Glass Noodles (Chung Jung One Sweet Potato Glass Noodles)
Radish (julienned)
Cilantro (minced)
Spring Onion (diced)
Instructions:
Warm up a bit of coconut oil in a soup pot. Once the oil is hot, add in the minced Fresh Garlic, diced Red Onion, and thinly-sliced Celery. Reserve a few tablespoons of the diced Red Onion for later, then cook the rest of the Fresh Garlic, Red Onion, and Celery until caramelized.
In the same pot, create the soup base by following the instructions on the Osem Vegetable Soup Mix. This mix is a bit high in sodium, so feel free to adjust the measurements to taste.
Once the mix is dissolved, add in a tablespoon or so of Dark Aged Miso Paste. Stir until the paste is dissolved as well.
Add the Red Pepper Flakes, “Chinese 5 Spice” Powder, and Black Pepper. Then, allow the soup base to simmer for several minutes so the flavors have a chance to combine. Taste the base and make any adjustments at this time.
Once the base is ready, place the glass noodles in the pot and cook them according to the package directions. However, if the directions call for you to drain the noodles, skip this step and leave them in the soup.
Then, portion out the servings into bowls and garnish with the reserved Red Onion, minced Cilantro, julienned Radish, and diced Spring Onion.
This recipe came about when I was trying to think of new ways to reuse my leftover enchilada filling.
Ingredients:
Red lentils
Broccoli
Potato
Cheddar cheese
Brown rice
Long-grain rice
Milled flaxseed
Tomato paste
Onion
Garlic
Cumin
Black pepper
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Instructions:
The enchilada mixture was made by cooking lentils and both types of rice according to package instructions, then combining them together with shredded cheddar cheese, cumin, and tomato paste.
The potato, onion, garlic, and broccoli were diced and sautéed in the other spices, then combined with the rest of the mixture.
To make the veggie burgers, I added milled flaxseed to the mixture a little at a time until the mixture stuck together easily (and resembled the texture of raw ground beef).
Then, I lightly wet my hands (to prevent the mixture from sticking) and formed the patties, careful to make sure they were all of relatively similar size.
Once the patties were formed and set on the coated baking tray, I topped a few of them with Goya hot sauce. The rest of the patties were spritzed lightly with oil so they would crisp up in the oven.
The patties were baked for 15 minutes at 400 F degrees (flipped halfway through).
Dress these patties up like regular burgers or in a lettuce wrap!
Exactly one week ago, this red-orange sun rose up over the final day of Wildwood Revival. This slow-paced Sunday was kicked off with a delicious Gospel Brunch, featuring Southern treats like sausage gravy biscuits, and the relaxing vocalizations of The Cactus Blossoms. The brunch was followed up by Early Jame and The Darnell Boys.
The previous day’s revelries, which kicked off with the laid-back vibes of Zach Schmidt at 12:00 PM and finalied with the upbeat, rockabilly tunes of JD McPherson around 7:45 PM (about a half-hour later than scheduled), took an obvious toll on festival-goers.
Most, it seemed, had gotten a bit overly-acquainted with the delicious drinks being served up by the Wildwood Revival group and their vendors, Terrapin Brewing Co. and Union Wine Co.
The canned wine was certainly worth the wait in line, but my personal favorites were their specialty drinks, especially the “Wildwood Mule” (with Deep Eddy vodka and craft ginger beer) and the “Old South Fashion” (with 13th Colony Southern Bourbon, smoked orange syrup, Angostura bitters, and Topo Chico mineral water).
That said, I think the “Lemon Aid” (with its Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka, lime juice, Basil simple syrup, and Topo Chico Lime) would’ve been my favorite. But, the drink was incredibly popular and they ran out well before I got in line.
And, in the main house, VIP guests were kicking back with specially-crafted cocktails named for the performing artists’ songs.
Hiking the Appalachian Trail: Even Scaredy-Cats Can Do It!
August 15, 2017
By the time I reached the Clingman’s Dome parking lot at Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee, it was about two o’clock in the afternoon. The place was positively buzzing, overrun with people. It shouldn’t have come a surprise, though, since I’d already read in the Gatlinburg 2017 Vacation Guide that the Smokies see over 10 million visitors each year, more than any other national park.
But, the popularity of the park wasn’t an entirely bad thing for this trip, as it turned out. As I hiked up the Clingman’s Dome Bypass Trail, I met several different groups, families mostly, who were incredibly helpful toward me and encouraged me to not give up in the rough spots where that option was most tempting. At times, especially later on, it would have been easy to quit.
There was one couple from Knoxville who parked next to me in the lot at the base of Clingman’s Dome. They saw that I was alone and, without my prompting, took nearly an hour or so to explain to me the different gear they use as avid hikers along with the particular situations in which certain items might become more or less useful. One particular example they offered me was the use of crampons to be worn over boots and create more traction in icy conditions. I didn’t have any with me, but fortunately, they were not needed on this trip.
Another family – three generations altogether – sort of adopted me for the next couple of hours, simply because we were all from Maryland. The mom, the dad, the grandparents, the kids – they all regarded me thoughtfully, and we joked our way up the trail like old friends.
Especially after working at one of my more recent minimum-wage positions and simply dealing with unpleasant individuals in general, it is genuinely nice to know that there are people who are not only capable of treating others well, but also choose to do so…and for seemingly no reason at all.
After climbing the steep, half-mile incline to the tower itself, I made my way to the top. Once there, it became clear why the highest point in Tennessee is so crowded. I heard myself gasp as I looked out past the edge of the circular platform. With the sun shining down across it all and hardly a cloud in the sky, the landscape before me quite literally took my breath away.
Rather than the thunderstorms and thick fog I’d been promised by weather forecasts, I saw mountains, blue-ish green and jutting up into an even-bluer sky, higher and more rugged than I could have imagined.
To take this journey alone was one thing, but to stand where I stood and look out on what I saw was the definition of what it means to feel small, but also as if you are a part of something greater than yourself. It was almost as if, while gazing down on them, I could actually feel the 200-million-or-so years the mountains had been standing there.
After lingering in the tower for some time, I was burning daylight and still had to hike from the trailhead to my campsite nearly three miles away at Double Spring Gap. Given the terrain, I wasn’t entirely sure how long that would take me. Around four o’clock, I took my first steps onto the Appalachian Trail (AT).
It took me just over two hours to reach campsite #107, partly because my pack was weighed down with three liters of water and partly because I repeatedly stopped to take pictures, unable to tear myself away from each and every enrapturing view.
Some might think it cliche somehow, hiking with phone in-hand, but the desire to share the beauty I witnessed is anything but.
There were cliff-like lookout points which gave way to the mountains beyond and valleys below.
There were green and gnarled and fallen trees, which remained with upturned roots jutting out from the earth like moss-covered ruins.
Once, I set my foot down next to the footprint of a Black Bear.
Later, I had to move through a section of the trail which was swarmed by honey bees. In some portions, the trail narrows down to a path no wider than a foot, and stepping off to the left or to the right means a nasty spill down the mountain. In these areas, it is sometimes impossible to not cross through an active swarm.
Despite my attempts to disturb the bees as little as possible, I still managed to receive a painful sting to my right upper-arm for coming too close. Luckily, I’m not allergic to bees, and even this pain did not take away my appreciation for the place I found myself in.
The emotions this place inspired in me reminded me strikingly of my home – or rather, the place I feel most at home – in the C&O Canal of Maryland and Great Falls of Virginia.
In my awe at what I saw along the way, I forgot how tired my body was from hauling my overstuffed pack. Even after routinely consuming water and bananas for energy, I felt myself growing weaker about a mile or two in. My legs became somewhat shaky, so I had to make an even more conscious effort to be careful.
“Easy does it,” I told myself, “…slow and steady.”
As I approached Double Spring Gap, I heard masculine voices ahead and felt an unexpected knot form in my stomach.
My head flooded, echoing with the voices of every person along the way who'd felt the need to ask, "But, aren't you scared of...(insert here)?" In my uneasiness, I reached to my waist and grabbed my SABRE pepper spray. An SOS fold-out blade and an emergency whistle rested in the same pocket, attached by a simple keychain.
My body was frozen and it was only the pain of the growing knot that made me realize this. Without really meaning to, I leaned behind a tree, peeking out as the voices grew closer. I hated myself in that moment, hated the fear that gripped me and constricted my breathing.
Realizing (first) that I was hiding and (second) that I wasn't it doing it very well, I started feeling pretty ridiculous. Just as I stepped back out and onto the path, a figure came into my view. It was a tall young man who looked to be in his twenties, about the same age as me. His reddish-brown hair hung down into his face, and as he moved it out of his eyes, he saw me. We both remained still for a moment, but then he flashed a bright smile and introduced himself. Aaron, I think it was.
The smile caught me off guard. I remember moving my thumb away from the trigger and lowering my hand. But then, I saw the points of his canines and the phrase “wolf in sheep’s clothing” popped into my head. So, I smiled back, but kept my pepper spray in my hand. He noticed this and backed off, apologizing for having scared me. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a canister identical to mine.
“My mom made me carry one of those, too.”
This made me laugh and relax a little.
We began joking back and forth about how the scariest thing on the trail seemed strangely to be other people, rather than Black Bears.
“Yeah, we actually had to evacuate an area on our way up here. There was too much bear activity, so our site was closed down and we had to hike through the night to get to this one.”
At that point, I’d forgotten about the other voices, but the word “we” caught my attention and again I felt that distracting unease. I didn’t mean to ask so bluntly, but the words “Who’s ‘we’?” popped out of my mouth in response. Aaron simply smiled, wiped away a bead of sweat from his face, and gestured back the way he came.
“You’ll see ‘em.”
That didn’t make me feel any better, but I laughed nervously and moved to the side so he could pass, well out of reach.
After he moved by, I waited until I could no longer hear his footfalls on the path before I stepped back out and continued on. Now, I could hear the other voices more clearly. Again, I hated the knot in my stomach. I also hated the fact that, when the campsite came into view, there were seven or eight other men sitting in and around the shelter.
All at once, they stopped what they were doing and glanced up at me. I froze in place and looked back at them with what I’m sure was a comedic, yet clearly horrified expression. Eventually an older, white-haired gentleman with tortoise shell glasses stood up and broke the silence. He greeted me with a smile, then pointed further down the path.
“There’s the bear cables. Over there’s the water. And, down that way’s the privy.”
The shelter, of course, was my only realistic option. At 6:30 PM, the sky was already beginning to dim slightly, dropping the temperature with it. I was worn out and in no condition to continue hiking, and certainly not in the dark. Not only that, but I soon realized that I had misinterpreted the park’s rules concerning backcountry camping. Tenting, I was soon informed, is not allowed in the wilderness because it disturbs the natural habitat. This makes perfect sense but, in my preparation, I had made an oversight and now found myself sleeping in an open-air, three-walled shelter with a large group of men whose intentions were foreign to me.
It seems to me now that my uneasiness must have been clear. When I returned to the shelter after hanging my belongings up on the cable system, the group of six young men were removing all of their belongings from the shelter and relocating to an unestablished site further into the woods. That, or it could have been because the group had experienced some friction with the other three hikers, as I later found out.
This trio, I came to know as the Stuarts -- a self-identified “family of Boy Scouts.” The older man who had greeted me previously called himself “Tortoise,” then introduced his oldest son, “Land Nav,” and his youngest son, “Trick Knee.” Each nickname was based on some significant characteristic the men possessed. Like so many other hikers I had met so far, they spent the next couple of hours allowing me to pick their brains over gear, hiking spots, water safety, and AT etiquette.
Around nine o’clock, we all turned in for the night. My head was pounding with a migraine and when the sun set fully, I realized how woefully unprepared I was for the following temperature drop. What had been a sunny day of 85F became a frigid, damp night of 44F. In trying to preserve space for my water, I’d opted for a thick wool blanket over my sleeping bag, but it was nowhere near enough. As a result, I slept for only a scattered thirty minutes or so throughout the night, just shivering and waiting and praying for the sun to rise and warmth to return. A team of field mice scampered unceremoniously overhead, preventing any chance of sleep as they scouted from rafter to rafter, searching for a way to infiltrate what little supplies were not already hung on the bear cables.
To further prevent any chance I might’ve had at sleep or warmth, a thick fog rolled in near six o’clock in the morning, bringing with it only more of the damp cold.
At first, I was going to wait until late morning to see if the temperature might warm up a bit, but near eight o’clock, the rain started. At first, it fell as a sprinkle, but soon the light pellets became thick, round globs.
Around this same time, the Stuart contingent woke and packed up. Less than an hour later, they began moving toward our shared exit point at Clingman’s Dome, but first made sure to fill my water bladder from their own with what they had collected and filtered from the nearby spring.
Out of pride, not wanting them to hear me huff and puff my way back up the mountain, I decided to wait half an hour before heading out myself. By this time, the group of young men had trickled back into the campsite and begun preparing their breakfast.
As I looked out from my place huddled in the corner, the mist was so thick I could hardly see the edges of the shelter where they sat, eating. The sun had now risen, but brought with it only a slight relief, more light than heat. Even with three layers of clothing, including long johns and a beanie, I trudged to the latrine with the wool blanket wrapped tightly around my shoulders.
Now that the Stuarts were gone, the heavy footfalls headed toward me in the secluded, open-air outhouse again gave me pause. I cleared my throat loudly to make it known that the privy was occupied and the steps trailed to a stop, then trodded off in another direction.
When I was leaving the latrine and headed back toward the shelter, I felt silly for being afraid of someone who was simply trying to go to the bathroom…that is, until I heard voices echoing from the site. I knew they were there, of course, but this time I could make out what they were saying. They were talking about me.
“Do you know where she went?”
“I think down that way, but her stuff is here.”
“She’s by herself, right?”
When I say that my heart stopped, I could almost swear it really happened. My mouth suddenly went dry and there was a sour, metallic taste…like blood. The knot twisted fiercely inside me and, for a moment, I felt sick. A million non-thoughts raced through my head and I felt my fingers tremble with adrenaline as they reached to my pocket, searching numbly for the keychain connecting my spray, whistle, and knife. With a lurch in my stomach, I realized it was back at the campsite. I’d have to walk past them to get it. This all occurred in a matter of seconds.
Just as quickly, my fears were abated.
“Man, can you believe that? I’d never do this alone…would you?”
His question was greeted with a staggered but enthusiastic chorus of “Hell, no!” I forced myself to take a deep breath, and as I exhaled the breath turned into a slight chuckle, at all of our expense.
As I stepped out of the path and back into the campsite, one of the men looked up at me and smiled warmly. Even though each person I’d encountered had been nice to me so far, this look was even more disarming than the last. In the same moment, an unexpected streak of sunlight cut through the fog and the trees and painted itself across his face, causing his dark eyes to glow a deep, honey color. I smiled back at him but kept my distance as I walked over to my sleeping bag. Grabbing my keychain, I began heading down the path toward the bear cables.
“There’s more than just people in the wilderness,” I reminded myself mockingly.
But then, I heard someone rise from the table and the crunching of footsteps on the stone-covered path. He had followed me, and I felt more aware of his presence behind me than of my own. I made a point not to look back over my shoulder at him, but my heart beat faster with each step, blood pounding painfully loud in my ears. When I reached my bag, I spun quickly around, careful not to leave my back unprotected. I made sure he saw my keychain clearly within reach. I hated the fact that it felt necessary to do so.
“Do you need a hand with that?”
Looking up at him from where I had knelt on the ground while working to untangle my bags from the hook, I saw that the ray of sunlight highlighting his eyes had followed him somehow and I caught myself struck once more by the kindness they seemed to exude. It’s hard to describe, but there was something about the youthfulness of his face in the changing light...even under a few days’ worth of five o’clock shadow. His face communicated a feeling of innocent curiosity - a hint of playfulness.
He seemed, in many ways, more like a boy than a man, and this made him feel like less of a threat.
“Yes, please,” I said, “if you don’t mind.”
He took hold of the cable and hoisted my bags into the air so I could root through them without having to rest on the damp ground. At one point, my cable became tangled with another and we were both too short to reach. He had to call over one of his taller friends to help us out, and we spent several minutes laughing at ourselves.
When he laughed, he looked like the sort of person who’d be nice to come home to, the sort of person who would be missed if they didn’t come home.
“I’m Laurel, by the way,” I said, extending my hand, “Or, Lo’. Either one is fine.”
“Laurel?,” he asked, reaching out his hand to take mine, “That’s a pretty name. I’m Bennett.”
Today at 1:00 AM, I finally left on my three-part trip to Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee, Congaree National Park in South Carolina, and Wildwood Revival in Georgia. Things got off to a bit of a rough start but, then again, doesn’t that always seem to happen?
First, I left home about an hour later than expected and ended up forgetting a few things. Fortunately, they were luxury items for the festival (things like tarot cards, crystals, tea lights, body glitter, and peppermint gum) which I wanted, but didn’t truly need.
Second, even though I had plenty of sleep, I found myself growing tired on the dark road to Tennessee. To be on the safe side, I decided to pull over at a gas station to rest for a bit and stumble my way to some caffeine. Eventually, the sun came up, peeking slowly over the mountains, and I felt myself wake up along with the rest of the world.
Shortly after leaving the gas station, I crossed the state line into Tennessee. Then, my back-left tire blew out. Dry rot, apparently. I was a little miffed at this, since I had my vehicle inspected at Jiffy Lube before I left and specifically asked them to see if my tires were suitable for the trip. Fortunately for me, it was not difficult to negotiate the car safely to the shoulder of the road.
This did, however, result in a several-hour delay as I waited for the AAA responder to put on the spare tire, then sat in the Waffle House across the street from the auto service center as the spare tire was replaced with a new one. Altogether, I was about $70 and five hours behind schedule. It worked out, though, because I was able to get a nice meal, and (thankfully) at a discounted price.
Not only that, but arriving several hours later than planned offered me the advantage of a more visually ideal, and likely safer, drive up the mountain into Gatlinburg and then up to Clingman’s Dome.
While I can’t say that I believe in things like fate or predestination, I do think it is important to appreciate the time and place in which we exist and recognize the way that events, big or small, are connected.
Sometimes, our plans change and, sometimes, that's for the best.
The supplies that we need for a camping trip or hiking expedition can vary quite a bit, depending on the location, climate, length, and nature of the adventure. For this reason, it is incredibly important that we do our research and plan accordingly. Most if not all camping and hiking grounds will have an operational website to provide visitors with needed information, but it’s always a great idea to call in and talk with a real person - often a park ranger or other staff member - who can offer additional insight.
Even after taking (what I thought to be) every precaution, I still made a few mistakes.
This supply list was for my most recent solo outing. I spent two days by myself on the Appalachian Trail at the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee - something which was possible only because I carefully prepared and took the advice offered by those more experienced than me. This park is a temperate rain forest, which essentially means that it is heavily populated with various tree species and receives a significant amount of rainfall.
For this reason, I made sure to pack not only basic essentials like food, water, and a first aid kit, but also other items which might not immediately come to the minds of beginners. In my case, these items include tools such as:
warmer clothes and rain ponchos to protect me from the rapidly-changing elements,
pepper spray, a compass, and utility knives for safety, and
a “bear bag” and paracord to hang food and trash high up in the air to avoid attracting the attention of native Black Bears.
That said, as prepared as I was for this trip, I was also a bit over-prepared. Carrying around too many items can make a hike downright miserable, at times, especially if you are unused to the additional weight.
After making this mistake myself and suffering the consequences of muscle soreness and overall exhaustion, I have decided that in the future it may be a good idea to go on a little “pre-trip” trip and force myself to test out firsthand what items are and are not actually necessary.
For example, on this trip, it turned out that I did not need to bring a tent. That was 7 lbs. I didn’t have to haul 6,000 feet up and down that mountain...but maybe the best way to learn is the hard way? If you disagree, then learn from my mistakes and avoid making ones of your own.
For more complete gear lists, check out sites like this!
Note: The “~2,000″ noted in the “Food & Water” section is referring to the # of calories in the snacks I packed for a single day of hiking. It is important to consider the nutritional value of the food we bring in order to keep our bodies fueled and safe!
Keep your eyes peeled for my upcoming on my “Top 5 Must-Haves and Don’t-Buys” for hiking and camping gear!
Today, I am taking the last steps of finalizing my trip! This means doing laundry, taking (yet another) inventory of supplies I have/still need, and finalizing all reservations. Ideally, the reservations would’ve been made even further in advance, but that’s not how it worked out this time.
To kick off this week-long road trip, I will be spending two days hiking (and one night camping out) on the Appalachian Trail, specifically gunning for Clingman’s Dome, which is said to offer a view of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park which is unaparalleled by any other.
Since I’m undertaking this adventure solo, I decided on a much shorter trip. This way, I can avoid over-exerting myself or rushing, both of which often lead to injuries on the trail. And, by giving myself just a little taste of the Smokies, I’ll be able to plan for an even longer (likely better) trip down the line.
Check back for updates about my itinerary, hiking & camping gear, trail & wilderness safety, festival fashion, & more!
It’s been a long time coming, but this month, I will be taking a week-long solo journey from Maryland to Georgia.
When it first popped into my head, the idea of road-tripping by myself to a three-day music festival in Arnoldsville, GA was just a tish more than daunting. Sure, one of my all-time favorite musicians would be playing - and, sure, it would represent my only foreseeable chance to hear him live - but was that really a good enough reason to venture off on my own (and spend my *own* hard-earned cash) so far from home?
All sorts of negative thoughts plagued me: What if something bad happened? What if I got lost? What if I got eaten by a bear?
“You’re going to get killed by a hitchhiker,” my mom states gravely.
“What if Bigfoot gets ya?” my dad helpfully chimes in…repeatedly.
It was this initial self-doubt and fear (of being alone, not of Bigfoot) that compelled me to make a commitment to this trip.
The value of independence is something still very new to me. For years, my trauma has kept me drawn into myself and trapped by the inability to live my life on my own terms. It is something which has often interfered with or prevented me from taking hold of myself.
The peace that can be found in solitude is familiar to me, but the sense of satisfaction and strength which comes from self-reliance is something I still work toward and discover every day.
Note: I have been without internet for over a week, but will update & fine-tune posts as possible.
On July 27th at 6:00 PM, Anthology took to the stage as the week’s Free Thursday Night Concert in Ellicott City’s Turf Valley Towne Centre.
July 28, 2017 (3:00 PM)
With Dan Skeen on vocals, Andrew Bilbrey on the drums, Evan Cooper on the keyboard, and Daniel Choynowski on the bass, Anthology treated visitors of the Turf Valley Towne Centre to an evening of relaxation and fun, featuring covers that ranged from classic rock songs like Kansas' "Carry On My Wayward Son,” to alternative rock songs like Gavin DeGraw's "I Don't Want to Be," to contemporary funk songs such as Bruno Mars' "Treasure” and “Uptown Funk.”
Photo courtesy of Anthropology’s Andrew Bilbrey.
Similar to other Towne Centre Summer Concert Series events, this night was one designed to provide entertainment and good vibes for members of the community. The self-described “relatively new band” more than came through for the crowd by keeping the mood simultaneously elevated, yet comfortably low-key.
Speaking from observation and my own personal experience, it was Anthology’s upbeat, effortless sound in combination with a little break from the summer heat that created the perfect recipe for a satisfying evening - and all for free!
A post shared by Laurel A. Rotter (@laurel.writes) on Jul 28, 2017 at 12:32pm PDT
Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to talk with Anthology after the show, but I heard enough to know that I will be seeing them again. Look out for a future interview with the band!
To contact Anthology, call 410-952-2712 or visit the links below:
Facebook
Maryland Party
BandCamp
Want to catch an upcoming show?
Friday, August 25, 2017 @ 9:30 PM
An Poitin Stil, Timonium MDAnthology returns to The Still
(View Event 348828)
Friday, October 27, 2017 @ 9:30 PM
An Poitin Stil, Timonium MDAnthology returns to The Still
(View Event 348829)
Friday, December 22, 2017 @ 9:30 PM
An Poitin Stil, Timonium MDAnthology returns to The Still
(View Event 348830)
Like the C&O Canal National Historic Park on the Maryland side of the Potomac River, Great Falls is perfect for locals of the DC-MD-VA area who enjoy spending time in the outdoors.
Located in McLean, VA, this park is about a couple hours from Richmond, an hour’s drive from Baltimore, and a half hour from Washington D.C.
1.) Appreciate the natural beauty of the falls.
These viewing areas allow visitors breathtaking access to the falls and rapids below.
A post shared by Laurel A. Rotter (@laurel.writes) on Jul 16, 2017 at 4:51am PDT
2.) Learn about the biological diversity of the Potomac River Gorge.
“Because of this landscape’s wild river and rocky terrain, this is one of the country’s most biologically diverse areas. Bedrock terraces high above the river, precarious ledges and floodplains have become a fragile home to over 30 distinct plant communities, three of which are not found anywhere else in the world. What has and continues to cause this diverse, rare life to exist? The river before you is the answer.”
3.) Cool off with some water sports.
Great Falls offers multiple points from which visitors can readily access the Potomac River for activities such as paddle boarding, surfing, and kayaking.
A post shared by Laurel A. Rotter (@laurel.writes) on Jul 24, 2017 at 6:06pm PDT
Note:
Swimming and wading in the water is prohibited for visitors’ safety! Everyone who enters the water should be sure to watch out for any sudden changes in the weather or the water levels.
4.) Stroll through some of the more accessible trails of the park.
The Patowmack Canal Trail, in particular, offers the perfect opportunity for wildlife viewing. Visitors should remember not to feed, touch, or interact with any animals they might encounter.
Want to challenge yourself with something more intense?
5.) Bring your four-legged friends!
Dogs love the outdoors, maybe even more than we do. There are an endless number of beautiful views which you can take in while enjoying some time with your little buddy.
Keep an eye on your pup at all times and remember that some paths will be easier for them to climb than others.
Note:
Make sure to bring poop bags, a leash, and water for your canine friends. This is a trash-free park, so bring a bag for any recycling and garbage.
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