Natural Travels

Biking New Zealand

Sandra Friend — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:06:48 +0000

Now here’s a trip I could go for … there’s a new tour company just up the road from me in Gainesville, Florida’s cycling mecca, called Pedaler’s Pub & Grille, and they’re arranging bicycle trips to see natural New Zealand, three weeks at a time. The guides are Kiwis (locals, that is), and the trips include both natural and cultural history, a sure plus in my book. Glaciers, volcanoes, and wine tastings are a part of the journey, and overnights are in deluxe inns. The catch? You better be a cyclist in earnest, as you’ll be pedaling 72 miles or so per day. For that, I’d need to get in training now. Tours start in March 2009. For more info, visit their website.

Adventures in the Laurel Highlands

Sandra Friend — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 02:20:18 +0000

Hiking the Laurel Highlands Trail

It hardly seems possible that it was a decade ago that I did my first long-distance hike, a 70-mile backpacking trip on the Laurel Highlands Trail (LHT) in western Pennsylvania. With me was “Gutsy,” a lady true to her trail name who’d hiked the whole Appalachian Trail the year before. I kept in touch, and she decided to drive up from her South Carolina home to accompany me on this trek between Johnstown and Ohiopyle. We did the hike in late spring, surprised in May by the chill at night and the lack of leaves on the trees at this elevation.

Writing an article with reference to the LHT today reminded me of that long-ago journey and how it taught me a new side of life: living outdoors and enjoying the act of putting one foot in front of the other for day after day after day.

Here’s a feature story I wrote about the trail soon after my hike.

Biking the Blue Ridge: Tour de Tuck

Sandra Friend — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:17:53 +0000

On the Blue Ridge Parkway near Balsam, NC

SYLVA, N.C. – The Tour de Tuck Bike Challenge, which derives its name from the nearby Tuckasegee River, returns for its third edition on Sept. 20.

In its first two years, the Tour de Tuck established a reputation for its fierce beauty and fierce ride. The trek includes more than 40 miles along the Blue Ridge Parkway and features a cumulative elevation gain of 11,000 feet. The course crests at Richland Balsam, the highest point on the Parkway at 6,047 feet above sea level.

“There are two things that stick out in my mind: It’s arguably the most scenic of any event around, and it has the most elevation gain of any other century cycling events,” says Scott Baker, the event’s webmaster and a regular participant. “I’ve done them all, and to me, the Tour de Tuck is the hardest.”

Last year’s event drew a total of 210 cyclists, a 20 percent increase from the first year.

The Tour de Tuck offers two options – the 105-mile century ride, as well as a shorter, 60-mile metric century ride for intermediate cyclists.

Both rides start and finish in a city park in Sylva’s picturesque downtown. Participants receive goody bags and catered post-race meals from Annie’s Naturally Café.

“Our numbers have grown each year and the word is out that we have an event that’s extremely challenging,” Baker said. “A lot of riders come just to see if they can finish.”

The 2008 Tour de Tuck begins at 7:30 a.m. and will be fully-supported with SAG vehicles and seven aid stations. The challenge is sponsored by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. Volunteers are provided by the Sylva Rotary Club.

Entry fee is $45 through July 31, and $55 afterward. Registration is only available online at www.tourdetuck.com. For additional information, call (800) 962-1911.

– thanks to Craig Distl for the heads-up on this annual outdoor event!

Tennessee Aquarium offering inland eco-cruises

Sandra Friend — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:01:33 +0000

Here’s an eco-cruise with a twist. The Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga has launched a high-speed catamaran, the River Gorge Explorer, that takes guests on a journey up the Tennessee River into “Tennessee’s Grand Canyon.” It’s a one of a kind journey with a naturalist into this difficult-to-visit natural attraction, where guests get to step out on a platform to experience the interior of the gorge as a part of the journey. With more than 16,000 acres under protection by the Tennessee Gorge Land Trust, this biologically diverse region is a great destination for birders. Prices for the trip: $29 adult, $21.50 child, $18 under 3. Learn more at the River Gorge Explorer / Tennessee Aquarium website.

Prime time for Isle Royale

Sandra Friend — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:08:44 +0000

It’s prime time for backpacking Isle Royale, the famed national park that’s in the continental United States but especially tough to get to. Summer is short on Isle Royale, the weather on Lake Superior a serious constraint for reaching the shores of this island chain that juts from the lake and breaks up the mirror of blue.

I was fortunate enough two summers ago to lug my pack and tent on the four-hour ferry ride to Rock Harbor and strike out on an adventure soon thereafter, having my own personal encounters with the resident moose and wolves. Here are the details…

Keeping cool along the Blackwater River

Sandra Friend — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 01:07:04 +0000

Summer in Florida can be pretty oppressive, with the heat and humidity making outdoor recreation less than optimal. But there’s a quiet corner of Florida where cool water and cool breezes are the norm, a place that feels a lot like Appalachia, with high clay bluffs overlooking swift rivers and shallow water dancing across limestone rapids, with sandy beaches where you can beach your kayak and take a swim. You’ll find this summer getaway in the northwest corner of our state within Blackwater River State Forest, more than 190,000 acres of protected land between Alabama and Pensacola. Learn more about what to see and do there this summer from my travel column at OurGenerationFlorida.com

Fly Fishing in Patagonia

Sandra Friend — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:14:44 +0000

Fly fishing at the top of the world: now there’s an adventure! Adventure Life Voyages just announced their “Ultimate Fly Fishing” cruise in the Patagonia region of Chile is 50% off for the first 50 paid-in-full guests booked by July 31, 2008. Rates include three meals and an open bar, scheduled fishing and whale watching excursions, complimentary jet boat, Zodiac, and helicopter services. Trips start at $12,500…not cheap, but it’s the trip of a lifetime. Having ridden on a Zodiac in serious chop amid sky-blue icebergs to get to a small ship to visit a glacier, I can tell you there’s nothing like being in Patagonia.

For details, visit Adventure Life Voyages, and thanks to Steve Snyders for the tip.

A Crabby Experience in Myrtle Beach

Sandra Friend — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 03:32:45 +0000

After nearly a week in the Myrtle Beach area for my SATW Freelance Council meeting, I had the opportunity to experience the natural side of the beach at Myrtle Beach State Park. Opened in 1935, this lovely slice of nature is now crowded on all sides by development, making it a true oasis and a favorite escape for local families and visitors alike. The campground was abuzz with RVs and tent campers, the CCC-era cabins were fully booked, and today’s morning nature program, “A Crabby Experience,” was in full swing on the pier with naturalist rangers assisting families dangling crab traps into the water to see what they could find. Sea liver and a micro-sized blue crab were among the oddities dredged from the depths, but what fascinated me the most was this tiny sharp-nosed shark, which a fisherman had caught and Ranger Ann Wilson allowed us to look at up close before she sent it back to the surf.

Learn more about Myrtle Beach State Park…

The Bruce Peninsula

Sandra Friend — Sun, 04 May 2008 20:05:42 +0000

Ah, the Bruce! As the Niagara escarpment of Ontario winds its way north from the Niagara River to Lake Huron, it forms the eastern shore of the Bruce Peninsula, one of the most wild and picturesque regions of lower Ontario. Just a couple hours north of the farmlands surrounding Hamilton, the Bruce Peninsula offers excellent hiking and road touring to unusual geologic sites, waterfalls, caves, and cliffs, soft sand beaches and pitcher plant bogs.

Canoeing Juniper Run

Sandra Friend — Fri, 02 May 2008 04:09:31 +0000

Tis the season to get out to the Ocala National Forest, which is enjoying its centennial later this year (the oldest National Forest east of the Mississippi River, no less!), and take a canoe trip down the wild and winding Juniper Run. The water is (mostly) shallow and clear, the setting almost tropical. Make it easy on yourself and rent a canoe at the Juniper Springs Recreation Area: arrive early or call ahead!

Read about one of my adventures down this classic waterway…