Photo gallery. 2013 was a rainy year for the otherwise water-thirsty Arava Valley, Israel. Seeds that laid dormant for years, some from northern regions, sprouted and bloomed, creating spectacular colorful niches in the otherwise parched land.
Enchanted home of a great president, a bi-national park, beautiful bays, swamps and predatory plants. A foggy farewell to a magical island.
The Western Gros Morne Coast is rich with living traditions, fishermen folklore, rugged shores and stunning geology. Sally’s Cove is a still-operational, if forlorn, fishermen village. Broom Point has a nostalgic fishery museum. At Green Point geologists find their heaven on earth.
The Tablelands, Gros Morne – where Earth’s mantle is exposed. Primeval ,lunar landscapes. Plants accumulate toxic metals, mighty trees turn to crawling bushes, predatory plants get nutrients from insects. A highly recommended tour plus independent strolling.
Codroy Estuary Nature Reserve – Leaving Newfoundland in the rain, I stopped en route at this fabulous riparian bird conservacy. I gave the Atlantic a farewell visit and dried my tent in a gazebu downtown Port Aux Bosques, as I was waiting for the Marine Atlantic.
“The End of Land”, “The Remarkable Place”, as its original indigenous name means, was, indeed, remarkable in its beauty. Middle Head Peninsula was bought for $600 by Henry Corson to nurse his ailing wife to health. Cormorants, Indian Pipe, ducks, whales and sturdy tough vegetation confront the harsh weather. An easy rewarding loop walk.
The Cabot Trail is one of the most scenic routes in the world. It is impossible to drive around without stopping again and again, taking pictures and breathing it all in. Even if you just come for a day, the Cabot Trail lookouts make your trip worthy.
Boulder Loop Trail, White Mountains, NH. An exhilirating climb led to opening vistas of mountains and forests from rock ledges. Glacial boulders covered in black lichen dotted the way. Using the interpretive trail map, I learned a lot about trees (including the amazing hemlocks), rocks and forest preservation.
Last sortie into the White Mountains at the magical Lost River Gorge and Caves easy access reserve. Roots make impossible overground journeys to provide trees with grounding and nutrients, water cascades down tunnels to erupt in beautiful waterfalls, boulders conceal caves, crevasses.
Lake Champlain Islands, VT. I reconnected with my water element on this set of beautiful islands, replete with history, geology, nature and atmsophere. I settled into Grand Isle State Park Campground, met some great people and trees on the beach, and at night, communed with the spirit of a magical tree.
Isle La Motte – Extraordinary beauty and wildlife. The oldest fossilized reef in the world at Goodsell Ridge Preserve. Site is also features: WTT – Walk Through Time: Who are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going? Another site of interest: St. Anne’s shrine, a religious historical monument.
Transferring into my first leanto and studying the variety of habitats on the Ironwood Trail, I spent another charming day on Lake Chmaplain.
Fisk Quarry Preserve, La Motte VT. An extraordinary chain of events led me from a quarry turned nature preserve, featuring the oldest fossilized reef, to the house of the people who fought to ascertain this is protected and safeguarded for future generations. Also an art barn and a pizza dinner in a home atmosphere.
Climbing two sections of Mount Whiteface, I saw how Nature takes after the Olympic human enterprise, how sunrays reflect back from mountain valleys into space and how a cloud collector in the Adirondacks measures pollution blowing over from Shanghai.
Beauty and more beauty. Wellesley Island Nature Center / State Park is full of water, life and geology. Paths are easy to walk / rewarding to the nature lover. The Eel Trail leads along the coast to the awesome Narrows. Pond loop peaceful, biologically rich. Encounter with a jolly Canadian girl adds a social dimension.
Photo gallery. 2013 was a rainy year for the otherwise water-thirsty Arava Valley, Israel. Seeds that laid dormant for years, some from northern regions, sprouted and bloomed, creating spectacular colorful niches in the otherwise parched land.
Enchanted home of a great president, a bi-national park, beautiful bays, swamps and predatory plants. A foggy farewell to a magical island.
The Western Gros Morne Coast is rich with living traditions, fishermen folklore, rugged shores and stunning geology. Sally’s Cove is a still-operational, if forlorn, fishermen village. Broom Point has a nostalgic fishery museum. At Green Point geologists find their heaven on earth.
The Tablelands, Gros Morne – where Earth’s mantle is exposed. Primeval ,lunar landscapes. Plants accumulate toxic metals, mighty trees turn to crawling bushes, predatory plants get nutrients from insects. A highly recommended tour plus independent strolling.
Codroy Estuary Nature Reserve – Leaving Newfoundland in the rain, I stopped en route at this fabulous riparian bird conservacy. I gave the Atlantic a farewell visit and dried my tent in a gazebu downtown Port Aux Bosques, as I was waiting for the Marine Atlantic.
“The End of Land”, “The Remarkable Place”, as its original indigenous name means, was, indeed, remarkable in its beauty. Middle Head Peninsula was bought for $600 by Henry Corson to nurse his ailing wife to health. Cormorants, Indian Pipe, ducks, whales and sturdy tough vegetation confront the harsh weather. An easy rewarding loop walk.
The Cabot Trail is one of the most scenic routes in the world. It is impossible to drive around without stopping again and again, taking pictures and breathing it all in. Even if you just come for a day, the Cabot Trail lookouts make your trip worthy.
Boulder Loop Trail, White Mountains, NH. An exhilirating climb led to opening vistas of mountains and forests from rock ledges. Glacial boulders covered in black lichen dotted the way. Using the interpretive trail map, I learned a lot about trees (including the amazing hemlocks), rocks and forest preservation.
Last sortie into the White Mountains at the magical Lost River Gorge and Caves easy access reserve. Roots make impossible overground journeys to provide trees with grounding and nutrients, water cascades down tunnels to erupt in beautiful waterfalls, boulders conceal caves, crevasses.
Lake Champlain Islands, VT. I reconnected with my water element on this set of beautiful islands, replete with history, geology, nature and atmsophere. I settled into Grand Isle State Park Campground, met some great people and trees on the beach, and at night, communed with the spirit of a magical tree.
Isle La Motte – Extraordinary beauty and wildlife. The oldest fossilized reef in the world at Goodsell Ridge Preserve. Site is also features: WTT – Walk Through Time: Who are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going? Another site of interest: St. Anne’s shrine, a religious historical monument.
Transferring into my first leanto and studying the variety of habitats on the Ironwood Trail, I spent another charming day on Lake Chmaplain.
Fisk Quarry Preserve, La Motte VT. An extraordinary chain of events led me from a quarry turned nature preserve, featuring the oldest fossilized reef, to the house of the people who fought to ascertain this is protected and safeguarded for future generations. Also an art barn and a pizza dinner in a home atmosphere.
Climbing two sections of Mount Whiteface, I saw how Nature takes after the Olympic human enterprise, how sunrays reflect back from mountain valleys into space and how a cloud collector in the Adirondacks measures pollution blowing over from Shanghai.
Beauty and more beauty. Wellesley Island Nature Center / State Park is full of water, life and geology. Paths are easy to walk / rewarding to the nature lover. The Eel Trail leads along the coast to the awesome Narrows. Pond loop peaceful, biologically rich. Encounter with a jolly Canadian girl adds a social dimension.