Indholdsfortegnelse for August/September 2021 i Country

Hikers extraordinaire, my grandkids are my outdoor recreation buddies. Ayana, 7, and Jordan, 8, have climbed a 14er; hiked many trails; river-rafted and bird-watched. In a time of pandemic-induced isolation and racial and political conflict, my young adventure pals have restored my spirit. One of our favorite places to explore is Castlewood Canyon State Park in Colorado, where I’ve volunteered for more than 20 years. It’s a day-use park that is open from sunrise to sunset. I enjoy sharing its unique features and history with Ayana and Jordan (below, hiking last year in Castlewood). The park has much to offer young explorers: about four ecosystems; the ruins of an historic dam that burst in 1933, sending a 15-foot wave of water about 40 miles away to Denver; and many geologic…

There are some points in life where your perception evolves. You experience a certain event, or you stumble upon a locale that strikes you to your core. Cloudland Canyon State Park is one of those places. Located in Rising Fawn on the western edge of Lookout Mountain, Cloudland is one of the most scenic parks in Georgia. Coming here ignites a sense of awe and wonder that I often don’t get to experience in my day-to-day life. Rolling plateaus, powerful cascades and deep valleys ensure this park sticks in your memory, and hopefully inspire a serious case of wanderlust for the Cumberland Plateau area and the southern Appalachians as a whole. Home to 1,000-foot canyon valleys and a slew of sandstone outcroppings, Cloudland Canyon draws you in and beckons you…

1. WET WEATHER WONDER After being stuck in our tent most of the day because of rain at Minnesota’s Lake Elmo Regional Park, my daughters and I emerged to see a beautiful reflected rainbow. JULIE HOLM COTTAGE GROVE, MN 2. PADDLES UP! Whitewater rafting was on my bucket list, and this exciting trip down Clear Creek in Dumont, Colorado, didn’t disappoint. BETHANN DONOHUE IMPERIAL, CA 3. FLUTTERING NEARBY On a hot summer day in Lake Kyle Park in Kyle, Texas, this butterfly flew all around me as if purposely trying to get my attention. BRANDON STOUT CEDAR PARK, TX 4. SCENIC BEAUTY Fireweed bloomed brightly on the peninsula of Alaska near Popof Island. CALLEN DAVIS PORT ALSWORTH, AK 5. TRAIL BUDDY On a foggy morning hike in Virginia’s Grayson Highlands…

VIEWS OF THE GREEN Mountains in every direction are reason enough to stay at Vermont Schoolhouse, a renovated cottage that sits on a 270-acre, fifth-generation farm in Shaftsbury. The farm, Studio Hill, is an idyllic, natural setting. Sheep are raised on pasture and the gardens are no-till. The cottage has its own kitchen, grill and deck, plus an outdoor sauna, shower and hot tub. I can’t wait to spend another night there and relax under the stars. www.studiohill.farm –Stephanie Rapisarda, Cheshire, MA MORE TO EXPLORE LAKE SHAFTSBURY STATE PARK Hike the Healing Springs Nature Trail (an easy trek around the lake), rent a kayak or picnic on the beach. vtstateparks.com ROBERT FROST STONE HOUSE MUSEUM The poet bought the house, now under the stewardship of Bennington College, with the intent…

AS A CHILD, EVERY FALL I filled tin pails with heritage King apples from our farm’s orchard. They were then tucked inside pie crusts, filling the house with a transcendent cinnamon-apple scent. To this day I’m smitten by country roads with fruit stands and U-pick orchards. My favorite drive, the 35-mile Hood River Fruit Loop nestled in the heart of Oregon’s pear and apple country, starts in the town of Hood River—an hour east of Portland—and follows Oregon Route 35 to Parkdale, circling back on Oregon Route 281. The loop boasts orchards, farm stands, delicious treats and pretty wineries in abundance, plus magnificent scenic views of Mount Hood. Serpentine roads wind past nearly 30 spots that invite you to sample the area’s best. Come along for the ride to 10…

After being in a debilitating motorcycle accident, I decided to start on my bucket list as soon as I was able. Yosemite National Park was at the top of the list. I had powerful reasons for wanting to go. My grandfather Brad Schaup had visited the park in the 1940s when he was a student at the Fred Archer School of Photography in Los Angeles. He had recently passed away, and I wanted to share a memory. And my book club had just read The Legacy of Luna about a giant redwood tree in peril from logging. I wanted to see these tallest and oldest living trees on Earth while I still could. I had spent a lifetime hiking in the outdoors and backpacking through mountains, but I knew the…

THIS TEXAS SUMMIT FEATURES A PYRAMID MARKER COMMEMORATING A PIONEER MAIL ROUTE. THIS WYOMING PEAK WAS FIRST CLIMBED IN 1842 BY THE EXPLORER FOR WHOM IT WAS LATER NAMED. ANSWERS 1. Guadalupe Peak in Texas’ Guadalupe mountain range; 2. (John C.) Fremont Peak in Wyoming’s Wind River range THEN THIS HAPPENED Green, Green Grass SUSIE O’GARA PEORIA, AZ WHEN OUR FAMILY moved across the country, everyone had a designated spot in the car, including our golden retriever Annie. Although she was told to stay in the backseat with one of the boys, that wouldn’t do. Before long, she squeezed into the front passenger seat, sitting in another boy’s lap—heavy, furry and bony. After a while, our sons abdicated the front seat because her incessant moving, circling, nudging and licking was too much.…

While cooped up in our homes over the past year and a half, the road called to us. Many Americans found comfort and safety in wide-open spaces, and along the way discovered our country’s natural beauty and scenic wonders. Where did you travel during the pandemic? Perhaps you visited a national park for the first time or got nostalgic along Route 66? Maybe you discovered a small town with charm and one-of-a-kind shops? If you took photos along the way, enter them in the Great American Road Trip Photo Contest. We’re looking for amazing images that show the beauty of America, from gorgeous landscapes and wildlife to people. Here’s what you need to know: 1. What you can win: Grand Prize: $1,000 • First Prize: $250 • Second Prize: $150…

SURROUNDED BY PEAKS, Georgetown, Colorado, has a cozy storybook charm. My husband and I discovered this mountain town while on a winding drive along Interstate 70 (we were on our way to vacation in an A-frame cabin nestled in the Rockies). Tucked into the side of a mountain, Georgetown has streets lined with quaint Victorian homes and historic buildings. Nicknamed the “Silver Queen,” Georgetown was founded during the mining boom of the 1800s. At one time it was Colorado’s third-largest community and bustled with folks looking to strike it rich. Today, it has a wonderfully preserved historic district filled with restaurants, galleries and museums. It’s also an ideal base for outdoor activities such as hiking and mountain biking in summer and fall, and skiing or snowshoeing in the winter. This…

Whenever I venture inland from my coastal home to the wild woodlands north of Bangor, Maine, I’m awed by the region’s raw beauty. Mountains cradle pristine lakes and serene ponds. Tumbling waterways splash dense woodlands. Eagles soar and moose romp. The result: a vast outdoor playground laced with trails and blessed with an abundance of riches. Let me tick off just a few highlights: 5,267-foot-high Mount Katahdin, Maine’s highest peak, overlooks the region. The 100-Mile Wilderness, considered the most arduous section of the 2,170-mile Appalachian Trail, shimmies through it. The Allagash Wilderness Waterway, a National Wild and Scenic River, flows northward from here. The state’s largest lake, 117-acre Moosehead, is a mere drop in the region’s bucket. Some come for paddling, hiking, boating and fishing; others for wildlife watching or…

FIRES, STORMS AND BRITISH TROOPS have damaged the Boston Light lighthouse since it was built in 1716, but it still stands today as the country’s oldest continually used and last-staffed lighthouse. Rising from the shoreline of Little Brewster Island, the lighthouse was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964. Candles lit the original structure, which was electrified in 1948 and automated in 1998. Burned by patriots and blown up by the retreating British during the Revolutionary War, the lighthouse has been rebuilt several times to its present 89 feet of rubblework. Little Brewster Island opened to the public in 1999. Tours of the island are temporarily suspended as of this writing, but check the website at bostonharborislands.org for updates and information. SEE THE LIGHT In 2003 Sally Snowman was appointed…