Natural Travels

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.

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.

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.” Read the rest of this entry →

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.