Two hours before our flight was scheduled to depart we arrived at the Chattanooga airport (as all good international travelers do... or so I have been told.). We were at our gate about 5 minutes later, thanking our lucky stars that we made it through security in time! Close calls like that really get the heart pumping.
We sat at Chattanooga for the requisite hour and a half and then found our way to our seats! We were on our way! Except... just as they were preparing to close the doors all the oxygen masks (except ours) dropped from the ceiling. Normally this would be disconcerting. Since everything else seemed normal we felt disconcerted. Everyone on the plane (except us) was now prepared to breathe normally (don't worry if the bag doesn't inflate, oxygen is still flowing.) The flight attendant got on to let us know the oxygen masks had dropped down (in case we had missed every pre-flight briefing ever) and that they were checking with maintenance to see what the procedure for dealing with this was. Turns out the procedure is that everyone gets off, followed by a lot of waiting.
So we got off the plane, and immediately the gate agents became the most popular people in the airport. Pretty much everyone had a connecting flight and wanted to make sure they would be taken care of. We briefly considered standing in line that was moving about as fast as something really slow, but decided against it. Instead I called Delta and asked them if they had any options for me. They did not, but assured me that even with the delay we would have at least 30 minutes to get to the connecting flight. We were skeptical since it was 2:30, the maintenance hadn't begun, was supposed to take 45 minutes, and the plane still had to be re-boarded. We needed to be in the air by 3:10.
At 2:50 when the maintenance finally did start we crunched the numbers yet again and decided we needed to take action. So we visited the gate agents. The line had dwindled by now and the gate agents had a fantastic solution. We got put on standby for a flight that was supposed to leave by 3:10 (which also hadn't started boarding...) It sounded like our only chance, so we went for it.
When we took off at 3:40 we were nervous. The flight is supposed to take 1 hour and our connection departed at 4:40. Thankfully the pilot put the pedal to the metal (or the throttle to the stops?) And got us to the gate at 4:20. In D terminal. We had to make it to E terminal. Our flight was supposed to LEAVE in 20 minutes. We were so ready for this.
Some of our fellow travelers were nice enough to let us go ahead of them. We dashed out of the gate, into the terminal, down the escalator, and into the waiting tram which would take us to E terminal. The tram sped off, the doors opened, and we sprinted yet again in hopes that we were in time! The final boarding call came over the loudspeaker. They even called our names! It was going to be close! We rounded the corner to a beautiful sight! The door was still open! We had made it!
We collapsed into the plane, settled into our seats, and took a deep breath, followed by many more since we were still winded from running. Luckily we were in an exit row, so there was plenty of space for our legs and our bags! The flight attendants said their piece, the captain said his, and then we were off! Woohoo! Haiti bound!
So now here we are in Haiti, ready to work. If you want to know more and contribute to the efforts we're making in Haiti you can check out the link below.
http://gofundme.com/haiti-recovery-projects-2uhmqe4
Thank you for joining our journey!
Monday, October 17, 2016
Friday, October 14, 2016
Heading to Haiti
Well, it turns out our trip is going to include a (slight) detour.
As you may or may not know there was a hurricane recently that passed directly over the country of Haiti. Haiti was devastated by an earthquake in 2010 and is just now recovering, but much of the country was decidedly unprepared for a hurricane. It was devastating to large portions of the population. There is a great need for aid. Since we currently have nothing holding us back from going, we feel like we are called to go and help with anything we can as the country tries to rebuild again. We probably won't be posting again until we get back (likely sometime in November.) Please pray for Haiti, and for us as our adventure continues in a direction we had no idea we would be taking!
We are planning to work with The Beehive (http://thebeehives.org/haiti/) to help them repair their road and with relief effort when the road has been finished. The funding goals for the relief projects have not yet been met, so we are hoping that there will be enough funding for us to continue working with them after the road project is complete. The Beehive is working to teach people in Haiti the skills needed to be self sufficient, everything from building structures with recycled materials to growing sustainable crops. The organization also supports 6 orphanages through the sale of furniture made with recycled wood. Currently the road leading to much of the farmland is inaccessible, preventing access to one of the Beehive sites (Bohoc). We are excited to be able to help with the road and any other places we can while we are there.
If you would like to contribute to this process you can do so right now here: https://www.gofundme.com/2tuvwdfj). We are planning to set up a go-fund-me in the near future that is specifically for our trip over there as well, stay tuned for more info.
As you may or may not know there was a hurricane recently that passed directly over the country of Haiti. Haiti was devastated by an earthquake in 2010 and is just now recovering, but much of the country was decidedly unprepared for a hurricane. It was devastating to large portions of the population. There is a great need for aid. Since we currently have nothing holding us back from going, we feel like we are called to go and help with anything we can as the country tries to rebuild again. We probably won't be posting again until we get back (likely sometime in November.) Please pray for Haiti, and for us as our adventure continues in a direction we had no idea we would be taking!
We are planning to work with The Beehive (http://thebeehives.org/haiti/) to help them repair their road and with relief effort when the road has been finished. The funding goals for the relief projects have not yet been met, so we are hoping that there will be enough funding for us to continue working with them after the road project is complete. The Beehive is working to teach people in Haiti the skills needed to be self sufficient, everything from building structures with recycled materials to growing sustainable crops. The organization also supports 6 orphanages through the sale of furniture made with recycled wood. Currently the road leading to much of the farmland is inaccessible, preventing access to one of the Beehive sites (Bohoc). We are excited to be able to help with the road and any other places we can while we are there.
If you would like to contribute to this process you can do so right now here: https://www.gofundme.com/2tuvwdfj). We are planning to set up a go-fund-me in the near future that is specifically for our trip over there as well, stay tuned for more info.
Great Smokey Mountains National Park
Great Smokey Mountains National Park is located on the border of NC and TN, it is by far the most visited national park, and we wante to find out why. This park is home to mountains, rivers, and forests. One of the reasons that it is so polular is the accessibility of the incredible beauty! The forests blankets the landscape, and we had the chance to see it just as the trees were changing color! The tapestry of colors is incredible! Also this park is free! We are always happy to visit places at that price!
We had the great fortune to enjoy this park with Saralyn MacPhee! She was in the area and met up with us for the afternoon. It was fantastic to have her joy and enthusiasm as we explored!
We stopped first at the Oconaluftee Visitor's Center to scope out our options. We decided to hit up 2 different locations. We were a bit tight on time because we were looking forward to supper in Chattanooga that evening, so we had to (sadly) limit this visit.
Our first stop was the historic Mingus Mill. The Mingus Mill is actually powered by a turbine drive instead of a water wheel, which is much higher efficiency, but more expensive to install, so they were uncommon. The mill house was 3 stories tall and is still used to grind flour that can be purchased by the visitors!
Once we had exhausted the mill we moved on to the Deep Creek Trail. This trail is a loop that winds past 3 waterfalls before returning to the parking lot. The hike has a fair amount of ups and downs, but is not too strenuous, and is mostly in the shade. Sadly there is a drought currently in the area so the falls were not too spectacular, but they definitely looked like they had fantastic potential!
We wanted to take the drive through the park, but we were also hungry, so we said goodby to Saralyn, and headed to Chattanooga to spend some time with Julie's cousin and her family.
Personnel:
The lady that we talked to at the VC was super helpful! She knew how long it took to get everywhere, had suggestions based on our avaliable time, and highlided a map for us (using 2 different colors!) accordingly.
Climate/weather:
The weather was perfect. It was foggy in the morning, but when we got to the trailhead it was clear and beautiful. The temperature was nice, and being in the shade was very pleasant.
Facilities/signage:
The entrance sign was pretty unremarkable, but the other signs in/around the park were well placed. The facilities we stopped at were not equipped with soap, but did have water and hand sanitizer.
Hiking experience:
With the pleasant hiking weather, the beautiful foliage, and the 2 active water falls we enjoyed the hiking experience and wished we had time for more.
Driving experience:
We didn't drive through the park very much, but we did find that evwn though we weren't fully into the busy season the parking lots were full. This park is known for having lots of traffic, so be prepared!
Camping options:
We didn't notice any campgrounds, but there are several in the park. Backcountry is also very much an option here as the Appalachian Trail winds through the lengrh of the park.
Hammockability:
Definitely lots of trees here with areas that are clear of underbrush. The temperature was perfect for it too. Just watch out for bears!
Scenery:
We were in the park just at the beginning of fall, and it was fantastic, but when fall comes in full I can only imagine how incredible it must be!
Nearby food:
We didn't see any food options inside the park, but just outaide you will find Cherokee (NC) or Gatlinburg (TN) and there are plenty of food options there.
This park is definitely on the return list. Seeing the park in ita fall glory is something that we don't want to miss! And it is free! Turns out there are good reasons that this is the most visited NP.
After leaving the park we headed into Chattanooga to spend a few days with Julie's cousin Delight and her family (Chris, Marin, and Morgan.) We had a great time exploring the Cloudland Canyon and its waterfall (which was dry, but still cool!) And spending time exploring the woods behind their house with Marin and Morgan. So good to spend time with family!
We also got to spend a few days with Billy and Brittany Saunders (and Sophie)! We were planning to spend an evening at the Aquarium and downtown Chattanooga with them but were pleasantly surprised to be able to spend several days at their house before heading out! Bonus!
Everglades National Park
Everglade - a marshy tract of land that is mostly underwater and covered with tall grass. Yep, that is pretty much accurate. We arrived at the Everglades after leaving Biscayne (they are only about 45 minutes apart) and stopped in at the visitor's center to see what we could see before they closed! You see, there is a hurricane that is on its way, and the park is closing, and we don't want to be stuck in the Everglades forever... With a little input from the park staff we decided to stop at the Pa-hay-okee Overlook, and then walk along the Gumbo Limbo Trail.
We arrived at Pa-hay-okee Overlook, which is a 1/4 mile-ish boardwalk that takes you up to a tower. From the tower you can see a good portion of the park, look for wildlife, and enjoy the shaded benches. The boardwalk takes you over some of the everglades that contain fish and other wildlife. Sadly we didn't see any larger wildlife (we were hoping for at least 1 alligator) but it was a good, if short, hike for an excellent panorama.
After leaving Pa-hay-okee we went and found the Gumbo Limbo Tail. And about 3000 mosquitoes. Turns out they do well in everglades. Who woulda thunk... We had heard that there was a possibility of baby alligators and maybe even adult ones in this area. We kept our eyes open (partly on the trail since we were at a brisk walk trying to avoid mosquito infestation) but didn't see any, alas. The trail takes you through a forest of Gumbo Limbo trees, along several ponds and creeks, and then back to the starting point. I am sure it was a very scenic trail, but we were in a hurry and didn't linger, both due to the hurricane and the mosquitoes.
Personnel:
The rangers at the visitor's center were helpful, providing maps and suggestions. The person we talked to was a bit confusing, his instructions were sometimes convoluted, but he was definitely trying to give us good guidance and we had a map, so it all worked out. We also talked to a fellow at the gate who suggested very strongly that it would be wise for us to be back outside the gate before it closed at 5:00... we took his advice too. The staff were still very helpful and polite even though they were under time pressure to get ready for the storm.
Climate/weather:
The weather seemed warmer than it did at Biscayne, probably because we were a ways from the ocean. It wasn't oppressive or anything, but it was not as pleasant as being right on the beach at Biscayne. It makes sense why the tourist season starts in November as it would be a cooler and more pleasant temperature.
Facilities/signage:
The bathrooms looked nice from the outside... that is as close as we got because our visit was so brief. The signage was definitely high quality. The entrance sign is really sweet, and there were plenty of signs as you drive through the park.
Hiking experience:
The hiking experience was fine, but it felt like we were so rushed that during our brief hiking outings we really didn't see much of the wildlife. There were lots of fish in the waters as we walked along the boardwalk, which were cool to see, but that was about all we found. The park has lots of places that we didn't get to go and I have no doubt we would have seen plenty if we had not been in a hurry.
Driving experience:
We also didn't drive too far into the park, we opted to stay close to the entrance so we didn't risk getting stuck. We did see lots of water birds (great egrets and several herons) and from Rock Reef Pass (elevation 3') you could see for miles. Again I am pretty sure if we had explored more of the park we would have seen lots of interesting and exciting things.
Camping options:
We didn't pass any campgrounds on our foray into the park, but there are 2 campgrounds accessible by car, and various backcountry locations around the park that are accessible by canoe or kayak. The dry season is November through June, if you go in the wet season it might be a slightly more adventurous experience...
Hammockability:
It was pretty humid and hot here, and where there were trees there were plenty of mosquitoes, so we didn't really feel like the places we visited were great for hammocks, but it would probably be nicer nearer the coast with a bug net for protection. Also, watch out for alligators/crocodiles as they live here, and would find you tasty. Note... they can't jump.
Scenery:
Well, it was, as the name implies, almost entirely everglades. There are actually quite a few forests in the park as well (panthers do live here after all) and lots of waterways and things. There are plenty unique places throughout the park to check out. Also... it is flat, like really flat. Our max elevation while driving was 3'.
Food options:
You are in south Florida. Miami is like an hour away. Have no fear.
Our trip to Florida was so short, we really felt like we didn't have time to see much and enjoy much, it was more just checking the parks off our list. Definitely places we want to go back and visit in more depth!
Next stop, Great Smokey Mountains National Park!
Biscayne National Park
We have arrived in Florida! And the hurricane (Matthew by name) has not yet reached the US.
The first park in Florida that we are visiting is (as you may have guessed) Biscayne National Park! Biscayne is located on the east coast of Florida just south of Miami. It includes some of the mainland shoreline, a few of the northern Keys, and a good deal of ocean around them. The 3rd longest coral system in the world is partly found in Biscayne NP, and it is home to dolphins, manatees, and many other awesome animals!
Unfortunately for us, the tourism season starts in November. It is currently October, so many of the options for visiting the parts of the park not accessible from the mainland are not available to us. We weren't too sure what we were going to be able to do since the concessioner that provides service out the the keys recently went out of business, and they haven't found a new one yet; it should be up and running again soon, but it wasn't available for us.
Our visit was shortened (sadly) because of the approach of the hurricane. We had to get to both Biscayne and Everglades and get out, so we didn't have as much time to spend here as we originally had hoped. Kayaking out to the keys (about 10 miles 1 way) was definitely not going to fit in our schedule, so we swung by the visitor's center, talked with the staff there, and decided to walk along the shoreline and out on the Jetty Walk. People have spotted dolphins and manatee in the ocean near the walk, but we were not graced by their presence. We did wade in the water for a few minutes though, it was pleasantly warm (especially compared to the Oregon Coast!). Since we didn't have much time, we decided that was enough of Biscayne (for this trip!) and headed out towards Everglades.
Personnel:
Even though there was a hurricane bearing down on them, the staff at the Dante Fascell Visitor's Center were very enthusiastic and helpful. They outlined all the options we realistically had, and many options that we realistically didn't have time for (we wanted to be ready for a return trip later!) and provided lots of maps (even waterproof maps) and information pamphlets on the park. She also was happy to share with us what we could expect the national park system to do with the hurricane situation so that we could plan the rest of our trip into Florida effectively.
Climate/weather:
It was fantastic. It was sunny and warm, not too much humidity, not even crazy pre-hurricane winds! Really it felt like a great time to be at the park.
Facilities/signage:
The bathrooms at the park were OK, but they felt weathered to us (possibly because it is right on the ocean... but who knows for sure...). The signs within the park were passable (also weathered) but we would have had a lot of difficulty getting to the visitor's center without the GPS. Maybe it just took us on an odd route, but we didn't see many signs for it along the route.
Hiking experience:
Brief, but pleasant. The jetty walk is quite short but it leads you right out into the ocean through a tree lined path. The trees meet overhead to make it almost like a natural tunnel. It provides both abundant shade and a great walking experience. If hiking isn't your thing there are other options for seeing the park here. Kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving are all great ways to do that, although the underwater views will be better outside the keys in the coral reefs.
Driving experience:
You don't really drive through this park, since it is almost all water. So... there isn't really a driving experience to be had. During the tourist season a boating experience would be the way to go, but that starts around November, so plan accordingly!
Camping options:
There are several islands that you can camp on in the park that have camp sites, however, they are very strict that you have a permit and a reservation as the sites are limited and preventing negative impact on the ecosystem is very important as it is fragile.
Hammockability:
The mainland doesn't have a lot of access to hammock locations outside the parking lot (not many trails available) but it is possible that once you get out to the island areas there are better options that actually provide peace and tranquility.
Scenery:
Tropical beach comes to mind. Beautiful. Ocean. Palm trees. Waves. Islands. We didn't get to scuba dive or snorkel (you really want to be out in the coral on the other side of the keys to do this) but I imagine they also provide an excellent underwater scenery situation as well.
Nearby food:
You are in southeast Florida. You will be fine.
Our visit to Biscayne wasn't quite what we were hoping for due to the lack of transportation options to the reefs and the impending storm, but it was beautiful and it appears that if you can get out to an island it would be a secluded tropical paradise.
With the hurricane on the way Everglades was closed starting at 5:00 on the day we got to Biscayne, so our time to visit was very limited. Because we had to get Everglades in the same day or come back after the storm we decided to do something we had never done before. Two parks in 1 day! We are off to the Everglades!
The first park in Florida that we are visiting is (as you may have guessed) Biscayne National Park! Biscayne is located on the east coast of Florida just south of Miami. It includes some of the mainland shoreline, a few of the northern Keys, and a good deal of ocean around them. The 3rd longest coral system in the world is partly found in Biscayne NP, and it is home to dolphins, manatees, and many other awesome animals!
Unfortunately for us, the tourism season starts in November. It is currently October, so many of the options for visiting the parts of the park not accessible from the mainland are not available to us. We weren't too sure what we were going to be able to do since the concessioner that provides service out the the keys recently went out of business, and they haven't found a new one yet; it should be up and running again soon, but it wasn't available for us.
Our visit was shortened (sadly) because of the approach of the hurricane. We had to get to both Biscayne and Everglades and get out, so we didn't have as much time to spend here as we originally had hoped. Kayaking out to the keys (about 10 miles 1 way) was definitely not going to fit in our schedule, so we swung by the visitor's center, talked with the staff there, and decided to walk along the shoreline and out on the Jetty Walk. People have spotted dolphins and manatee in the ocean near the walk, but we were not graced by their presence. We did wade in the water for a few minutes though, it was pleasantly warm (especially compared to the Oregon Coast!). Since we didn't have much time, we decided that was enough of Biscayne (for this trip!) and headed out towards Everglades.
Personnel:
Even though there was a hurricane bearing down on them, the staff at the Dante Fascell Visitor's Center were very enthusiastic and helpful. They outlined all the options we realistically had, and many options that we realistically didn't have time for (we wanted to be ready for a return trip later!) and provided lots of maps (even waterproof maps) and information pamphlets on the park. She also was happy to share with us what we could expect the national park system to do with the hurricane situation so that we could plan the rest of our trip into Florida effectively.
Climate/weather:
It was fantastic. It was sunny and warm, not too much humidity, not even crazy pre-hurricane winds! Really it felt like a great time to be at the park.
Facilities/signage:
The bathrooms at the park were OK, but they felt weathered to us (possibly because it is right on the ocean... but who knows for sure...). The signs within the park were passable (also weathered) but we would have had a lot of difficulty getting to the visitor's center without the GPS. Maybe it just took us on an odd route, but we didn't see many signs for it along the route.
Hiking experience:
Brief, but pleasant. The jetty walk is quite short but it leads you right out into the ocean through a tree lined path. The trees meet overhead to make it almost like a natural tunnel. It provides both abundant shade and a great walking experience. If hiking isn't your thing there are other options for seeing the park here. Kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving are all great ways to do that, although the underwater views will be better outside the keys in the coral reefs.
You don't really drive through this park, since it is almost all water. So... there isn't really a driving experience to be had. During the tourist season a boating experience would be the way to go, but that starts around November, so plan accordingly!
Camping options:
There are several islands that you can camp on in the park that have camp sites, however, they are very strict that you have a permit and a reservation as the sites are limited and preventing negative impact on the ecosystem is very important as it is fragile.
Hammockability:
The mainland doesn't have a lot of access to hammock locations outside the parking lot (not many trails available) but it is possible that once you get out to the island areas there are better options that actually provide peace and tranquility.
Scenery:
Tropical beach comes to mind. Beautiful. Ocean. Palm trees. Waves. Islands. We didn't get to scuba dive or snorkel (you really want to be out in the coral on the other side of the keys to do this) but I imagine they also provide an excellent underwater scenery situation as well.
Nearby food:
You are in southeast Florida. You will be fine.
Our visit to Biscayne wasn't quite what we were hoping for due to the lack of transportation options to the reefs and the impending storm, but it was beautiful and it appears that if you can get out to an island it would be a secluded tropical paradise.
With the hurricane on the way Everglades was closed starting at 5:00 on the day we got to Biscayne, so our time to visit was very limited. Because we had to get Everglades in the same day or come back after the storm we decided to do something we had never done before. Two parks in 1 day! We are off to the Everglades!
Goose Creek and Uchee Pines
After leaving Congaree we headed to Goose Creek to visit Paul's sister and family! Kari, Pete, Easton, and Sadie were generous enough to host us for almost a week after our trip to Congaree. It was fantastic to once again sleep in real beds, take real showers, and see some family! Easton (who is 3) and Sadie (who just turned 2) are super cute and fun and we had a blast spending time with them.
Charleston is a pretty cool place to visit. There is a lot of history there and lots of things to do in and around the area. We opted to take a carriage tour through downtown Charleston. It turned out to be a fantastic plan, our tour guide was amazing. He knew not just the minimum to do a tour, but he was funny, personable, and really seemed to enjoy his job. It made for a great afternoon. The Akers also took us out to dinner to celebrate my birthday the week before! We had such a great time while we were there, can't wait to see them again!
After leaving Charleston we headed West to see Julie's brother Raymond, who is spending a semester at Uchee Pines! We passed by Georgia on the way to Alabama!
We went to church with him on Sabbath, then went for a walk with Raymond and some of his friends after lunch. It was an excellent and relaxing Sabbath. We slept in our hammocks that night, and then headed out the next morning to the town of Columbus to see the store that is operated by Uchee Pines, the Country Life Store in Columbus, GA. We had an excellent lunch there and then walked along the River Walk for a couple miles.
Sadly we weren't able to stay much longer because we had to make it down to Florida, and Hurricane Matthew was on its way. We didn't particularly want to do battle with a hurricane, so we wanted to be in and out before he landed. We bid Raymond adieu and headed to Florida!
Congaree National Park
We have arrived in South Carolina! (By way of North Carolina!)
And now we are at Congaree National Park!
It is located in SC not too far from the capital of Columbia, found in a forest nestled in the floodplain of 2 rivers. Because of this the water level in the park can vary up to 7'! Crazy! When the water is high it is very difficult to access the park on foot... since there is nowhere to put them. Unless you are a squirrel. Which we are not. The area is technically not a swamp because it doesn't have standing water throughout the year, but it is definitely a damp area that seems pretty swampy when you walk through; we stayed on the boardwalk so we didn't get sucked into the mud that can be over 8' deep!
The park features many varieties of trees including Bald Cypress, Tupelo, and Loblolly Pines, many over 100' tall. In fact the park features several national champion trees. Bald Cypress are indeed interesting to see, they develop "knees" that are small root protrusions that come up out of the ground for 10' or more around the tree. Nobody is quite sure why they do this, but they do. None of the trees I asked could tell me, so apparently they don't know either.
Driving access to the park is very limited, there is one entrance on the north side of the park that goes about 1/2 mile into the park and stops at the visitor's center. It turns out that even in summer there are no hiking trails that reach a good portion of the park. You can access much of it (depending on the water level) via canoe/kayak if you want to do some deeper backcountry camping though! When we were there the water level was low enough that it didn't seem like it would be a great option, so we stuck to the main boardwalk trail for our visit.
Personnel:
We only encountered one of the staff at this NP, but she was pretty fantastic. We found her in the Visitor's Center, we were there shortly before closing, and she was very excited to find that we had come from the distant land of Oregon. In fact, she requested that we sign the guest book as she likes to keep track of where people are coming from, especially if they have come a long way! We were the 3rd farthest travelers she had seen the day we were there. She also was very helpful with how to see the park, and was very excited that we share Congaree with anyone and everyone after we left (we got SEVERAL free bookmarks!)
Climate/weather:
The weather when we were there was quite pleasant! Even though you are definitely in the south and there is plenty of heat and humidity to go around, the trails that wind through the forest are all in shaded areas, and our hike was quite pleasant. I feel like it would have been very hot if we had gone in the summer, but in the early fall it was quite nice.
Facilities/signage:
The facilities at Congaree were fantastic... until they closed and locked them at 5:00... Most of the NPs we have been to had their restrooms in a separate part of the building which remained unlocked, but apparently the Congareens didn't get the memo on that. But when we could get into the restrooms they were quite nice. Also keep your eyes out for the misquito-ometer sign that is located above the drinking fountains! Speaking of signs, the walking path we were on was very well marked, and navigating the park while driving was a breeze (partly because there are less than a mile of roads, but the signs were good none the less!)
Hiking experience:
The path we took was (Boardwalk Trail), by itself, very pretty and quite pleasant. But with the self guided tour it was enriched so much. Instead of just meandering along we could stop and look at a tree and actually understand what we were looking at, what made that tree unique, and how the environment and the tree interacted. Definitely worth the hour or so we spent on the 2.4 miles.
Driving experience:
Well... there really isn't one. You pass the sign, pass a campground, then you are at the visitor's center, which is as far as you can go. This is one park you cannot experience from your car.
Camping options:
There are 2 campgrounds at Congaree, one of which you can drive to (but not car camp at), the other requires you to hike about a mile to the campsite. Both of them are paid campsites, but you can camp in the backcountry for free (permit required, but the permit is also free).
Hammockability:
There were definitely places where you could set up a hammock in the park, but doing so was a bit less appealing with the swampy ground, spiders (we saw several that were 2" across including legs), alligators, and humidity. It would have been OK in the picnic area by the parking lot, but out in the park itself we didn't really feel inspired.
Scenery:
As we mentioned on the hiking section, having the self-guided tour made the scenery in this park fantastic. At first glance the swamp area all looks the same, but once you know what you are looking at you can see the incredible diversity of the ecosystem and really enjoy the view. The towering trees create one of the tallest deciduous forests in the US, and the warm and wet environment makes for incredible diversity of life. This forest was completely different from the others we have thus far encountered.
Nearby food:
The entrance to Congaree is not that close to any restaurants, we passed a lot of farmland on our way in, but not a lot of towns. Columbia is probably the closest place with food (about an hour away).
Our visit to Congaree was surprisingly pleasant and beautiful. We expected to be hot and humid and see a swamp, but we found that it was very pleasant and the forest was incredible! Definitely a place to visit when you are in the south!
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Shenandoah National Park
West Virginia!
After a brief stop in Harper's Ferry, WV (where we walked about 10' on the Appalachian Trail! Woo!) and splurged on real beds (crazy!) for Paul's birthday, we went on to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia!
Shenandoah National Park runs along a group of mountains (yes, they call them that on the east coast) that runs north south through the state. There is a scenic road that runs from the north all the way to the south end of the park and is full of scenic overlooks and trailheads that allow access into the heart of the park. We decided to drive along part of the scenic route, check out one of the waterfalls, and hike to one of the peaks in the park.
When we got to the park we stopped at the first overlook we came to. It was quite beautiful, looking over the tree covered rolling hills that surround the overlook. You could see out beyond the edge of the forest into the towns to the East as well. The next overlook we stopped at had a very similar view. It was definitely still beautiful, but not as exciting after having seen the first. We stopped and hiked down to Dark Hollow Falls. The trail was quite cool and wound through a beautiful deciduous forest. We got to the falls (sadly it wasn't very full this time of year) and enjoyed the cool canopy of trees, then headed back to the car.
When we arrived at the car we noticed that the scenic views had changed from scenic views of the surrounding countryside to scenic views of clouds. And fog. So... that changed our plans a bit. Because lets be honest, the view of clouds from the top of a hill is not quite as exciting as the vista of a forest over rolling hills. We drove a ways down the park, but the fog just hung in there, so we decided it was time to say goodbye to Shenandoah and head for the next adventure ahead!
Personnel:
Honestly, we have no idea... we didn't even see any of them. But I am sure they are nice!
Climate/weather:
The weather was a little bit cool and damp, but not unpleasant. Sadly after the clouds rolled in it made it hard to enjoy the beauty of the park.
Facilities/signage:
The only facilities we used were of the natural variety, and, frankly they didn't have great coverage... The signage at the trailheads and marking the trails to the waterfall weren't great. We had a fair bit of confusion about which trail we were supposed to be on (we were actually aiming for Ruby Falls and ended up at Dark Hollow Falls, and after seeing the flow at Dark Hollow we decided it wasn't worth it to continue the search for Ruby Falls).
Hiking experience:
As noted above we had some trouble finding the trail we wanted, but the trail we ended up on was a good place for a leisurely stroll. The trail was wide and easy to follow, not strenuous, and very pretty.
Driving experience:
The main road was very easy to find and follow (there is really only 1 road to follow) and it has plenty of beautiful pullouts, definitely green and lush country! If we had not encountered the fog I think it would have been one of the best drives we have been on in the East Coast area.
Camping options:
We didn't see any campgrounds as we were driving through (but we weren't looking). There are several in the park that have quite a few sites, and of course the AT runs through the park so there are backcountry opportunities as well.
Hammockability:
This park does indeed have trees (and not a lot of underbrush as we discovered earlier), so you can definitely put up hammocks here. There are also bears, (this seems like a trend) so bear practices are once again in full swing... in your hammock...
Scenery:
This park was full of beauty. Fall was just starting to change some of the trees to their autumn colors, and walking through the forest trail we were surrounded by lush green everywhere. The waterfall we stopped at looked like, when full, it would also have been very scenic. Lots of trees, hills, and streams to check out.
Nearby food:
There are quite a few towns just outside the park, you will probably never be more than about 1/2 an hour from some sort of food option as you drive through.
We didn't stay too long in this park mostly because of the fog, but it was definitely beautiful, and getting moreso with the onset of fall. Driving along is great, but you will really only see the tops of the forest below you. If you really want to get in and experience the park, take to the trails!
Next stop is Congaree National Park in South Carolina!
Boston, New York, and Washington DC
We went to these places.
Let me expound! After leaving Acadia we headed down to North Grafton, MA to spend some time with Jeff and Sarah! While we were staying with them we were able to get away for a weekend of... camping... it was fantastic! We went backpacking in the White Mountains, slept in our hammocks, enjoyed a peaceful night of quite stargazing, and basically just soaked in the solitude.
Unfortunately, we had to leave before too long because we have lots more boxes to check before the end! (The end being when there are things like holidays that we want to spend with people... it happens.) It was super nice being able to spend almost a week with Jeff and Sarah before we had to take off... sooo good! Real beds! Showers! A dishwasher! It was glorious!
From North Grafton we headed out for Boston (where all good revolutionary stories begin.). Yes, yes indeed we were in Boston in the fall! We didn't spend too long in Boston, but we did stop at the historic location of the battle of Bunker Hill, which actually mostly happened on Breed's Hill (they were still working out this whole naming system back then, we were a new country.) The battle was technically a loss for the colonists, but it was a devastating victory for the British who lost a very significant portion of their troops and a good deal of troop moral. Then we departed.
-------NYC------
We drove through Rhode Island (we think) and through Connecticut (we are pretty sure) on our way to New York City. Pretty much the two things we wanted to see in NYC were the Statue of Liberty, The Empire State Building, and Central Park. Since we have been to quite a few parks recently, we narrowed it down to the first two.
We got off the Subway at the stop for the Statue of Liberty and were immediately offered a (totally legit) chance to take either a 2 hour tour or a 5 hour tour (there were no 3 hour tours available). Since we had done some research we quickly deduced that this was not an official park representative who was so forcefully providing us with this opportunity, so we let the opportunity slip through our fingers. We walked down to the actual ticket location, got our tickets, boarded the ferry, and headed out to Liberty Island!
Upon arriving at the island we grabbed our free (with the ticket price) audio tour devices and sat down to listen. 20 minutes later, after listening to the tour, we walked around and saw all the things the audio tour had provided us while we relaxed in the shade. It turns our the statue is actually pretty sweet. I would like to have seen it when it was new copper, but the green patina gives it a feel of time and perpetuity that is also good. Also the green is pretty iconic and people might get confused if it changed colors all of a sudden. We didn't opt for the pedestal or crown tours (because they were sold out) so we just walked around the base. It was neat-o!
From there we went to Ellis Island where many other people went through the process of becoming Americans (when I say many other people I don't mean that we also went through the process, I mean many people other than us did so. Just wanted to clear that up. You're welcome.) We didn't take that long to explore around the island (it was getting close to the last ferry departure) but it felt like we were connected to all the immigrants who came through when we walked where they had walked.
As we left on the ferry we could see the World Trade Center towering above the rest of the NYC skyline, it was a good way to end the tour.
The Empire State Building is really tall. We made the choice (mistake?) of going to the base of it to take pictures with it. Turns out, you can't see how tall it is when you are standing next to it. So we walked a ways away and tried again. Then walked farther and tried again, finally with some success. It really is an amazing feat of architecture and engineering.
Delaware!
-----Washington DC-----
Maryland!
With our NYC tour done we headed off to Washington DC, home of the street vendors. We really wanted to see the White House, the Smithsonian (yes, I know there are several museums that make up the Smithsonian, however, instead of listing them all here, I will list them as we visited them.), and all the monuments and memorials. So we did. It was a lot of walking.
We started off by visiting the White House, which is shockingly, painted white! (They were getting better at that naming thing when it was built. And yes, I know it was painted white after the war of 1812.) The secret service had blocked off Pennsylvania Avenue in case something exciting were to happen. Nothing exciting was happening. In their defense they do this from time to time so that people won't know when some exciting is actually happening based on local street closures. Probably a good idea. We also took a picture while we were there. It just so happened that there was a secret service agent in the same location! He was kind enough to inform us that if we wanted to take a picture he couldn't stop us. However, he was not allowed to pose for pictures with people. He was also super nice and we talked to him for several minutes.
Then we started the long walk. Our first top was the Museum of American History. It had lots of cool things about the history of the United States. Paul really liked the exhibit on the development of electricity and the electric light bulb in the US. Julie's favorite was the exhibit with the flag that inspired the Star Spangled Banner during the war of 1812.
The next was the Natural History Museum. Which was right next to the American History Museum. Naturally. Definitely cool to walk through all the animals that were hanging out there (they even had some live ones in some of the areas!), Julie liked the mammals exhibit the best. Paul was a fan of the geology section, some of the rock formations looked really amazing.
Finally, we headed to the Air and Space Museum. We flew through that one since it was almost closing time. We originally had a plan to visit it one floor at a time, but decided to just wing it. I will tell you the tail of our exploration now. There were many planes, space capsules, and rockets. We got to walk through Skylab which was neat, and saw some WWII planes, which is always cool to see. Our favorite was seeing the command module where the Apollo astronauts spent their flights to/from the moon. Crazy to think that 3 guys could live in that small a space for that long, but they did!
After that we went for a walk around the Tidal Basin, stopping at the Jefferson Memorial, the FDR memorial, the MLKJ memorial, the Lincoln memorial, and the Washington Monument. As we were trying to leave the Washington Monument we ran into a bit of a problem. Because the very next day they were having the grand opening for the African American History Museum, all the roads were closed to all traffic in the direction we needed to go. In fact, we weren't even supposed to be where we were, but somehow we had gotten there without getting the memo. But nobody would let us leave either... so... we wandered around for awhile until we "happened" to walk past one of the roadblocks pretending we didn't know what we were doing. Finally we made it to the Metro and escaped.
We were planning to go back to DC again the next day, but that night, at the TA Truck Stop that we were staying at (and where we had stayed the night before) a friendly security guard woke us at 3:00 a.m. to tell us we weren't allowed to sleep there. Paul responded "Oh, was that posted? We didn't see the sign." The security guard got a confused look on her face and said, "No, its not posted, people don't just sleep in parking lots." After which we both got VERY confused looks on our faces, because that is exactly what people do at truck stops, and was exactly what we had done the very night before. She graciously offered for us to stay in the TA hotel which we declined just as graciously (well, we tried to be gracious... but it was kinda tough.) Instead of finding another place to park (which is actually pretty difficult in the DC area) we just decided to head out for our next destination. West Virginia, here we come!
 |
| Massachusetts! |
Unfortunately, we had to leave before too long because we have lots more boxes to check before the end! (The end being when there are things like holidays that we want to spend with people... it happens.) It was super nice being able to spend almost a week with Jeff and Sarah before we had to take off... sooo good! Real beds! Showers! A dishwasher! It was glorious!
From North Grafton we headed out for Boston (where all good revolutionary stories begin.). Yes, yes indeed we were in Boston in the fall! We didn't spend too long in Boston, but we did stop at the historic location of the battle of Bunker Hill, which actually mostly happened on Breed's Hill (they were still working out this whole naming system back then, we were a new country.) The battle was technically a loss for the colonists, but it was a devastating victory for the British who lost a very significant portion of their troops and a good deal of troop moral. Then we departed.
-------NYC------
We drove through Rhode Island (we think) and through Connecticut (we are pretty sure) on our way to New York City. Pretty much the two things we wanted to see in NYC were the Statue of Liberty, The Empire State Building, and Central Park. Since we have been to quite a few parks recently, we narrowed it down to the first two.
We got off the Subway at the stop for the Statue of Liberty and were immediately offered a (totally legit) chance to take either a 2 hour tour or a 5 hour tour (there were no 3 hour tours available). Since we had done some research we quickly deduced that this was not an official park representative who was so forcefully providing us with this opportunity, so we let the opportunity slip through our fingers. We walked down to the actual ticket location, got our tickets, boarded the ferry, and headed out to Liberty Island!
Upon arriving at the island we grabbed our free (with the ticket price) audio tour devices and sat down to listen. 20 minutes later, after listening to the tour, we walked around and saw all the things the audio tour had provided us while we relaxed in the shade. It turns our the statue is actually pretty sweet. I would like to have seen it when it was new copper, but the green patina gives it a feel of time and perpetuity that is also good. Also the green is pretty iconic and people might get confused if it changed colors all of a sudden. We didn't opt for the pedestal or crown tours (because they were sold out) so we just walked around the base. It was neat-o!
From there we went to Ellis Island where many other people went through the process of becoming Americans (when I say many other people I don't mean that we also went through the process, I mean many people other than us did so. Just wanted to clear that up. You're welcome.) We didn't take that long to explore around the island (it was getting close to the last ferry departure) but it felt like we were connected to all the immigrants who came through when we walked where they had walked.
As we left on the ferry we could see the World Trade Center towering above the rest of the NYC skyline, it was a good way to end the tour.
The Empire State Building is really tall. We made the choice (mistake?) of going to the base of it to take pictures with it. Turns out, you can't see how tall it is when you are standing next to it. So we walked a ways away and tried again. Then walked farther and tried again, finally with some success. It really is an amazing feat of architecture and engineering.
New Jersey!
Delaware!
-----Washington DC-----
Maryland!
With our NYC tour done we headed off to Washington DC, home of the street vendors. We really wanted to see the White House, the Smithsonian (yes, I know there are several museums that make up the Smithsonian, however, instead of listing them all here, I will list them as we visited them.), and all the monuments and memorials. So we did. It was a lot of walking.
We started off by visiting the White House, which is shockingly, painted white! (They were getting better at that naming thing when it was built. And yes, I know it was painted white after the war of 1812.) The secret service had blocked off Pennsylvania Avenue in case something exciting were to happen. Nothing exciting was happening. In their defense they do this from time to time so that people won't know when some exciting is actually happening based on local street closures. Probably a good idea. We also took a picture while we were there. It just so happened that there was a secret service agent in the same location! He was kind enough to inform us that if we wanted to take a picture he couldn't stop us. However, he was not allowed to pose for pictures with people. He was also super nice and we talked to him for several minutes.
Then we started the long walk. Our first top was the Museum of American History. It had lots of cool things about the history of the United States. Paul really liked the exhibit on the development of electricity and the electric light bulb in the US. Julie's favorite was the exhibit with the flag that inspired the Star Spangled Banner during the war of 1812.
The next was the Natural History Museum. Which was right next to the American History Museum. Naturally. Definitely cool to walk through all the animals that were hanging out there (they even had some live ones in some of the areas!), Julie liked the mammals exhibit the best. Paul was a fan of the geology section, some of the rock formations looked really amazing.
Finally, we headed to the Air and Space Museum. We flew through that one since it was almost closing time. We originally had a plan to visit it one floor at a time, but decided to just wing it. I will tell you the tail of our exploration now. There were many planes, space capsules, and rockets. We got to walk through Skylab which was neat, and saw some WWII planes, which is always cool to see. Our favorite was seeing the command module where the Apollo astronauts spent their flights to/from the moon. Crazy to think that 3 guys could live in that small a space for that long, but they did!
After that we went for a walk around the Tidal Basin, stopping at the Jefferson Memorial, the FDR memorial, the MLKJ memorial, the Lincoln memorial, and the Washington Monument. As we were trying to leave the Washington Monument we ran into a bit of a problem. Because the very next day they were having the grand opening for the African American History Museum, all the roads were closed to all traffic in the direction we needed to go. In fact, we weren't even supposed to be where we were, but somehow we had gotten there without getting the memo. But nobody would let us leave either... so... we wandered around for awhile until we "happened" to walk past one of the roadblocks pretending we didn't know what we were doing. Finally we made it to the Metro and escaped.
We were planning to go back to DC again the next day, but that night, at the TA Truck Stop that we were staying at (and where we had stayed the night before) a friendly security guard woke us at 3:00 a.m. to tell us we weren't allowed to sleep there. Paul responded "Oh, was that posted? We didn't see the sign." The security guard got a confused look on her face and said, "No, its not posted, people don't just sleep in parking lots." After which we both got VERY confused looks on our faces, because that is exactly what people do at truck stops, and was exactly what we had done the very night before. She graciously offered for us to stay in the TA hotel which we declined just as graciously (well, we tried to be gracious... but it was kinda tough.) Instead of finding another place to park (which is actually pretty difficult in the DC area) we just decided to head out for our next destination. West Virginia, here we come!
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