This article of mine appears in the spring issue of Women's Adventure Magazine.
Spring’s arrival means hillsides transformed by multicolored riots of wildflowers. To truly appreciate the blooms, hike, bike, or—best yet—bed down among them. The show varies depending on rain, temperature and elevation, but March, April, and May bring peak spring color across the nation’s lower half and upper latitudes bloom well into June and July. For a dependable show, try these three camping havens in the thick of the color.
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, Texas
Native Tonkawas thought the creaking, 640-acre rock at the center of this Texas park was haunted—hence it’s name. As it turns out, the noises come from the heat-fueled expansion of the enormous granite batholiths. A handful of other revealed-by-erosion rock formations dot the open woodland and grassland that are most vibrant in April. Look for the state flower, bluebonnets, along with Indian paintbrush, coreopsis, bladderpod, and basin bellflower. Arrive early on weekends: The park often hits capacity and closes to late arrivals. www.tpwd.state.tx.us
Things to do:
* Set up at one of 46 walk-in campsites or three primitive camping areas complete with fire rings and picnic tables.
* Climb the 0.6-mile trail to the top of the rock for long views of the surrounding countryside.
* Circumnavigate Enchanted Rock on the wide, easy 4.5-mile loop trail.
* Take a picnic lunch for an early-spring splash in Sandy Creek.
* Rope up for a climb on the rock’s north side. Technical routes range from 5.4 to 5.11.
Joshua Tree National Park, California
With sufficient rain and March’s peak-season mild temps, wildflowers sweep north through Joshua Tree’s 800,000 acres in waves of blue, red, yellow, and white. The Dr. Seuss–like signature Joshua trees, actually giant yuccas, bloom showy cream-colored flowers, while displays of yellow desert dandelions, delicate Spanish needles, blue chia, Mojave lupines, gold poppies, red chuparosa, and tiny forget-me-nots color the surrounding desert habitat. www.nps.gov/jotr
Things to do:
* Pitch a tent under a crystal-clear desert sky. There are 500+ established campground sites and 585,000 acres of open-camping backcountry.
* Hike barely a mile to the palm-fan-lined oasis at Cottonwood Spring.
* Grab a pair of binocs and scout for golden eagles, roadrunners, and 76 other avian residents at the Oasis of Mara.
* Pedal fat tires into Pleasant Valley. Traffic is light on the 17-mile lollipop loop.
Ha Ha Tonka State Park, Missouri
This central-Missouri park is home to a fern-lined spring pumping more than 48 million gallons of water a day. The 30-year-old park is peppered with sinkholes, caves, cave shelters, and even a natural bridge, providing diverse habitats for wildflowers of all kinds. May is peak season for native prairie and woodland species, including catchfly, exotic ladies’ tresses, prairie roses, and multiple varieties of asters, coneflowers, blazing stars, violets, buttercups, and goldenrods. www.mostateparks.com/hahatonka.htm
Things to do:
* Hike the hilly 6.5-mile Turkey Pen Hollow Trail. Camping here is the park’s only overnight option.
* Look for mink, beaver, and otter from the stair-stepped boardwalk on Ha Ha Tonka Spring’s edge.
* Explore the ruins of a fire-burned castle (built in 1905) atop the 250-foot bluff.
* Pack your caving gear and call ahead to access Island Cave, the park’s only wild cave.
* Hike the 1.25-mile Devil’s Kitchen Cave trail and peek up at the sky through its chimney.
See the article with photos here.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Learning Vacations
My story from the April 2010 issue of Texas Co-op Power.
Sometimes you want to spend a vacation lazing in a hammock or basking on the beach. But other times, you want something more, such as acquiring a new skill or exploring a historical site. In other words, you might want to roll up your sleeves and take a learning vacation, like one of these.
--------------------
1. LEARN TO CAMP LIKE A PRO
Some of my best family memories involve camping. The idea might daunt those who didn’t grow up with it, though … all those poles and stakes, stoves with flammable fuel, inflatable things and wild critters. Fortunately, Texas Outdoor Family Workshops (TOFW) come to the novice camper’s rescue.
These events, hosted by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at various state parks throughout the year, help ensure a good experience by teaching basic camping skills.
I packed up my 16-year-old daughter, Bridget, and two of her friends, Ellen and Lauren, both camping newbies, to test the approach at Lake Somerville State Park & Trailway. Nine families gathered on a Saturday morning in October for the first lessons from TOFW coordinator Dan Hayes and two rangers. While this was the first campout for most of the group, one family had returned for a second workshop (participants may attend three). Hayes says people often come back. “The first time, everything is so new you don’t really absorb all the information,” he says. “The second time, you get more comfortable.”
Our first order of business: putting up a tent. After assembling one, with coaching from Hayes, everyone in the group succeeded in pitching their own. Stoked with this success, we were ready to tackle the afternoon activities. Depending on the park, these can include things like canoeing, fishing, Dutch oven cooking, hiking or wildlife watching. Our agenda listed learning to kayak and fish in Lake Somerville and geocaching, which turned out to be my favorite.
Geocaching, a high-tech treasure hunt, involves using a GPS device to track down hidden caches, or containers, such as camouflaged coffee cans, ammunition boxes or even a hollowed-out coconut with a clasp and hinge. At the minimum, the caches contain a written log, or a piece of paper, that geocachers sign to show they were there. There are nearly a million of these caches around the world—searchable by zip code at the official website, www.geocaching.com—including in a number of Texas state parks. Some parks hold special events such as geocache challenges. You can find GPS coordinates for existing caches online or place your own coordinates. Just ask first, as some sites are off-limits.
Hayes showed us how to key in on the caches he’d hidden, and we headed down the road. I felt pretty cool and high-tech following a little line on my GPS through the park. But even fancy technology gets you within only 10 to 30 feet of the actual cache—then, old-fashioned powers of observation rule the day. We ended up collaborating with other participants to locate all the caches. A side benefit of the workshop: a built-in extended family to play with.
The afternoon wrapped up with instruction on fire building, crucial to any successful camping trip. We used our campfire to make s’mores, of course, which we ate while listening for owls, frogs, crickets and other night creatures. We would have recognized them had we heard them, thanks to a presentation by Hayes that matched photos with recorded sounds. But the only critters we heard were two bold raccoons trying to make off with our Hershey’s bars and marshmallows. After convincing Ellen and Lauren the ’coons wouldn’t eat us, we doused the fire and crawled into our sleeping bags.
In the morning, the group reported for a quick lesson on breaking camp, apparently having survived the night quite well. I counted our outing a success when, on the drive home, the girls started planning their next campout.
Texas Outdoor Family Workshops: $55 fee per family covers basic equipment, such as tent, camp stove and pots and pans for up to six people. Registrants receive a list of groceries and personal items to bring. (512) 389-8903, www.tpwd.state.tx.us/outdoorfamily
Other camping workshops: REI stores periodically offer classes on camping, outdoor cooking, kayaking and related topics. Check events calendars for a store near you at www.rei.com.
Geocache challenges in Texas state parks: Coordinates for existing caches: http://tpwd.state.tx.us/geocaching/txgeo_coordinates.pdf
2: LEARN THE CHEF’S SECRETS
On Greer Farm west of Daingerfield, Maine-Anjou cattle graze in lush pastures around a restored circa-1850 Texas home. Guinea hens bob around the herb gardens, and goats mow grass near four guest cabins overlooking a stocked lake.
This working farm makes a perfect setting for Cooking with Chef Eva, aka Eva Greer, a graduate of the Art Institute of Houston’s Culinary Arts program whose work reflects a Belize upbringing, European parents and world travels with her husband, Sid. A recent class focused on roasted meats, which attracted Bob Hewes, his son Greg and son-in-law Jay Boerner. They spent the weekend at the farm’s guest cabins, where their wives and children relaxed during the midday class. The attendees also included two women from Dallas celebrating a birthday and several repeat customers from nearby towns.
During the whirlwind three-hour class in the spacious, well-lit kitchen, we watched Eva prepare beef roast, lamb chops, pork loin, butternut squash soufflé, potatoes, mint sauce, gravy, roasted fruit and toasted pound cake. She handled this complex dance with practiced ease, even managing to involve us in pureeing, seasoning, turning, beating and mixing. Delectable smells permeated the kitchen, and we dug appreciatively into the finished dishes. Chef Eva made it fun and had us convinced that we could cook like this ourselves. And while I likely won’t tackle such a complex menu at home often, if at all, Eva shared general cooking tips in addition to teaching specific recipes. Placing the roast on a rack inside the pan, for example, keeps it out of the drippings for more even cooking. Kosher salt’s larger grains make it easier to tell how much you’ve applied. (And Chef Eva uses a lot of salt and pepper, rubbing it into the meat with her hands, which she washes constantly.)
Besides, with her enthusiasm, the hands-on opportunities, easy banter among the students and delicious food, it felt more like an afternoon with friends than a cooking class. The only thing better than heading home inspired to upgrade my cooking would have been the chance to stroll across the green lawn, through the shade of tall trees, and onto the porch of one of the cabins to digest a wonderful meal while watching the breeze ripple the pond.
The Hewes family got to do that and apparently left the next day suitably inspired as well. “On our way home, we got a call from our daughter, who was at the grocery store buying a roast,” Bob Hewes says. “We had it that Sunday night, and it turned out great. Then Greg made the pork loin and squash soufflé for his in-laws when they came to visit.”
Cooking class students can work off their homework by visiting area attractions such as the Daingerfield and Caddo Lake state parks or Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards in Pittsburg, which offers tours and live jazz in the dining room on weekend nights.
Greer Farm: 1444 CR 1125, west of Daingerfield. Classes range from $60 to $75 per person. Cabins are $135 a night for two people, $10 a night for each additional person. Can sleep four adults, includes kitchenette. For a schedule and directions, call (903) 645-3232 or visit http://www.greerfarm.com for more information, including about pick-your-own berries.
Other Cooking Classes
Blair House Inn: 100 W. Spoke Hill Road, Wimberley. Themed classes and two-day classes, (512) 847-1111, www.blairhouseinn.com/cooking-school.html
Lake Austin Spa Resort: 1705 S. Quinlan Park Road, Austin. Culinary Experience, second week of each month, available only to overnight guests. 1-800-847-5637, www.lakeaustin.com/culinary-experience.php
3: SHOOT THE PHOTO WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
Taking an amazing photograph often requires extreme effort along the lines of crouching in a blind, kneeling in the bushes or lying flat in wet grass, sometimes for hours.
I learned this on a recent outing with Larry Ditto, who offers instructional photo tours and workshops through Larry Ditto Nature Photography. I also learned that, while lenses as long as your arm, packs of filters and lots of other pricey equipment produce great images, so can a mid-price-range digital camera, with a little of the aforementioned effort and a few tricks. On instructional photography outings, Ditto teaches some of those tricks and demonstrates the required effort. I attended a workshop at the Block Creek Natural Area, which is made up of two adjoining ranches between Comfort and Fredericksburg owned by Myrna and David Langford and Sharron and Larry Jay.
The owners installed photo blinds in strategic spots and have an intimate familiarity with what photogenic wild creatures show up where and when. They can place shutterbugs right where they needed to be for a shot of, say, a Belted Kingfisher, Painted Bunting or gray hairstreak butterfly. Creeks, water features and feeders around the property attract a variety of wildlife, and careful land stewardship means plenty of wildflowers, trees and scenic vistas. Workshop participants lodge in the historic ranch house and two nearby cabins, with family-style meals included.
Our group of four rose before the crack of dawn, the better to be ready when the first rays of sun painted the landscape in soft, warm light. We spent part of the morning crouched behind a concrete spillway on a pond populated by geese and worked by a kingfisher, while Ditto and Larry Jay did their best to herd the geese into sunlight. The two men also pointed out dramatic angles of the sun through trees and spotted frost-edged sycamore saplings in the tall grass. I would never have noticed those, much less realized how dramatic they would look in a photograph. The results were worth lying on the cold ground.
Over lunch, we downloaded photos and discussed the results while Ditto offered feedback and suggestions for improving specific images. It struck me how different a scene can look when photographed at slightly changed angles by several photographers. Ditto dedicates some time during his workshops to using software such as Photoshop, but the real emphasis is on taking pictures, which suited me fine. We spent the afternoon shooting scenic views, close-ups of plants and lots of butterflies. As the sun worked its way lower in the sky, we added creek reflections and waterfalls to our memory cards and ended the day shooting star trails in the dark, something I’d always wanted to do. Then it was time to hit the hay to rest up for another early morning. Time really flies when you’re taking great pictures.
Larry Ditto Nature Photography: Three-day workshop, $645; for additional costs, such as lodging and ranch access, contact Ditto. (956) 682-3251, www.larryditto.com
Block Creek Natural Area (Kendall County): (830) 995-4174, http://blockcreeknaturalarea.com
Other Photography Workshops
The Expedition School: photography workshops in far West Texas. (512) 626-6282, www.expeditionschool.com
Cibolo Creek Ranch, Marfa: Spring and fall photography seminars with Wyman Meinzer.
1-866-496-9460, http://cibolocreekranch.com/events/calendar.htm
REI, free photography clinics: Visit www.rei.com for events scheduled at a store near you.
4: GO BACK IN TIME
What better way to learn Texas history than by walking where it happened? Washington County, aka the birthplace of Texas, contains a wealth of historic sites and museums that make it easy for families to turn vacation into a living history lesson.
At the Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site, 293 acres of rolling hills and tall trees on the banks of the Brazos River, stroll through the remains of the town of Washington, including a replica of Independence Hall. In this nondescript wooden building, a ragtag collection of delegates signed the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836, creating the Republic of Texas, while a blue norther raged outside. Sitting in the drafty building gave me a renewed appreciation for those hardy souls. Guided tours refresh those vague on their seventh-grade Texas history or inform those who—gasp!—never learned it.
Interactive exhibits in the adjacent visitor center trace events subsequent to that memorable March day, and walking trails lead to the river and a pecan-shaded picnic area, a great place to contemplate how things have changed since this spot bustled with river-borne commerce.
In the middle of the park, the Star of the Republic Museum’s star-shaped, 10,000-square-foot building holds thousands of artifacts that bring to life early 19th-century Texas. Definitely worth a stop for museum buffs, but this outdoors girl couldn’t wait to get next door, where the Barrington Living History Farm re-creates the homestead of Anson Jones, last president of the Republic of Texas.
Architecturally accurate outbuildings such as a barn, smokehouse and slave quarters surround his original 1844 home, moved to this site in 1936. Interpreters in period clothes—love those bonnets and suspenders—use Jones’ records to properly plant crops, care for livestock and keep house. Depending on the season, they may be plowing fields with a pair of enormous oxen, drying vegetables or feeding the piglets. Not just any piglets, either; these are Ossabaw Island (Georgia) hogs, descendants of animals brought here by the Spanish 400 years ago. Visiting the farm leaves me admiring our forebears and feeling thankful for modern conveniences.
A self-guided walking tour in the nearby town of Independence covers a wide range of history, from Sam Houston’s homesite and a home owned by his wife, Margaret Lea; to the state’s oldest continuously active Baptist church; and to the first site of Baylor University and a number of early 1800s structures.
The Brenham Heritage Museum houses a lamp collection spanning 200 years, items from Houston’s home and what it claims is one of three remaining steam-powered fire engines in the U.S. The Burton Cotton Gin & Museum covers all things related to cotton and ginning, including in early 1900s Texas, when cotton was king. National Register and Texas historical markers dot the county, including on Brenham’s historic railroad depot and the Stagecoach Inn in Chappell Hill. The birthplace of Texas clearly takes pride in its offspring.
Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site: (936) 878-2214, www.tpwd.state.tx.us/washingtononthebrazos
Independence walking tour: http://independencetx.com
Washington County Chamber of Commerce: (979) 836-3695, http://brenhamtexas.com
Stay At
Southern Rose Ranch Bed & Breakfast: 8580 Dairy Farm Road, Chappell Hill. (979) 251-7871, http://southernroseranch.com
Ant Street Inn: 107 W. Commerce St., Brenham, 1-800-481-1951, http://antstreetinn.com
Eat At Bevers Kitchen and Gifts: 5162 Main St., Chappell Hill, (979) 836-4178, http://www.bevers-kitchen.com
Volare Italian Restaurant: 102 S. Ross St., Brenham, (979) 836-1514, http://volareitalianrestaurant.com
More Texas History Lessons
Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, the Story of Texas: 1800 N. Congress Ave., Austin. (512) 936-8746, http://www.thestoryoftexas.com
San Jacinto Museum of History: One Monument Circle, La Porte, (281) 479-2421, http://www.sanjacintomuseum.org
Sometimes you want to spend a vacation lazing in a hammock or basking on the beach. But other times, you want something more, such as acquiring a new skill or exploring a historical site. In other words, you might want to roll up your sleeves and take a learning vacation, like one of these.
--------------------
1. LEARN TO CAMP LIKE A PRO
Some of my best family memories involve camping. The idea might daunt those who didn’t grow up with it, though … all those poles and stakes, stoves with flammable fuel, inflatable things and wild critters. Fortunately, Texas Outdoor Family Workshops (TOFW) come to the novice camper’s rescue.
These events, hosted by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at various state parks throughout the year, help ensure a good experience by teaching basic camping skills.
I packed up my 16-year-old daughter, Bridget, and two of her friends, Ellen and Lauren, both camping newbies, to test the approach at Lake Somerville State Park & Trailway. Nine families gathered on a Saturday morning in October for the first lessons from TOFW coordinator Dan Hayes and two rangers. While this was the first campout for most of the group, one family had returned for a second workshop (participants may attend three). Hayes says people often come back. “The first time, everything is so new you don’t really absorb all the information,” he says. “The second time, you get more comfortable.”
Our first order of business: putting up a tent. After assembling one, with coaching from Hayes, everyone in the group succeeded in pitching their own. Stoked with this success, we were ready to tackle the afternoon activities. Depending on the park, these can include things like canoeing, fishing, Dutch oven cooking, hiking or wildlife watching. Our agenda listed learning to kayak and fish in Lake Somerville and geocaching, which turned out to be my favorite.
Geocaching, a high-tech treasure hunt, involves using a GPS device to track down hidden caches, or containers, such as camouflaged coffee cans, ammunition boxes or even a hollowed-out coconut with a clasp and hinge. At the minimum, the caches contain a written log, or a piece of paper, that geocachers sign to show they were there. There are nearly a million of these caches around the world—searchable by zip code at the official website, www.geocaching.com—including in a number of Texas state parks. Some parks hold special events such as geocache challenges. You can find GPS coordinates for existing caches online or place your own coordinates. Just ask first, as some sites are off-limits.
Hayes showed us how to key in on the caches he’d hidden, and we headed down the road. I felt pretty cool and high-tech following a little line on my GPS through the park. But even fancy technology gets you within only 10 to 30 feet of the actual cache—then, old-fashioned powers of observation rule the day. We ended up collaborating with other participants to locate all the caches. A side benefit of the workshop: a built-in extended family to play with.
The afternoon wrapped up with instruction on fire building, crucial to any successful camping trip. We used our campfire to make s’mores, of course, which we ate while listening for owls, frogs, crickets and other night creatures. We would have recognized them had we heard them, thanks to a presentation by Hayes that matched photos with recorded sounds. But the only critters we heard were two bold raccoons trying to make off with our Hershey’s bars and marshmallows. After convincing Ellen and Lauren the ’coons wouldn’t eat us, we doused the fire and crawled into our sleeping bags.
In the morning, the group reported for a quick lesson on breaking camp, apparently having survived the night quite well. I counted our outing a success when, on the drive home, the girls started planning their next campout.
Texas Outdoor Family Workshops: $55 fee per family covers basic equipment, such as tent, camp stove and pots and pans for up to six people. Registrants receive a list of groceries and personal items to bring. (512) 389-8903, www.tpwd.state.tx.us/outdoorfamily
Other camping workshops: REI stores periodically offer classes on camping, outdoor cooking, kayaking and related topics. Check events calendars for a store near you at www.rei.com.
Geocache challenges in Texas state parks: Coordinates for existing caches: http://tpwd.state.tx.us/geocaching/txgeo_coordinates.pdf
2: LEARN THE CHEF’S SECRETS
On Greer Farm west of Daingerfield, Maine-Anjou cattle graze in lush pastures around a restored circa-1850 Texas home. Guinea hens bob around the herb gardens, and goats mow grass near four guest cabins overlooking a stocked lake.
This working farm makes a perfect setting for Cooking with Chef Eva, aka Eva Greer, a graduate of the Art Institute of Houston’s Culinary Arts program whose work reflects a Belize upbringing, European parents and world travels with her husband, Sid. A recent class focused on roasted meats, which attracted Bob Hewes, his son Greg and son-in-law Jay Boerner. They spent the weekend at the farm’s guest cabins, where their wives and children relaxed during the midday class. The attendees also included two women from Dallas celebrating a birthday and several repeat customers from nearby towns.
During the whirlwind three-hour class in the spacious, well-lit kitchen, we watched Eva prepare beef roast, lamb chops, pork loin, butternut squash soufflé, potatoes, mint sauce, gravy, roasted fruit and toasted pound cake. She handled this complex dance with practiced ease, even managing to involve us in pureeing, seasoning, turning, beating and mixing. Delectable smells permeated the kitchen, and we dug appreciatively into the finished dishes. Chef Eva made it fun and had us convinced that we could cook like this ourselves. And while I likely won’t tackle such a complex menu at home often, if at all, Eva shared general cooking tips in addition to teaching specific recipes. Placing the roast on a rack inside the pan, for example, keeps it out of the drippings for more even cooking. Kosher salt’s larger grains make it easier to tell how much you’ve applied. (And Chef Eva uses a lot of salt and pepper, rubbing it into the meat with her hands, which she washes constantly.)
Besides, with her enthusiasm, the hands-on opportunities, easy banter among the students and delicious food, it felt more like an afternoon with friends than a cooking class. The only thing better than heading home inspired to upgrade my cooking would have been the chance to stroll across the green lawn, through the shade of tall trees, and onto the porch of one of the cabins to digest a wonderful meal while watching the breeze ripple the pond.
The Hewes family got to do that and apparently left the next day suitably inspired as well. “On our way home, we got a call from our daughter, who was at the grocery store buying a roast,” Bob Hewes says. “We had it that Sunday night, and it turned out great. Then Greg made the pork loin and squash soufflé for his in-laws when they came to visit.”
Cooking class students can work off their homework by visiting area attractions such as the Daingerfield and Caddo Lake state parks or Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards in Pittsburg, which offers tours and live jazz in the dining room on weekend nights.
Greer Farm: 1444 CR 1125, west of Daingerfield. Classes range from $60 to $75 per person. Cabins are $135 a night for two people, $10 a night for each additional person. Can sleep four adults, includes kitchenette. For a schedule and directions, call (903) 645-3232 or visit http://www.greerfarm.com for more information, including about pick-your-own berries.
Other Cooking Classes
Blair House Inn: 100 W. Spoke Hill Road, Wimberley. Themed classes and two-day classes, (512) 847-1111, www.blairhouseinn.com/cooking-school.html
Lake Austin Spa Resort: 1705 S. Quinlan Park Road, Austin. Culinary Experience, second week of each month, available only to overnight guests. 1-800-847-5637, www.lakeaustin.com/culinary-experience.php
3: SHOOT THE PHOTO WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
Taking an amazing photograph often requires extreme effort along the lines of crouching in a blind, kneeling in the bushes or lying flat in wet grass, sometimes for hours.
I learned this on a recent outing with Larry Ditto, who offers instructional photo tours and workshops through Larry Ditto Nature Photography. I also learned that, while lenses as long as your arm, packs of filters and lots of other pricey equipment produce great images, so can a mid-price-range digital camera, with a little of the aforementioned effort and a few tricks. On instructional photography outings, Ditto teaches some of those tricks and demonstrates the required effort. I attended a workshop at the Block Creek Natural Area, which is made up of two adjoining ranches between Comfort and Fredericksburg owned by Myrna and David Langford and Sharron and Larry Jay.
The owners installed photo blinds in strategic spots and have an intimate familiarity with what photogenic wild creatures show up where and when. They can place shutterbugs right where they needed to be for a shot of, say, a Belted Kingfisher, Painted Bunting or gray hairstreak butterfly. Creeks, water features and feeders around the property attract a variety of wildlife, and careful land stewardship means plenty of wildflowers, trees and scenic vistas. Workshop participants lodge in the historic ranch house and two nearby cabins, with family-style meals included.
Our group of four rose before the crack of dawn, the better to be ready when the first rays of sun painted the landscape in soft, warm light. We spent part of the morning crouched behind a concrete spillway on a pond populated by geese and worked by a kingfisher, while Ditto and Larry Jay did their best to herd the geese into sunlight. The two men also pointed out dramatic angles of the sun through trees and spotted frost-edged sycamore saplings in the tall grass. I would never have noticed those, much less realized how dramatic they would look in a photograph. The results were worth lying on the cold ground.
Over lunch, we downloaded photos and discussed the results while Ditto offered feedback and suggestions for improving specific images. It struck me how different a scene can look when photographed at slightly changed angles by several photographers. Ditto dedicates some time during his workshops to using software such as Photoshop, but the real emphasis is on taking pictures, which suited me fine. We spent the afternoon shooting scenic views, close-ups of plants and lots of butterflies. As the sun worked its way lower in the sky, we added creek reflections and waterfalls to our memory cards and ended the day shooting star trails in the dark, something I’d always wanted to do. Then it was time to hit the hay to rest up for another early morning. Time really flies when you’re taking great pictures.
Larry Ditto Nature Photography: Three-day workshop, $645; for additional costs, such as lodging and ranch access, contact Ditto. (956) 682-3251, www.larryditto.com
Block Creek Natural Area (Kendall County): (830) 995-4174, http://blockcreeknaturalarea.com
Other Photography Workshops
The Expedition School: photography workshops in far West Texas. (512) 626-6282, www.expeditionschool.com
Cibolo Creek Ranch, Marfa: Spring and fall photography seminars with Wyman Meinzer.
1-866-496-9460, http://cibolocreekranch.com/events/calendar.htm
REI, free photography clinics: Visit www.rei.com for events scheduled at a store near you.
4: GO BACK IN TIME
What better way to learn Texas history than by walking where it happened? Washington County, aka the birthplace of Texas, contains a wealth of historic sites and museums that make it easy for families to turn vacation into a living history lesson.
At the Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site, 293 acres of rolling hills and tall trees on the banks of the Brazos River, stroll through the remains of the town of Washington, including a replica of Independence Hall. In this nondescript wooden building, a ragtag collection of delegates signed the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836, creating the Republic of Texas, while a blue norther raged outside. Sitting in the drafty building gave me a renewed appreciation for those hardy souls. Guided tours refresh those vague on their seventh-grade Texas history or inform those who—gasp!—never learned it.
Interactive exhibits in the adjacent visitor center trace events subsequent to that memorable March day, and walking trails lead to the river and a pecan-shaded picnic area, a great place to contemplate how things have changed since this spot bustled with river-borne commerce.
In the middle of the park, the Star of the Republic Museum’s star-shaped, 10,000-square-foot building holds thousands of artifacts that bring to life early 19th-century Texas. Definitely worth a stop for museum buffs, but this outdoors girl couldn’t wait to get next door, where the Barrington Living History Farm re-creates the homestead of Anson Jones, last president of the Republic of Texas.
Architecturally accurate outbuildings such as a barn, smokehouse and slave quarters surround his original 1844 home, moved to this site in 1936. Interpreters in period clothes—love those bonnets and suspenders—use Jones’ records to properly plant crops, care for livestock and keep house. Depending on the season, they may be plowing fields with a pair of enormous oxen, drying vegetables or feeding the piglets. Not just any piglets, either; these are Ossabaw Island (Georgia) hogs, descendants of animals brought here by the Spanish 400 years ago. Visiting the farm leaves me admiring our forebears and feeling thankful for modern conveniences.
A self-guided walking tour in the nearby town of Independence covers a wide range of history, from Sam Houston’s homesite and a home owned by his wife, Margaret Lea; to the state’s oldest continuously active Baptist church; and to the first site of Baylor University and a number of early 1800s structures.
The Brenham Heritage Museum houses a lamp collection spanning 200 years, items from Houston’s home and what it claims is one of three remaining steam-powered fire engines in the U.S. The Burton Cotton Gin & Museum covers all things related to cotton and ginning, including in early 1900s Texas, when cotton was king. National Register and Texas historical markers dot the county, including on Brenham’s historic railroad depot and the Stagecoach Inn in Chappell Hill. The birthplace of Texas clearly takes pride in its offspring.
Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site: (936) 878-2214, www.tpwd.state.tx.us/washingtononthebrazos
Independence walking tour: http://independencetx.com
Washington County Chamber of Commerce: (979) 836-3695, http://brenhamtexas.com
Stay At
Southern Rose Ranch Bed & Breakfast: 8580 Dairy Farm Road, Chappell Hill. (979) 251-7871, http://southernroseranch.com
Ant Street Inn: 107 W. Commerce St., Brenham, 1-800-481-1951, http://antstreetinn.com
Eat At Bevers Kitchen and Gifts: 5162 Main St., Chappell Hill, (979) 836-4178, http://www.bevers-kitchen.com
Volare Italian Restaurant: 102 S. Ross St., Brenham, (979) 836-1514, http://volareitalianrestaurant.com
More Texas History Lessons
Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, the Story of Texas: 1800 N. Congress Ave., Austin. (512) 936-8746, http://www.thestoryoftexas.com
San Jacinto Museum of History: One Monument Circle, La Porte, (281) 479-2421, http://www.sanjacintomuseum.org
Monday, April 5, 2010
Perspectives on Sustainable Energy
Articles I wrote from interviews with a variety of experts at The University of Texas for the Cockrell School of Engineering web site.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Hiking Talks in Houston
I'll be talking about hiking with dogs at the Houston and Willowbrook REI stores on April 17.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Not Your Average Engineer
I wrote a piece about three very interesting engineering students at The University of Texas. See it on the school web site.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Trail Blazers
From the Spring 2010 issue of Wildflower Magazine (which includes scientific names for all these flowers!)
Popular hikes bring wildflowers up close and personal
Growing up in Texas, I learned to appreciate wildflowers mostly from the window of a car. A particularly spectacular field of bluebonnets might earn a stop on the highway shoulder, but that was as good as it got.
As an adult, I found that true appreciation of nature’s lavish and colorful show can be found up close and personal, and a hike offers an excellent way to reach this natural nirvana.
We’ve selected nine inspirational hikes that put you in the middle of spectacular spring wildflower blooms. Chosen for variety of locations, landscapes and level of challenge, these represent but a tiny sample of the hundreds of wonderful wildflower hikes across the country. Once you get started, you’ll want to look for opportunities wherever you go.
Colorado
Zook/Sundance/Talon Loop, Cheyenne Mountain State Park
Out of Cheyenne Mountain State Park’s approximate 20 miles of trails, Pamela Irwin, native plant master and author of four wildflower hiking guides, recommends this combination loop. Start on Talon Loop, which shortly merges with Zook Trail; remain on Zook until it intersects Sundance, follow Sundance to Talon, and Talon back to the trail head.
On Zook Trail, prickly poppy, fleabane daisy and wild rose bloom among grasses. Species near an old ranch corral include chiming bells, yarrow, narrow-leaf penstemon and American vetch. On the Sundance Trail portion, overlooking Fort Carson, find yucca, orange paintbrush, wavyleaf thistle and evening primroses. Farther along, see perky Sue, snowberry, wild four o’clock and skullcap; in spots shaded by Ponderosa pine, many-flowered puccoon and spiderwort. In south-facing areas, find scarlet gaura and cowboy’s delight. A prairie dog town provides additional diversion.
Talon Loop passes through scrub oak and flowers such as blazing star, goldenrod, thimbleweed, sego lilies, silky locoweed and wallflower.
Easy
Distance: 3 miles
Elevation change: 200 feet
Peak: June
Cheyenne Mountain State Park, 410 JL Ranch Heights, 719.576.2016, http://parks.state.co.us/Parks/
cheyennemountain
California
Guy Fleming Trail, Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is named for the rarest pine in North America, Pinus torreyana, which once covered a large area of Pacific coast but now grows only here and on Santa Rosa Island. In addition to Torrey pine woodlands, the park includes coastal sage scrub and chaparral.
This short, relatively level trail has diverse scenery, including an up-close look at the pines, ocean vistas and, of course, native plants and wildflowers. These include bladderpod, bluedicks, Mojave yucca, golden yarrow, wild snapdragon, monkey flower, popcorn flower, common goldfields, California sunflower and rein orchids.
Other hiking options include Razor Point Trail, with dramatic views in addition to wildflowers; Parry Grove Trail, which has a native plant garden at the trailhead; Broken Hill Trail, which passes through chaparral; and the Beach Trail, a route popular for accessing the beach.
Easy
Distance: 0.7 miles
Elevation change:
Less than 10 feet
Peak: March – May
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, 12600 N. Torrey Pines Rd., San Diego, 858.755.2063. www.torreypine.org/
Serpentine Loop, Edgewood Park and Natural Preserve
Known throughout the Bay Area as the place for spring wildflowers, according to president of Friends of Edgewood Bill Korbholz, this park houses more than 500 plant species within less than a square mile, some 70 percent of them native. The unique serpentine soil favors natives that adapted to its unusual mineral content. Serpentine endemics grow only on this soil, and the park has several species, including threatened Marin dwarf-flax and the endangered San Mateo thornmint, which are found nowhere else in the world.
Serpentine Loop offers the most spectacular wildflower viewing, says Korbholz, who recommends following Sylvan Trail from the parking lot to the Serpentine Loop. It passes through mixed woodland forest, where crimson columbine, spreading larkspur, checker lily, California saxifrage and common snowberry bloom. It also meanders through chaparral, which includes clovers, California bee plant, blue witch nightshade, pipestem and California yerba santa. It continues on through grassland, with a wealth of wildflowers from California blue-eyed grass to California buttercup, Abram’s woolstar, the aforementioned Marin dwarf-flax, rare stinkbells, common goldfields, coast range mule ears, California poppy, slenderflower sun cup and the charming brownies.
Easy to moderate
Distance: 3 miles
Elevation change: 500 feet
Peak: April
Park located at Edgewood and Old Stage Road, Redwood City, 650.368.6283. Free, docent-led walks available every spring weekend at 10 a.m. Trail map at www.friendsofedgewood.org (click on Edgewood, then Maps, then Trails)
Washington
Cady Ridge, Jackson Wilderness/Wenatchee National Forest
“When it comes to resplendent alpine meadows, the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness can’t be beat,” says hiking guide author Craig Romano, who recommends seeing it via Cady Ridge and West Cady Ridge trails. Wildflowers proliferate along the mile-high ridge, dominated by lupines and including paint brushes, alpine leafybract aster, gentians, mountain lady’s-slipper orchid, Columbia lily, Wenatchee valerian, white mountain-heather, phlox, buttercup, narrowleaf fireweed, crimson columbine and beardtongue. The 2,700-foot gain in elevation is strenuous, but the scenery is worth the effort.
At the trailhead, follow signs for Cady Creek and, at the next junction, to Cady Ridge. This trail crosses a creek and climbs a series of switchbacks, eventually cresting a 5,300-foot knoll with a view of Glacier Peak above a lupine meadow. Satisfied hikers can turn back here; otherwise, continue across an open slope with mountain views to what Romano calls “one of the finest alpine meadows this side of the Colorado Rockies.” Mountain peaks form a dramatic backdrop, and the route ends at the Pacific Crest Trail, 5,350 feet high and six miles from the trailhead. Backpackers can return to the meadow and bed down in sites located along the meadow’s edge.
Strenuous
Distance: 12 miles round-trip
Elevation gain: 2,700 feet
Peak: July and August
Jackson Wilderness lies within the Wenatchee National Forest, 509.548.2550, www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee/recreation/ wenatchee-river/trails/
Michigan
Paw Paw Prairie Fen Preserve
Paw Paw Prairie Fen Preserve, in southwest Michigan, houses a “botanical paradise,” according to The Nature Conservancy’s marketing manager Melissa Soule. Geologically and biologically unique wetlands found only in the glaciated Midwest, prairie fens feature tall grass prairie flora and fauna. This preserve also contains coastal plain marsh, a wetland community dominated by grassland rush.
Some 150 rare prairie fens have been identified in Michigan, says Brad Slaughter, conservation associate at Michigan Natural Features Inventory. The Paw Paw preserve is home to around 200 species of vascular plants, he says, more than documented at any other fen. Slaughter reports that hikers can see marsh blazing-star, a member of the sunflower family that grows up to 4 feet tall, with a dense bottle-brush of showy purple disk flowers. Two valerian species, one of them rare in Michigan, flower in late May and early June. Later in June, Indian plantain bursts out with creamy-white tubular flowers tipped in bright yellow-orange. The carnivorous purple pitcher plant and roundleaf sundew also live on the preserve.
Easy
Distance: Approx.1.5 miles
Elevation gain: insignificant
Peak: June – August
For directions and access, contact The Nature Conservancy Michigan Field Office, 616.785.7055, nature.org/wherewework
/northamerica/states/michigan/preserves/ art17142.html
Connecticut
Breakneck Pond Trail, Bigelow Hollow State Park
New England hiker and author Jeff Romano (brother to Craig) recommends Breakneck Pond, a trail in Bigelow Hollow State Park with an abundance of mountain laurel, the state flower. The state park and adjacent Nipmuck State Forest offer a number of trails.
This one, the East Ridge Trail, follows an old roadway then traverses an open area, re-enters the woods, and climbs gently. Follow the Nipmuck Trail north through forest to Breakneck Hill Road, turn left, then remain on the Nipmuck to Breakneck Pond. The trail follows the pond for 1.6 miles, tunnels under abundant mountain laurel, and actually enters Massachusetts. Bear left at the pond’s northern end, cross a small stream, and go right onto the Ridge Trail. This winds around a wetland and through large boulders to the top of a forested ridge. Enjoy the view here, then descend to Breakneck Hill Road, which passes a small gate before branching onto a second road up the hill. The route goes up a sedge-covered ridge, then descends and follows the narrowing ridge line.
Moderately strenuous
Distance: 7.5 miles
Elevation gain: 350 feet
Peak: June
Bigelow Hollow State Park, 860-684-3430
Classic Hikes: New England, Jeff Romano, The Mountaineers Books.
Texas
Big Bend National Park, Chisos Basin
In this mostly desert park, wildflowers can be spectacular following rain. The higher Chisos Basin has more consistent rainfall and wildflowers. This loop combines several Basin trails for a day-long hike, beginning with the Laguna Meadow Trail, which offers views of the iconic Window formation. A notch in the mountain ring, the Window drains all rainfall from the Basin. Rising through a long series of switchbacks and steps, the trail reaches stands of colorful Texas madrone and Mexican buckeye trees that bloom in spring, says park ranger Jennette Timmer, as do beardtongues, Mexican catchfly, claret cup cactus and scarlet bouvardia, or firecracker bush, a Trans-Pecos endemic shrub.
The trail offers an amazing mountain vista at Blue Creek Overlook and traverses the mountains on the Colima Trail. On this wetter side of the mountains you’ll see mosses, mistletoes and perhaps two types of rare orchids, scarlet mock lady’s-tresses and crested-coralroot orchids. After rounding an exposed rocky point called Boot Rock, the trail enters a more open area, with the deep Juniper Canyon on the right, and continues descending on the Pinnacles Trail. Mints may be growing along the trailside cliffs. The route levels out into grassy Boulder Meadow, painted yellow in fall by blooming broom snakeweed, before heading back down to the Basin.
Strenuous
Distance: 8.6 miles
Elevation gain: 2,000 feet
Peak: April – May
Big Bend National Park Headquarters, Panther Junction, Highway 118, 432.477.2251, nps.gov/bibe
Loop Trail, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
One of the nation’s largest batholiths, or underground rock formation uncovered by erosion, Enchanted Rock covers 640 acres and rises 425 feet. Native Tonkawas attributed the rock’s creaking and groaning sounds to spirits and thought it enchanted. A 4-mile loop trail gives hikers view of all sides of the rock, plus plenty of wildflowers. The display in spring can’t be beat, and fall isn’t bad either.
The trail initially follows Sandy Creek, at times awash in bright yellow cowpen daisies. It crosses the creek, passes between Buzzard’s Roost and Freshman Mountain and levels onto a wide dirt path circling Enchanted Rock and neighboring Little Rock. The park contains open oak woodland, mesquite grassland and floodplain. Grasses and sedges such as Indian grass, bushybeard bluestem, frost weed and switchgrass form groundcover. Abundant wildflowers include Texas bluebonnet, Indian paintbrush, tickseed, bladderpod and the endemic basin bellflower.
Easy to moderate
Distance: 4 miles
Elevation gain: 160 feet
Peak: April
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, 16710 RR 965, Fredericksburg, Texas, 830.685.3636, website tpwd.state.tx.us/ enchantedrock
Florida
Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park, Gap Point Nature Trail
A barrier island between the Gulf of Mexico and Apalachicola Bay, St. George Island stretches 29 miles. Nine of those lie in the state park, five accessible only by foot. This trail explores the bay side, beginning in the campground and traversing slash pine forest, sand scrub oak, blooming beach morning glory, slender goldentop, slender muhly grass, Florida rosemary, frogfruit, camphorweed, and blazing-star.
The trail dead-ends at the shallow water of St. George Sound. The tall pines and oaks here attract many species of birds, including migrants, wintering waterfowl, and nesting osprey and bald eagles. A number of trails in nearby Apalachicola National Forest, including 74 miles of the Florida National Scenic Trail, cover landscapes containing a variety of wildflowers.
Easy
Distance: 2.5 miles
Elevation gain: Less than 10 feet
Peak: April, October
St. George Island State Park, 1900 E. Gulf Beach Dr, 850.927.2111, floridastateparks.org
Apalachicola National Forest Trails, 904.942.9300.
Popular hikes bring wildflowers up close and personal
Growing up in Texas, I learned to appreciate wildflowers mostly from the window of a car. A particularly spectacular field of bluebonnets might earn a stop on the highway shoulder, but that was as good as it got.
As an adult, I found that true appreciation of nature’s lavish and colorful show can be found up close and personal, and a hike offers an excellent way to reach this natural nirvana.
We’ve selected nine inspirational hikes that put you in the middle of spectacular spring wildflower blooms. Chosen for variety of locations, landscapes and level of challenge, these represent but a tiny sample of the hundreds of wonderful wildflower hikes across the country. Once you get started, you’ll want to look for opportunities wherever you go.
Colorado
Zook/Sundance/Talon Loop, Cheyenne Mountain State Park
Out of Cheyenne Mountain State Park’s approximate 20 miles of trails, Pamela Irwin, native plant master and author of four wildflower hiking guides, recommends this combination loop. Start on Talon Loop, which shortly merges with Zook Trail; remain on Zook until it intersects Sundance, follow Sundance to Talon, and Talon back to the trail head.
On Zook Trail, prickly poppy, fleabane daisy and wild rose bloom among grasses. Species near an old ranch corral include chiming bells, yarrow, narrow-leaf penstemon and American vetch. On the Sundance Trail portion, overlooking Fort Carson, find yucca, orange paintbrush, wavyleaf thistle and evening primroses. Farther along, see perky Sue, snowberry, wild four o’clock and skullcap; in spots shaded by Ponderosa pine, many-flowered puccoon and spiderwort. In south-facing areas, find scarlet gaura and cowboy’s delight. A prairie dog town provides additional diversion.
Talon Loop passes through scrub oak and flowers such as blazing star, goldenrod, thimbleweed, sego lilies, silky locoweed and wallflower.
Easy
Distance: 3 miles
Elevation change: 200 feet
Peak: June
Cheyenne Mountain State Park, 410 JL Ranch Heights, 719.576.2016, http://parks.state.co.us/Parks/
cheyennemountain
California
Guy Fleming Trail, Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is named for the rarest pine in North America, Pinus torreyana, which once covered a large area of Pacific coast but now grows only here and on Santa Rosa Island. In addition to Torrey pine woodlands, the park includes coastal sage scrub and chaparral.
This short, relatively level trail has diverse scenery, including an up-close look at the pines, ocean vistas and, of course, native plants and wildflowers. These include bladderpod, bluedicks, Mojave yucca, golden yarrow, wild snapdragon, monkey flower, popcorn flower, common goldfields, California sunflower and rein orchids.
Other hiking options include Razor Point Trail, with dramatic views in addition to wildflowers; Parry Grove Trail, which has a native plant garden at the trailhead; Broken Hill Trail, which passes through chaparral; and the Beach Trail, a route popular for accessing the beach.
Easy
Distance: 0.7 miles
Elevation change:
Less than 10 feet
Peak: March – May
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, 12600 N. Torrey Pines Rd., San Diego, 858.755.2063. www.torreypine.org/
Serpentine Loop, Edgewood Park and Natural Preserve
Known throughout the Bay Area as the place for spring wildflowers, according to president of Friends of Edgewood Bill Korbholz, this park houses more than 500 plant species within less than a square mile, some 70 percent of them native. The unique serpentine soil favors natives that adapted to its unusual mineral content. Serpentine endemics grow only on this soil, and the park has several species, including threatened Marin dwarf-flax and the endangered San Mateo thornmint, which are found nowhere else in the world.
Serpentine Loop offers the most spectacular wildflower viewing, says Korbholz, who recommends following Sylvan Trail from the parking lot to the Serpentine Loop. It passes through mixed woodland forest, where crimson columbine, spreading larkspur, checker lily, California saxifrage and common snowberry bloom. It also meanders through chaparral, which includes clovers, California bee plant, blue witch nightshade, pipestem and California yerba santa. It continues on through grassland, with a wealth of wildflowers from California blue-eyed grass to California buttercup, Abram’s woolstar, the aforementioned Marin dwarf-flax, rare stinkbells, common goldfields, coast range mule ears, California poppy, slenderflower sun cup and the charming brownies.
Easy to moderate
Distance: 3 miles
Elevation change: 500 feet
Peak: April
Park located at Edgewood and Old Stage Road, Redwood City, 650.368.6283. Free, docent-led walks available every spring weekend at 10 a.m. Trail map at www.friendsofedgewood.org (click on Edgewood, then Maps, then Trails)
Washington
Cady Ridge, Jackson Wilderness/Wenatchee National Forest
“When it comes to resplendent alpine meadows, the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness can’t be beat,” says hiking guide author Craig Romano, who recommends seeing it via Cady Ridge and West Cady Ridge trails. Wildflowers proliferate along the mile-high ridge, dominated by lupines and including paint brushes, alpine leafybract aster, gentians, mountain lady’s-slipper orchid, Columbia lily, Wenatchee valerian, white mountain-heather, phlox, buttercup, narrowleaf fireweed, crimson columbine and beardtongue. The 2,700-foot gain in elevation is strenuous, but the scenery is worth the effort.
At the trailhead, follow signs for Cady Creek and, at the next junction, to Cady Ridge. This trail crosses a creek and climbs a series of switchbacks, eventually cresting a 5,300-foot knoll with a view of Glacier Peak above a lupine meadow. Satisfied hikers can turn back here; otherwise, continue across an open slope with mountain views to what Romano calls “one of the finest alpine meadows this side of the Colorado Rockies.” Mountain peaks form a dramatic backdrop, and the route ends at the Pacific Crest Trail, 5,350 feet high and six miles from the trailhead. Backpackers can return to the meadow and bed down in sites located along the meadow’s edge.
Strenuous
Distance: 12 miles round-trip
Elevation gain: 2,700 feet
Peak: July and August
Jackson Wilderness lies within the Wenatchee National Forest, 509.548.2550, www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee/recreation/ wenatchee-river/trails/
Michigan
Paw Paw Prairie Fen Preserve
Paw Paw Prairie Fen Preserve, in southwest Michigan, houses a “botanical paradise,” according to The Nature Conservancy’s marketing manager Melissa Soule. Geologically and biologically unique wetlands found only in the glaciated Midwest, prairie fens feature tall grass prairie flora and fauna. This preserve also contains coastal plain marsh, a wetland community dominated by grassland rush.
Some 150 rare prairie fens have been identified in Michigan, says Brad Slaughter, conservation associate at Michigan Natural Features Inventory. The Paw Paw preserve is home to around 200 species of vascular plants, he says, more than documented at any other fen. Slaughter reports that hikers can see marsh blazing-star, a member of the sunflower family that grows up to 4 feet tall, with a dense bottle-brush of showy purple disk flowers. Two valerian species, one of them rare in Michigan, flower in late May and early June. Later in June, Indian plantain bursts out with creamy-white tubular flowers tipped in bright yellow-orange. The carnivorous purple pitcher plant and roundleaf sundew also live on the preserve.
Easy
Distance: Approx.1.5 miles
Elevation gain: insignificant
Peak: June – August
For directions and access, contact The Nature Conservancy Michigan Field Office, 616.785.7055, nature.org/wherewework
/northamerica/states/michigan/preserves/ art17142.html
Connecticut
Breakneck Pond Trail, Bigelow Hollow State Park
New England hiker and author Jeff Romano (brother to Craig) recommends Breakneck Pond, a trail in Bigelow Hollow State Park with an abundance of mountain laurel, the state flower. The state park and adjacent Nipmuck State Forest offer a number of trails.
This one, the East Ridge Trail, follows an old roadway then traverses an open area, re-enters the woods, and climbs gently. Follow the Nipmuck Trail north through forest to Breakneck Hill Road, turn left, then remain on the Nipmuck to Breakneck Pond. The trail follows the pond for 1.6 miles, tunnels under abundant mountain laurel, and actually enters Massachusetts. Bear left at the pond’s northern end, cross a small stream, and go right onto the Ridge Trail. This winds around a wetland and through large boulders to the top of a forested ridge. Enjoy the view here, then descend to Breakneck Hill Road, which passes a small gate before branching onto a second road up the hill. The route goes up a sedge-covered ridge, then descends and follows the narrowing ridge line.
Moderately strenuous
Distance: 7.5 miles
Elevation gain: 350 feet
Peak: June
Bigelow Hollow State Park, 860-684-3430
Classic Hikes: New England, Jeff Romano, The Mountaineers Books.
Texas
Big Bend National Park, Chisos Basin
In this mostly desert park, wildflowers can be spectacular following rain. The higher Chisos Basin has more consistent rainfall and wildflowers. This loop combines several Basin trails for a day-long hike, beginning with the Laguna Meadow Trail, which offers views of the iconic Window formation. A notch in the mountain ring, the Window drains all rainfall from the Basin. Rising through a long series of switchbacks and steps, the trail reaches stands of colorful Texas madrone and Mexican buckeye trees that bloom in spring, says park ranger Jennette Timmer, as do beardtongues, Mexican catchfly, claret cup cactus and scarlet bouvardia, or firecracker bush, a Trans-Pecos endemic shrub.
The trail offers an amazing mountain vista at Blue Creek Overlook and traverses the mountains on the Colima Trail. On this wetter side of the mountains you’ll see mosses, mistletoes and perhaps two types of rare orchids, scarlet mock lady’s-tresses and crested-coralroot orchids. After rounding an exposed rocky point called Boot Rock, the trail enters a more open area, with the deep Juniper Canyon on the right, and continues descending on the Pinnacles Trail. Mints may be growing along the trailside cliffs. The route levels out into grassy Boulder Meadow, painted yellow in fall by blooming broom snakeweed, before heading back down to the Basin.
Strenuous
Distance: 8.6 miles
Elevation gain: 2,000 feet
Peak: April – May
Big Bend National Park Headquarters, Panther Junction, Highway 118, 432.477.2251, nps.gov/bibe
Loop Trail, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
One of the nation’s largest batholiths, or underground rock formation uncovered by erosion, Enchanted Rock covers 640 acres and rises 425 feet. Native Tonkawas attributed the rock’s creaking and groaning sounds to spirits and thought it enchanted. A 4-mile loop trail gives hikers view of all sides of the rock, plus plenty of wildflowers. The display in spring can’t be beat, and fall isn’t bad either.
The trail initially follows Sandy Creek, at times awash in bright yellow cowpen daisies. It crosses the creek, passes between Buzzard’s Roost and Freshman Mountain and levels onto a wide dirt path circling Enchanted Rock and neighboring Little Rock. The park contains open oak woodland, mesquite grassland and floodplain. Grasses and sedges such as Indian grass, bushybeard bluestem, frost weed and switchgrass form groundcover. Abundant wildflowers include Texas bluebonnet, Indian paintbrush, tickseed, bladderpod and the endemic basin bellflower.
Easy to moderate
Distance: 4 miles
Elevation gain: 160 feet
Peak: April
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, 16710 RR 965, Fredericksburg, Texas, 830.685.3636, website tpwd.state.tx.us/ enchantedrock
Florida
Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park, Gap Point Nature Trail
A barrier island between the Gulf of Mexico and Apalachicola Bay, St. George Island stretches 29 miles. Nine of those lie in the state park, five accessible only by foot. This trail explores the bay side, beginning in the campground and traversing slash pine forest, sand scrub oak, blooming beach morning glory, slender goldentop, slender muhly grass, Florida rosemary, frogfruit, camphorweed, and blazing-star.
The trail dead-ends at the shallow water of St. George Sound. The tall pines and oaks here attract many species of birds, including migrants, wintering waterfowl, and nesting osprey and bald eagles. A number of trails in nearby Apalachicola National Forest, including 74 miles of the Florida National Scenic Trail, cover landscapes containing a variety of wildflowers.
Easy
Distance: 2.5 miles
Elevation gain: Less than 10 feet
Peak: April, October
St. George Island State Park, 1900 E. Gulf Beach Dr, 850.927.2111, floridastateparks.org
Apalachicola National Forest Trails, 904.942.9300.
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