Education
New site is up and running! Check out theparkpilgrim.com (47parks.com still works).
What makes a natural space a place? What is it about these outdoor locations that grow, move, and change depending on the rise and fall of meaning that we, as humans, assign to them? What makes a local environment feel like home?… Read more
Spaces & Places
Since I completed my national park road trip in June of 2017, I haven’t been aggressively keeping up with news regarding our nation’s park service. To be honest, most of my energy has been upward and onward, focusing on outdoor education and travels abroad. It was to my great surprise when I realized that America … Read more
47 Parks
Hiking is so much better without the crowds…
…and when running water is involved.
A recent Shenandoah hike, Whiteoak Canyon, was the perfect trail to start the New Year. No resolution needed, simply a desire to get outside and check out some nearby wilderness that I hadn’t experienced during my previous foray into the park.… Read more
47 Parks
It was cold and crisp. I could see my breath wafting into the atmosphere as I stood and relished the sight. The hand warmers in my mittens were keeping my fingers nice and toasty, my wool socks protecting my toes from the sub-freezing temperatures. I scanned the horizon, noting astute differences from when I was … Read more
Spaces & Places
Looking up.
Aggressive sunrises,
Dappled clouds.
Hypnotic blues, grays, and in-betweens.
Sunsets that steal the show,
A finale that receives accolades
and encores.
While stars creep in, a vast party that
Pulses with old light
Eyes search out for splendor,
Sky that grounds me.
Throughout my travels, both national and abroad, I have always made … Read more
Rock Climbing
The weather cools down and the leaves crisp up, signaling that autumn is moving in with a vengeance. This time of year is a melange of outdoor senses, an awakening of newness despite the cycle of death urged on by winter’s approach.
It’s also prime climbing season.
With a friend who knows how to fly, … Read more
Guatemala
Length of Stay:
Itinerary
Guatemala
Straight rows of tiny well-cared-for plants.
Tall trees generous with sharing their shade.
Gorgeous mountains surrounding it all.
As an avid coffee drinker, visiting a coffee farm or roasting plant has been on my bucket list for a quite a few years. You can imagine my surprise (and delight) when I found this little gem … Read more
Guatemala
There’s always that moment when you see or experience something in real life that you previously had only glimpsed in photos.
That sense of comparison.
Of disappointment or surprise.
Of noticing things that even the most expensive of camera lens wouldn’t be able to capture.
After I impulsively decided to fly to Guatemala during my … Read more
Guatemala
It was slow-going. For each step that I took, I slid down half of a pace. The loose rubble crunched under my hiking boots, and I was glad that I had worn such sturdy shoes to traipse across the rugged, winding terrain. I felt the heat acutely, both from the sun shining down overhead and … Read more