway, we were near the airport with an early dinner behind us. Unfortunately, we had yet more time to kill and we were firmly planted in the land of strip malls and franchises. The minions were a little happier after some refueling but not reinvigorated enough to embrace their adventurous sides again and get excited about exploring. Nope not even geocaching. And I was just fatigued enough to not have the energy to try to talk them into it.

So we muddled our way around, ran a couple of errands, watched a few episodes of How the States Got Their Shapes and headed to the airport parking lot. Yep, I put the kids to sleep in the car in the airport parking lot. Because the icing on this cake was that from about dinnertime on, we were getting updates on flight delays… and more delays… and more delays. What was already going to be a late night stretched on and on as we dozed in fits and starts, the promises of the flight actually taking off being dangled in front of our tired noses like the proverbial carrot.

So we waited and waited. The wee hours of the morning crept up and finally we took possession of Jester and limped our way back to Keystone, bleary-eyed and disgruntled.

As it goes whether you’re at home or traveling, sometimes things just don’t come together. The Dreadful Day in Denver was at least behind us and we could focus on the days ahead because at least we were still in fabulous Colorado…

Keystone scenery at one of the many parties…

TBEX…

With Fred and George now occupied by Jester, I could dive into TBEX and soak up all there was to learn. I won’t lie. It was overwhelming as conferences frequently are. They’re designed to be jam-packed and my granola personality only does “social” in fits and starts which means TBEX was like an assault on the senses… trying to learn everything you can in educational sessions then flitting to a lunch, then a session, then a dinner, a little sleep then back to a session, then a dinner… no a lunch, wait it’s a meet-and-greet, then there’s a vendor fair, run to another session… So yes, there were many times I stepped out to the nearby Snake River to collect granola myself.

In spite of the vortex of information and activities, I absolutely adored meeting fellow bloggers in person that I’d only known online. I also met a lot of great new people and got to reconnect with Family on Bikes so within the whirlwind there were wonderful perks!

I know the question is raised of course… knowing the breakneck speed conferences run at and TBEX in particular… and given my limited stamina for that level of freneticism, will I be going next year? You betcha! I took a lot away from the experience and the pain of the shell-shock of the pace always fades away quickly. Brace for impact Toronto, we’ll see you there…

And now for your moment of green…

A peaceful escape from the TBEX chaos.

December 31, 2012

Postcards from Real Life: Artistry

It’s time! Time to head back to Tremont for the Autumn Brilliance workshop. As I set forth this morning, it’s more about getting a break from the house-selling insanity than the photography but I’m hopeful by the time I get there, I’ll be in the proper mindset to focus on improving my skills and not just getting away from suburbia.

In the end what I’m hoping to channel this weekend is artistry. I’ve got to step out of blogger mode in which I’m trying to capture the essence of a trip or place through a series of images and push myself to take composition to new heights in a single image.

This idea takes me back a couple of years to a National Geographic seminar I took with one of my idols, Jim Richardson. Jim has been known to rent planes, trucks, etc. to fulfill the vision of an image he wants to capture. During the seminar he shared a dramatic image he shot from a moving truck he had to finagle in some way in order to get the shot. It’s a captivating image of course, but it seems some amateur once told him “I could have done that.” To which he replied “Yes, but did you?”

I’ve taken that anecdote to heart, knowing that you have to go to greater lengths to capture truly compelling images because there’s a world of difference between could have and did. With that in mind, what I’ll be mentally exercising this weekend is the idea of going all in to achieve true artistry.

And since it I’ll be spending the weekend with the fabulous Will Clay, I thought it would be appropriate to share one of my favorite Willism’s that is a nice companion for the Richardson anecdote…

Photograph like you mean it.

It may not look like it, but it took quite some doing to get this shot. Here’s wishing you the passion to go further in your pursuits this weekend. Whatever you do, do it like you mean it.

Yes, sir!

October 19, 2012

Geowoodstock to TBEX: South Dakota’s Gem – Custer State Park (Part One)

As you know, I’m a huge fan of public lands here in the United States. And in the course of camping our way all over the country we’ve been to a lot. While I’ve never discovered one that I felt unworthy of preservation, there are certainly ones that simply stand out above others for me. My newest love is Custer State Park in South Dakota.

During our five days at Custer, we had fun exploring the icons the area had to offer but the bulk of our time was devoted to the park. We chose Custer over nearby national parks partly due to location and partly for amenities. When you’re on the road for five weeks, you simply need a campground with a shower which national parks rarely offer.

This glorious bison ran alongside Blubaru as we explored. Breathtaking experience.

Epic park…

We had some pretty memorable adventures at Custer but let’s start with the park itself. In a nutshell, you’ve got a whopping 71,000 acres of forest, grasslands, and rock outcrops to discover. It’s flat-out enormous, especially for a state park as opposed to a national park.

In terms of activities, it offers everything from miles-and-miles of hiking trails, to many more miles of scenic drive, to fishing, boating, horseback riding, biking, jeep rides, ranger talks and tours, historic buildings, and wildlife viewing. Seriously, this park has it all.

Your headquarters for Custer fun, the Norbeck Visitor Center. The rangers were friendly, helpful, and all sorts of wonderful.

Plus it’s got multiple lodges, campgrounds, and cabins. And it’s the perfect headquarters for exploring the area attractions ranging from monuments like Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse to Wind Cave and Jewel Cave. There are many other attractions as well that weren’t really our style, or dog-accommodating for that matter, but you can check out all the opportunities at the Rapid City Tourism Website.

So there’s really no shortage of offerings here whether in the park or neighboring it. You could spend weeks trying to dive into all the activities. Given the magnitude of the park alone, you’ll definitely want to pick up a park brochure at the visitor center that details all of this. Trust me, it’s a substantial guide. It kind of has to be right?

Camp Granola at Custer..

Clearly we didn’t partake of all the park’s goodies with only five days but we did jump into the geocaching challenge since that’s our favorite way to explore a new place. It did not disappoint in terms of the locations it took us in the park. With so much to choose from, it was nice to hit the high points through the challenge in order to get the lay of the land.

We particularly enjoyed getting off the main roads and exploring the less-traveled gravel goodness to be had. Wonderful, peaceful lunch spots abound off the beaten path. Just a little free advice courtesy of Camp Granola. 😉

We were treated to a feat of climbing as we explored the Needles Highway.

Our geocaching adventure took us to the Gordon Stockade just outside of our campground. Very interesting history here!

In spite of the hazy day, George wanted to see all he could see from the Mt. Coolidge Fire Tower. This is probably the best place to experience how wildfries have impacted the area.

Our geocaching expedition took us in search of this historic grave site. Always a great time to ponder your good fortune when you encounter a memorial like this.

The Badger Hole… a remarkable cabin built by South Dakota’s first poet laureate, Badger Clark.

Badger’s stove in the cabin he built himself. It took him ten years just to build the foundation.

These burros were clearly used to being fed by humans. They walked right up to me looking for a handout. Trust me folks, it may be fun to feed the animals but it is illegal for a reason. For the safety of all of us, please don’t feed the animals!

Choosing one of the many off-the-beaten-path lunch spots was actually hard. So many!

A surprise education along the gravel roads of Custer.

His Beagleness on this throne at the Game Lodge, patiently waiting through my Twitter chat.

Oh hail no…

Ok, so South Dakota is quite a different beast weather-wise for we Georgians. Scanning the park brochure’s list of average highs and lows for the area, it’s a good ten to twenty degrees cooler here year round. That and it’s obviously not nearly as humid as our sultry southeast. Of course, we were prepared with a variety of gear and clothing for our long journey. We knew we’d be traveling through widely varying climate and landscapes. What did catch a little off-guard was the tornado warnings that left us scrambling for shelter.

We’d taken a little break on the porch of the Game Lodge to allow me some work time and were loading up to head back to camp when a thoughtful visitor tapped on Blubaru’s window to tell us about the tornado warnings. We were severely out of touch at this point and had no idea other than recognizing the surly black clouds overhead. We’re used to camping through dramatic weather so we didn’t think much of heading back to camp in it.

Tornadoes are another story though of course! Big Agnes isn’t going to shelter us from those so we high-tailed it back into the resort and begged to sit in the lobby for the duration. Obviously we three humans weren’t a problem, but we did have the beagle with us and dogs aren’t permitted in the buildings.

Fred biding his time at the Game Lodge through the threat of tornadoes.

Fortunately the resort staff made an exception given the circumstances. Not sure what we would have done otherwise. We kept Dobby on a short leash to be as considerate and out of the way as possible but his beagle magnetism attracted a lot of would-be dog-petters. He didn’t mind the attention of course.

After a good hour-and-a-half of storm watch we were able to resume our journey back to camp. As we neared the Stockade campground, we began noticing what looked like foam all along the sides of the roads. Further on still, the hillsides were coated too and that’s when it finally hit me that it was mounds of hail piled up. We’d seen none at the lodge, in fact, other than strong rain, the storm was not what it was feared to be.

But sure enough, upon our arrival at the site, it was practically a winter wonderland…in June! Welcome to South Dakota right? We were treated to a chilly walk around the campground, crunching on the hail, and marveling at a landscape so foreign us to southeasterners. Having to bundle up in June is a strange, strange concept to us.

It was not all fun and games unfortunately. The position of our campsite put us downslope from everything around us and thus, the recipient of mounds of hail against the tent. The hail had worked itself in between the footprint and tent… a huge wet, soggy mess in the making as it began to melt. A little damage control was in order so we wouldn’t be sleeping in a puddle the rest of our stay.

At least our tent was still standing. Several campers returned to find their tents collapsed. Most of them simply packed up and left. Big props to Big Agnes for holding her ground!

George had no trouble passing the time at the Game Lodge by playing with his state magnets.

Our chilly greeting back at camp. This little scene rocked Dobby’s world. Fred and George were delighted but Dobby was quite disapproving…as usual.

And because this park is too big and too fabulous to be contained in one post, our Custer adventures are to be continued…

And now for your moment of green…

Full of geologic, historic, wildlife, and landscape wonders, Custer State Park is my new love and ranks amongst my favorite parks.

September 17, 2012

Geowoodstock to TBEX: A Tour of American Icons

After our adventures in Medora and Theodore Roosevelt National Park, we’d hit the northern extent of our expedition and it was time to start working our way back southward. Our next big stop was Custer State Park near Rapid City, South Dakota but we had a few pit-stops to make on the way that included some heavy-hitters in terms of American icons. Throw in the no-state-left behind geocaching policy this trip and you can imagine that this was not a simple logistical puzzle.

Fred and George finding a little taste of home in South Dakota.

Montana…

So after exiting Medora sans glorious fudge, we eased westward into Montana to claim our geocaching smiley. We stopped in a little town for for a cache that looked like it would be a neat location…only we looked, and looked, and looked…and didn’t find it. (For you non-geocachers out there that means we “DNF”ed it and you get a little sad face on your geocaching logs. It’s truly a pathetic sight.)

It can be really hard to walk away from a cache without bagging a smiley. You keep talking yourself into looking “just one more time…” But there are times the cache is really just not there. It may have been “muggled” (removed or destroyed by a non-cacher) so you never really know if you’re just missing it or if it’s gone. Previous logs can be a clue if there have been a string of DNFs, especially by experienced cachers but it’s always a judgement call how much effort you should throw into a find. It seems like this particular cache should have been easy we just couldn’t come up with it…maybe we were just too brain-dull after so much driving. The road-numbness can get the best of you from time-to-time.

At any rate, we moved on to another cache which proved to be quite an adventure for Blubaru at least. She’s had some fun hot-dogging it on dirt roads and embankments while geocaching the E.T. Highway but this was by far the most potentially undercarriage damaging adventure she’s undertaken for us. There were definitely a few “R’uh R’oh!” moments as we navigated our way up a jeep trail… but we did manage to get to the cache and our Montana smiley. The kicker is that we found the “easy” way in…on the way out. Oops! (And not to worry, Blubaru received nothing but high marks on her post-trip check up so all is well.)

Devil’s Tower…

With our Montana smiley secured, we headed for Devil’s Tower National Monument knowing it wouldn’t be more than a drive-by viewing. With Dobby in tow, there wasn’t much we would be able to do there other than “Chevy Chase” the iconic monument. (And yes, I realize I’m dating myself with that reference…)

This type of quick visit is when having an annual parks pass helps. I probably would have avoided the expense of the entrance fee for such a short visit but with pass in hand I didn’t have to sweat it. Since we visit so many parks, this small investment definitely more than pays for itself.

Aside from that, Devil’s Tower was high on George’s Junior Ranger wish list so I wanted him to have the chance to get it and I certainly wanted to have at least a peek myself. Once we arrived, George diligently plowed through his exercises while Fred and I kept Dobby company outside in the shadow of the monument. After a Junior Ranger swearing in and a last longing gaze at the geologic marvel of Devil’s Tower we moved on to nabbing a Wyoming cache. The efforts here proved to be much less adventuresome than the Montana ones.

George as a newly minted Devil’s Tower Junior Ranger.

View of Devil’s Tower from the visitor center.

Fred was surprised to discover that he found the president statues compelling.

Rapid City…

After a quick overnight stop in Spearfish, SD and yet another hotel-parking-lot-tent-drying event, we worked our way through the famous Sturgis, SD for lunch and supplies before blitzing through Rapid City to Custer State Park.

We didn’t stop in Rapid City initially since securing out campsite was in order but George was insistent upon seeing the entire series of president sculptures in The City of Presidents so we went back to satisfy his presidential desire a few days later. Fred wasn’t interested in the tour at first but tagged along and ended up more excited about it than George in the end. In fact they switched personalities on this outing with George suddenly becoming camera shy and Fred posing for everything. Go fig! (I think it’s a plot they’ve concocted to always keep me guessing…)

The statue tour was a nice introduction to Rapid City. We picked up a brochure at the City of Presidents Information Center which helped us plot our route. The more centrally located statues are obviously in the more active, prettier part of downtown with tree-lined streets and inviting shops. To visit the outlying statues you find yourself pounding the heat-baked concrete with little interesting to see aside from the statues.

Oddly, it’s out there in the concrete jungle that several of the more prominent presidential figures are located, like Lincoln, Kennedy, and St. Teddy. The placement of the statues was supposed to avoid favoritism which is fine of course but, like I said, you start to feel a bit baked by the time you reach them. They’re certainly worth a visit to ponder but in the June South Dakota heat we were completely sapped for the effort. At least it was something we could do with the pup along which is an unusual feature in a city.

One of the things we didn’t realize going in was that there is a seasonal fountain park at the Main Street Square across from the information center. And there we were, unprepared for wet, summer fun…extra clothes and swim trunks tucked away back at camp. The boys were tired enough to take it in stride though.

Camp Granola’s Tips:

Be mindful of the weather when heading out to tour the presidents. That concrete gets blistering hot and energy sapping in the heat of summer.
Pick up a map from the information center to help plot your course.
Plan your potty stops carefully. In those outlying areas, there aren’t many places to slip into for pit stop. Poor George was denied access by one shop even though he was practically yellow-eyed.
Don’t forget the Main Square has fountains to jump in during the summer and it turns into an ice rink in winter so plan accordingly…unlike we did!

Fred has always been fascinated by Theodore Roosevelt.

Fred striking a pose with Thomas Jefferson.

One of the discussions we got to have during our tour was “why” of how each president was portrayed.

Mount Rushmore…

Of course, you can’t visit the Rapid City area without doing Mount Rushmore right? Given George’s excitement over the City of Presidents statues, you can imagine this was a must-see for him in particular.

Like many of our exploring efforts with Dobby along, we couldn’t do much here. We had to the the Dobby shuffle, trading time sitting with him out front while the non-dog-sitters explored a little. Fred took the bulk of the duty since he wasn’t terribly interested and George wanted to earn his Junior Ranger badge. Even trading dog watching, it was pretty toasty out and unfair to keep the watcher waiting longer than necessary so we skipped the extras like the Presidential Trail.

Camp Granola’s tips:

Your visit can be a quick as ten minutes to gawp at the carving or many hours if you take in the museums, tours, and trails.
Obviously bringing your canine companions will limit your options here.
There is an parking fee for this park that isn’t covered by the National Parks Pass so be sure to budget $11 for a passenger car. (Or click here for up-to-date fees.)

George working his way through the Junior Ranger activities under the watchful eyes of four epic presidents.

George receiving his Junior Ranger badge at Mount Rushmore.

George counts Mt. Rushmore as one of his favorite places of this trip.

The main event…

Of course, these adventures were not the main reason for our visit to South Dakota. Our time was mostly allotted for the uber-fabulousness of Custer State Park. Stay tuned!

And now for your moment of green…

Yes I know everyone and their brother has this shot of Mt. Rushmore but this is mine.

September 10, 2012

Going Solo

I know you parents out there feel my pain. As rich as our kids make our lives, sometimes you need a little adult time. And when you spend as much time together as we do in our roadschooling pursuits, that becomes the understatement of the decade.

The entrance at Townsend, Tennessee, the self-proclaimed “quiet side” of the Smokies.

I’ve alluded to my July solo trip to the Smokies in recent posts about the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont and Cades Cove but I’ve yet to give you the full rundown. Basically I spent a week camping in Cades Cove followed by a week of SANCP classes at Tremont. It was certainly a much needed respite from constantly being on mommy duty but it also gave me some time to focus on my personal pursuits, spend my time on my own terms, and get rejuvenated to jump back into the fold upon my return. I certainly missed my little camping buddies but I knew they were having adventures of a different kind that only a Gramma can provide. (Thanks Gramma!)

My original plans for this trip included lots of naturalist practice and photography on the more difficult trails that Fred and George would balk at tackling. This was my prime opportunity! Only my plans took a radical turn when a quite literal run-in with a rock in Colorado back in June left me with a very, very broken big toe. I had to scrap my backcountry bliss for roadside exploration…along with the countless other visitors that flock to the Smokies in the middle of summer. Little did I realize how educational the people-watching would be but given better circumstances, I would have stuck to my original plans.

At any rate, regardless of having to change up my plans, it was still an epic trip and I’m just now figuring out the best way to share my rare solo adventure with you. Unfortunately, sometimes an experience is almost too much to put into words. Since I can’t show you in images what this adventure meant to me in terms of personal satisfaction, I’m at least going to share with you some of the things I saw and hopefully you’ll understand why the Smokies are a fitting place to find your happy. (Just remember, it’s a zoo there in July.)

So without further ado, here’s some of the lovely that is the Great Smoky Mountains.

Cades Cove…

One of the perks of a July visit is the volatile weather. The constantly changing light made it hard to know what to shoot first. This field is at the north end of Hyatt Lane in Cades Cove.

Many visitors to the Smokies seek out the modern attractions of nearby Gatlinburg,TN for excitement but for me this is the kind of roadside attraction that stops me in my tracks. I could have spent hours investigating these beauties if not for the car-dodging required along the Cades Cove loop.

A artifact of history blemished by modern hands.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a compelling mix of history and nature.

While standing on Sparks Lane shooting the fog rolling through the cove, I was reminded to always turn around and see the possibilities behind me. Of course, camera set on another subject, I resorted to Instragram iPhoneography.

Tremont Road and the Middle Prong River…

This was one of the many times I found a surprise while looking at something else. In this case, this harvestman was nestled in the bark of a tree I was inspecting for its fabulous lichen offerings. (Top of Tremont Road at the Middle Prong trailhead.)

This shattered puzzle of geologic awesome is located in one of my favorite little spots along the Middle Prong.

Another of those surprises I mentioned. I was examining this tree for entirely different reasons when this big, wet, seriously tough looking beetle startled me.

This Lilliputian mushroom may only be about an inch tall, but what a marvel of detail in its little world.

Foothills Parkway…

I spent hours on the Foothills, studying plants, shooting the landscape, and working away on this blog. It’s certainly not a burden to plug in and work when this is your office view.

Newfound Gap…

Clingman’s Dome…

Roaring Forks Motor Drive…

Roaring Forks was a first for me. While I eventually managed a quiet place to shoot , it was so crowded along this motor trail, the roads were nearly impassable. Very beautiful but I don’t recommend it during the busy season…it’s an exercise in frustration.

And now for your moment of green…

No matter where you decide to visit in the Smokies, you’ll find beautiful surprises.

September 6, 2012

In the Land of St. Teddy

One of the major stops of the five-week Geowoodstock to TBEX expedition was Theodore Roosevelt National Park (South Unit). As I mentioned in the post on Medora, the Dakotas were a slow-travel priority for us. After not really getting out of the Land of Leopold what I’d hoped, I was bent on making sure I gained more understanding of this land that had such an impact on another of America’s conservation icons.

Gateway to the granola mecca that is Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Grand Entrance…

So I was a ball of twitchy excitement as the land played temptress to my psyche. With each passing mile that brought us closer to the park, I caught glimpses of what was to come and I was beside myself, the latent geologist in me screaming to be set free in the Badlands. But when we arrived at the park entrance in Medora, the ranger informed us that campsites were filling up and we needed to secure our spot fairly quickly.

Imagine the torment! Instead of soaking up the first air, sun, and visions of Theodore Roosevelt National Park in slow tranquility, we had to blitz to the campground for set up. Needless to say, the stunning five-mile drive to the campground was a dichotomy of amazement and torture for me. I had to embrace a temporary mantra: I’ve got four days, I’ve got four days, I’ve got four days…

Just a glimpse of the epic drive to the Cottonwood Campground.

Epic Camp…

And then we got to the Cottonwood campground…aaaah! This will likely rank among my favorites of all time…forever.

Nestled in a stand of cottonwoods along the Little Missouri River, the campground is sheltered from the heat of the Badlands by its namesake trees. Many of the sites back up to the river and we managed quite a nice one with quick access to its wide, cool, shallow waters. Having secured our temporary home, I had to take a moment to soak it all in before getting to the business of camp life. Standing on the shore of the Little Missouri, it was absolutely clear why St. Teddy chose this place to heal his wounded soul after the loss of his wife and mother. If you can’t find peace here, I can’t imagine you’ll find it anywhere.

For Fred and George this campground was a delight as well. Obviously just the scenery alone is quite a change from our home base in the lush southeast. But when wild horses and bison go strolling through your camp, that’s when it really hits you that you’re not in Georgia anymore. And we’ve certainly camped along rivers before but the Little Missouri is a completely different beast from the moss-covered boulder strewn creeks in our area. The boys ran, and ran, and ran… (and ran, and ran, and ran…) through the Little Missouri’s gentle waters, soaking up the Badlands on their terms.

Fred and George enjoying some play time at camp.

Could it get much better than a full moon over camp?

Vistas…

For all of the miles of trails and places to explore in this park, we were obviously hampered by the Disapproving Beagle. Since the pup wasn’t allowed anywhere but the campground and along roads, we could’t really do this park justice in terms of seeing all it has to offer. We knew that going in of course, but that didn’t reduce the anguish I felt for not being able to fully experience a place that was so epic for me.

We did make the best of what we could do though and that meant mainly sticking to the main loop which is about 36 miles long. Make no mistake, it’s an eye-popping drive but it isn’t the backcountry exploration I would undertake otherwise.

Anyway, if you visit the park and all you have time for is the loop, you won’t be disappointed. Over the course of our visit and several times around the loop, we were treated to endless vistas of the Badlands, bison, prairie dogs, and wild horses. This is a land of in-your-face geology in terms of rocks, water, erosion, and landforms and it is a delight to the senses. Which brings me to a little story about my tree. It’s obviously not my tree exactly but the boys call it that now so I’m going to go with it.

George finding his natural inspiration identifying flowers.

A surprise find as we rounded a bend on the big loop.

The tree…

So right about the mid-point of the big loop, there’s a lonely tree perched on an elegantly arching hill. When we came around a corner and saw it standing vigil over the vast valley below, it left my jaw dangling in awe. In fact, I came back twice to try to photograph it in a way that captured its stature. I don’t think I really succeeded but I hope you are at least intrigued enough to go pay it a visit.

At any rate, the story actually lies in my experience shooting this groovy little tree. See, I was standing there on my second day of attempts, moving the tripod about, watching the clouds, zooming in and out, recomposing again and again… when a man in a little white car zipped up next to me, dressed like he’d been at the beach. In an excited voice he queried me on what I was shooting… was it a bison, horses…what?

I stood there looking at him for a moment, very likely in a way that belied my subesquent diplomatic demeanor as I pointed to the surreal tree on the hill and briefly explained my vision. He returned my volley of incredulity with a smirk of disdain and made some comment about thinking I’d found something interesting before he sped off in his ridiculous Hawaiian shirt. *sigh…*

Museum…

Amazing scenery aside, this is also an important place in terms of American history. Not only is it part of the frontier America is famous for, it also shaped one of our most beloved presidents in a profound way.

The museum at the park entrance is small but very effective in providing insight into the life of Theodore Roosevelt. St. Teddy is actually Fred’s favorite president so he soaked this up readily. He only participates in the Junior Ranger program in places that get him really excited and this was one of those places. George almost always claims a Junior Ranger badge so this was one park where we were busy roadschoolers.

I can’t say it enough… to learn about a place, its history, and its ecology while you are actually in that place is to capture its essence in a way that can’t be done from afar. The impact of being there is immeasurable.

It was here that St. Teddy found his peace and his vision.

If you’re ever feeling short on tenacity, just remember this story.

Fred getting sworn in as a Junior Ranger.

Under-rated…

One of my mentors, the fabulous Will Clay, recently mentioned the park on his blog as one of the under-rated jewels of America. I couldn’t agree more. Certainly with competition from icons like the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Yellowstone, places like the Badlands are bound to be overlooked but I urge you to rank this place with them in terms of natural value. This is not an if-I-have-time place…this is a must-see place.

George agrees… everyone should visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

So much more to go back for…

It’s probably quite clear by now that I have unfinished emotional business with this park. I will most certainly be back and hopefully very soon. As much as I adore our Disapproving Beagle, I must return without him to experience the full magnificence and stark beauty of this place.

Hopefully I’ve swayed you into appreciating this amazing national treasure. If that’s the case, here’s another helpful link to help you plan a visit… User’s guide to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. And as always, information is always best straight from the source…in this case, the National Park Service Theodore Roosevelt National Park website.

And now for your moment of green…

September 3, 2012

On Experiential Education

Since school is back in full swing at Val in Real Life HQ, I’m diving into experiential education today. Although, I use the terms “school” and “full swing” loosely because when your approach to expanding your children’s knowledge is experiential education, your entire life is a learning experience. And while that is actually true for all of us, kids and adults alike, obviously it’s something we pursue with purposeful intent here.

Fred and George agree…seeing the real deal is much better than just reading about it.

For us it’s always difficult to define a beginning and end to our school years. It really becomes simply a calendar issue for reporting-to-the-state purposes so officially we have rung in the new educational year. In reality we’re pretty much doing something educational year-round…and not just during designated “school” hours…and not along a rigid curriculum. This gives us a less-intense but more constant rhythm to our year as opposed to a boom-and-bust cycle.

We tend phase between unschooling, roadschooling, and the slightly-more-formal homeschooling as necessary to fit our needs. So yes, we have a couple of textbooks but those are the springboards from which we explore the rest our surroundings in the unschooling and roadschooling sense…but they’re just the beginning of our exploration, not the end. And the great thing about books is that they’re portable. As in, you can read anywhere but there’s only one place you can see the Grand Canyon or geocache the E.T. Highway or paddle the Okefenokee Swamp…so why be chained to a desk?

But really the whole point of this Real Talk post was to share some other bloggers’ great articles that fit in with our experiential education philosophy and why we’ve embraced it. The larger theme here is the power of travel in our learning process but for me these pieces, when knitted together (or in my case, “Pinned” on a board), illustrate the beauty of experiential education…

Travel as a learning experience…

Fred and George sporting their shiny new Junior Ranger badges at Ft. Pulaski.

In this post my friend Nancy from Family on Bikes makes some great points about the power of travel in child development.
Here, the usually happy-go-lucky Tracey from Life Changing Year, gets serious about life in Cambodia which was a real eye-opener for her family.
Edgy June talks about how travel has benefitted her flexibility and coping skills.
This guest post at Family on Bikes by Shannon Entin of Road Trips for Familes gives some short and sweet tidbits about the benefits of travel for kids.
From a truly epic unschooling mom, Lainie of Raising Miro on the Road of Life, comes this post on creating life-long learners.
And I love this post over on Boots N All about long-term travel as education.
Another Boots N All piece addresses cultural immersion.

Putting it together…

These posts may seem quite disparate but I liked the breadth they cover in terms of what travel can do for us. Certainly the role of travel in education as displayed in these writings is not age-dependent. You’ll notice they aren’t specifically child-centric posts because in truth, we all learn through travel. I know I’m getting a lot from it and I see Fred and George connecting many dots about the world that they probably wouldn’t if not for their experience. It’s not to say that valuable travel can’t be done in addition to a traditional school setting, but their experience would certainly be much less extensive if we were only able to travel during school breaks and then it would be about escaping our everyday lives rather than enhancement.

So these are just a few of many great posts out there that help me articulate why we do things the way we do here, mainly in that the best learning doesn’t happen sitting indoors behind a desk. What I think they show is that to have a full, rich understanding of our world, history, people and life, you have to get out there and dive into it with all of your senses personally. Reading or hearing about it can only get you so far. True understanding of anything somes with experiencing every smell, sound, taste, touch, and sight for yourself.

While we may not have the rush of back-to-school mania every autumn, we find other ways to make sure we Gather No Moss and that means embracing experiential travel education. Whether near or far from home it’s all about seeing things in real life which you know is a bit of a theme here… 🙂

How have your travels educated you?

Exploring U.S and Georgia history in Plains.

Fred and George taking in a science class at Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center.

An explosion of sensory input at Great Sand Dunes.

Hiking, geography, and civil war history all wrapped up in one field trip to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield.

Fred’s first island adventure at Cumberland Island National Seashore that can only be reached by boat.

The only way to truly know the cold of the Rockies is to go there…

Not all classrooms are created equally…nor do they need to be age-defined. Here we learn from naturalist Cathy Sakas in the Okefenokee Swamp along with other curious folks of all ages.

Another perk, getting to play pool with adventurers like David of Family on Bikes.

A tour of Glen Canyon had Mr. Fred tuckered out on the Colorado River.

Not all things travel well however. Some subjects are better left at home…

We love the freedom to run free in the world, learning along the way.

August 21, 2012

Geowoodstock to TBEX: Discovering Medora

After a full-court press from Minnesota and across the entirety of North Dakota, we finally landed in the town of Medora, gateway to Theodore Roosevelt National Park (South Unit). This is one of the areas where we wanted to spend more time and so hacked into our Canada time to get it.

Over the course of our four days in the park and in town, we got a pretty good feel for the western kitsch. We arrived on the cusp of the tourist season and the town was gearing up for the onslaught.

It seems much of business around town is run by the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation which results in western-themed costumes on many of the staff in restaurants and stores. They all have little nametags, and along with the matching outfits, it gives the town a Disneyesque quality which caught me off-guard. While I do love me some Disney from time-to-time, it initially made it feel like I’d walked into Frontierland. Kind of diminishes authenticity, no? The contrived, hoe-down outfits seemed like a disconnect to me coming from a Foundation that was founded to preserve the western heritage of the badlands, one that prides itself on independence. It was just odd.

Food Foibles…

Anyway, mini-rant aside, upon our arrival in the land of St. Teddy, the minions and I agreed we should sample the local fare instead of doing a camp dinner…because, quite sadly, I’m even worse at camp cooking than I am at home cooking. Fred and George were stoked at the prospect of pizza the Badlands Pizza Parlor and Saloon right in the middle of town. We obviously couldn’t take the pup in but there were plenty of tables available on the town square so it was pizza-to-go. Only it was just heinous. No two ways about it…this was not good pie. We had to file that one in the at-least-we-didn’t-have-to-cook department.

Left unimpressed with our first meal in Medora, camping food was looking pretty good for the rest of our stay. We did feel adventurous enough to try again one day for lunch while we were in town but alas, it was also disappointing. We’d stopped for a bite at the town square, the bison burgers being so tempting at Maltese Burger.

But yet again, I felt trapped in Disney World with subpar food at exorbitant prices. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice…damm! There simply have to be good restaurants in Medora but we never found them. I’m sure our canine limitations played into that with our choices but still…really?

Breakfast in Medora…of course The Disapproving Beagle was none too thrilled with his standard issue kibble (note the pout). Bonus granola points for the cool bedspring trellis out front of the coffee shop.

The only bright spots in our food foibles were the fudge and coffee shops. We picked up some truly magnificent fudge at the Medora Fudge and Ice Cream Depot on our last evening in the area. It won’t be a surprise to you that we had coconut and peanut butter treats in our little box of goodies right?

Well it was so good that we wanted to go back for more before we left. We were foiled however because the shop didn’t open until the afternoon and we had to be on our way in the morning to make it to our next stop. Not that I wasn’t doing some pretty crafty driving calculations on how we could manage it but practicality won the day and we had to set off fudgeless on that final morning.

We did stop by a groovy little coffee shop (who’s name I can’t recall but I think it was on 4th Street) on our way out of town. This let us do a quick camp break and be on the road without having to get through breakfast and cleanup at camp. They had super yummy muffins and we even picked up some treats for later on in the day. (Yes, there was peanut butter involved.) After our lackluster food choices for much of our time in Medora, we were happy to have at least we left on a high note in that regard.

It was at that last stop on the way out of town that we met a delightfully friendly family from Missouri with the cutest travel planning process. It seems they have all the states in a bucket and each person takes a turn drawing a state for their next trip…and off they go, channeling Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” all along the way. They were so cute and much fun to talk to they left me with a big smile. It was one of those “little” travel moments that leaves you feeling light and happy.

Caching our way through Medora…

As you know, we love to explore new places through geocaching. It’s really just a great way to dive into a place for the first time. We logged several caches around Medora but thanks to some fabulous cachers who placed a well-constructed history-themed Medora puzzle cache, we were able to do a geocaching version of a walking, self-guided tour. It was a history lesson as well as and exploration and it took us to the notable landmarks of Medora…

One of the stops on our puzzle cache quest took us to the war memorial in Medora.

Another puzzle cache stop took us to the monument marking the Great Western Trail with a cattle drive history lesson.

No Medora history puzzle cache would be complete without including de Mores who, along with T.R., put Medora on the map. Actually quite literally…he named the town after his wife.

The remains of the de Mores cattle processing plant and the final stop in our geocaching quest.

In search of the space cowboy…

So Medora is home to the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame. While we were drawn to the area by the history of St. Teddy, far be it from us not to explore the deeper cowboy roots of the Badlands and the cowboy museum seemed the place to get started. Plus, they have Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber…an original from the filming if the movie. Yeah, there was no way my turbo-dorks were passing that up!

Get your cowboy history here… even if you’re a space cowboy.

Well, you know we frequently have to juggle things like this with Dobby in tow and how there’s about zero museums who let pups in. Well, the good folks at the museum took a liking to little Dobby, and given that there was no one else in there at the time, they actually let us bring him in. Epic I tell you! I’m so thoroughly grateful. Maybe there is some independent cowboy thought left in Medora after all… 🙂

As far as the museum goes, Fred and George took in the western history more than I expected them too. The museum exhibits deftly blended historic cowboy stories and modern rodeo. Even though the boys have never really been into the whole cowboy thing (they’re more of the medieval and fantasy types…), they were completely absorbed in the short historical film offered at the museum. This is always a good thing since it’s got an educational spin but it doesn’t come off as a lesson from me. This is just one of the many ways roadschooling totally rocks.

Granted, when it came time to explore the special movie props exhibit, I had to explain the Magnum P.I. gun which made me feel really old. The boys were sufficiently awed by the light saber so as not to really calculate the age of the “relics” in terms of mommy years though.

The only bison you want to get this close to is a stuffed one, right Fred?

Playground, western style…

We also discovered an epically cool playground. In keeping with the theme of the area, the town of Medora built the western-styled Medora Children’s Park that the boys loved. The town gets a big granola thumbs up for the story behind the playground too. Volunteers built this intricate playground over one weekend in May 2001, again showing the great things that can happen when people pull together for a common cause.

The fun and unique Medora Children’s Park.

Shopping around…

You probably realize by now that we’re not big shoppers here at Camp Granola. In a place like Medora, shopping is something many visitors do a good bit of however. So as we were moving about town, exploring and geocaching, we did stop in a few shops just to see what we could see.

Goofing off outside the Joe Ferris General Store.

Fred and George were fond of the Joe Ferris General Store and the Made in the USA Mercantile. It was here that George discovered the card game Top Trumps which he’s become quite taken with. Needless to say after this point in the trip, we played a lot of Top Trumps of both the dog and president varieties.

It was in the Corner Corral that we queried the shop owners about where to do laundry. Locals are a fabulous resource when you’re trying to get the lay of the land in a new place. These particular locals were delightful… the kind of people I could I could hang out and chat with for hours. They shared what it’s like to operate a business in a seasonal area like Medora and it was quite enlightening. It was the kind of authenticity travelers like us hope to find in the places we visit.

The verdict…

Medora caters to the casual tourist in search of western kitsch. If that’s what you’re looking for, you will have a great time. We didn’t partake of the big show in town or do many of the activities offered partly because of the pup and partly because that’s not the reason we came to Medora. Our focus was the park but we did want to at least explore Medora a little and I think we got a good feel for it.

Even the post office keeps it western in Medora. Fred and George set aside their swords in favor of pistols for the visit.

It is certainly a nice place, it’s just not our style. There were obviously things that we didn’t care for but there were things we did like very much. The people were very friendly, we got some rocking fudge, the history is very intriguing and easily explored, the town is lovely to walk around, the Little Missouri River that meanders through is drop-dead gorgeous, etc. So overall, I have a favorable opinion of Medora, you just have to be prepared for what you’re getting into when you go.

Having said that, if you’re looking for a western-themed entertainment vacation, Medora has it going on for you. There really is a lot to do there. The Medora Musical is hugely popular, there are scads of outdoor activities, and there are quite a lot of ways to explore the history of the Badlands and America’s western frontier in general. There are hotels, cabins, and campgrounds to choose from so there’s something for everyone in that respect…

…and if you’re looking to visit the fabulous (and I do mean FAB-U-LOUS) Theodore Roosevelt National Park (South Unit), Medora is the only town around.

And now for your moment of green…

Little delights in the picturesque town of Medora.

August 20, 2012

Category: Exploring

So where is it…?

Why Cloudland…?

The Campground…

When…?

Be sure to check out the favorites of these great outdoor bloggers as well…

And now for your moment of green…

What makes it great?

Some RenFest Tips from Camp Granola…

And now for your moment of green…

The history…

The setup…

Know before you go…

And now for your moment of green…

But first…

Easing on down the road…

The final plodding, limping, arduous leg…

Stick a fork in the expedition…

And now for your moment of green…

Zapata Falls…

Post-hike frolic…

A good outing goes bad…

Damage control…

The aftermath…

Unfinished business…

And now for your moment of green…

The park…

The campground…

The interpretive center…

Nearby…

And now for your moment of green…

The recap…

The Inn at Keystone…

Exploring Keystone…

Dreadful Day in Denver..

TBEX…

And now for your moment of green…

Epic park…

Camp Granola at Custer..

Oh hail no…

And now for your moment of green…

Montana…

Devil’s Tower…

Rapid City…

Mount Rushmore…

The main event…

And now for your moment of green…

Cades Cove…

Tremont Road and the Middle Prong River…

Foothills Parkway…

Newfound Gap…

Clingman’s Dome…

Roaring Forks Motor Drive…

And now for your moment of green…

Grand Entrance…

Epic Camp…

Vistas…

The tree…

Museum…

Under-rated…

So much more to go back for…

And now for your moment of green…

Travel as a learning experience…

Putting it together…

Food Foibles…

Caching our way through Medora…

In search of the space cowboy…

Playground, western style…

Shopping around…

The verdict…

And now for your moment of green…