Girls in the Park - Girls in the Park

Bok Tower Gardens

11/29/2015

While Ellison and I were fortunate to spend this past Thanksgiving week relaxing with family, we also managed to fit in a trip to beautiful Bok Tower Gardens. Our first visit, but definitely not our last!

Located in Lake Wales, Bok Tower Gardens is about a three hour drive for us from Gainesville and honestly, had we not happened to already be in the area, I am pretty certain we would not have sought it out as a destination in itself. But that that would have been our loss! If you are in to botanical gardens, carillon bells or interesting Florida history (which Ellison and I happen to be), then Bok Tower Gardens is your scene.

The centerpiece of the gardens is Bok Tower - a 205 foot tall tower built on the highest point in Florida (298 feet. Florida is just so flat. So, so flat.). The tower itself is architectually amazing with the carefully carved stonework, ornate brass door and glasswork all depicting Florida plants and wildlife. It houses carillon bells that visitors can watch being played live at 1 pm and 3 pm every afternoon via a tv screen set up in the garden. Ellison was very interested in these bells (which I thought was a little surprising because, well, she's 8.) and was quite fascinated by the whole process as she watched them being played. The music was beautiful and you can hear it from any location in the gardens. In front of the tower is a reflection pond, which allows for fantastic views and pictures, especially on sunny Florida afternoons.

In addition to the "singing tower', there is the Pinewood Estate, the Pine Ridge trail and the visitor's center. Pinewood Estate is a Mediterranean-style mansion that, unfortunately, Ellison and I did not get a chance to tour. We were both so disappointed! Even though we love being Girls in the Park, we love being Girls Checking out Beautiful Home Furnishings almost as much! It was in the process of being decorated for the holidays and was closed to the public, but we did get a chance to walk around the grounds and look in the windows. Fantastic. All of it.

The Pine Ridge Trails runs almost a mile from the "Window by the Pond" to the visitor center and is a nice walk though natural Florida habitat. Bok Tower Gardens is making a concerted effort to restore native plants and wildlife and offers a variety of educational material on the subject in the visitor center. Preservation and education are key components in the overall agenda of Bok Tower Gardens, whether it is environmental, historical or musical. This makes for an interesting visit and honestly, Ellison and I both learned so much and each ended up getting books at the gift shop in order to read even more about Edward Bok and the history behind the tower and its gardens. We're nerdy like that.

So even though our trip to Bok Tower Gardens was a little more refined than our usual hikes, it was a wonderful way to spend time outside, learn more about native Florida plants and animals and delve deeper into the state's historical past. It was a great day spent together as a family and Ellison and I loved everything about our visit. They are in the process of expanding their facilities and renovating a number of public areas and we are looking forward to a return visit once these renovations are complete. I am sure it will only serve to make an already beautiful sanctuary even more inviting. Ellison and I leave you today with the motto of the gardens from the words of Edward Bok,

"Make the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it."

See you back here next weekend!

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Smoky Mountain Hikes: Part 2 (Rich Mountain Loop Trail)

11/24/2015

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Cades Cove, in addition to being one of the most beautiful parts of the Smoky Mountains, is one of the best places to see deer. We never fail to get at least one special picture.

This is one of those places that no matter how many times you visit, you are still struck by its natural presence. Each season, and even each time of day, has something unique to offer. Cades Cove is one of our absolute favorite parts of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and no trip would be complete without at least a quick hike through its woods. But this year Ellison and I decided to try something a little longer and opted to take the Rich Mountain Loop.

Rich Mountain loop trail
(8.5 miles, 1736 elevation gain)

The Rich Mountain Loop trail in Cades Cove is one of the few loop hikes in the park and, while it starts off with a rather laborious climb, it offers a fantastic view of Cades Cove, a chance to explore an early settler cabin and a small, but very pretty, waterfall.

As this was our first time on this trail we weren't sure what to expect.The first two miles are uphill (if you start on the Crooked Arm Ridge trail) and it is very slow and steady climbing (we saw a bear cub! - but not its mom, so we moved quickly out of the area). I'm not going to lie - Ellison and I were not initially thrilled with this as we huffed and puffed our way up. But, by our logic, this allows you to end downhill with the John Oliver cabin, as well as pretty much guarantee that you'll have the trail to yourself since this is technically going 'backward'. If you're anything like Ellison or myself (and, of course, we suspect you are) it is better to get the hard part out of the way first when you have more energy and enthusiasm. This means you'll end on a high note and everyone will have forgotten the incessant complaining that occured five miles earlier.

This is a rather woody hike (as are most in the Smoky Mountains), and because of this it seems like it's one best taken in the winter when the trees are bare in order to maximize the views. As you walk along the ridgeline, the overlook opens up and you can see Townsend on your right and Cades Cove on your left. The view goes on for miles if the weather is clear. We were lucky and the skies were cloudless for the majority of our hike, though the fog was dense by late afternoon.

The route we took (Crooked Arm Branch to Indian Grave Gap to Rich Mountain Loop) had us ending with the John Oliver cabin and an easy walk about a mile from there to the parking area. As we were finishing up this last stretch, Ellison spotted an eight-point buck eating mushrooms alongside the trail. We watched it from a distance and then, after a few minutes, I moved closer to try and get a picture. He didn't seem to mind and continued eating for at least another 10 minutes - I was able to get close enough to take some great shots. It was the closest either one of us had been to a buck of this size and we were both so excited to just sit and watch him go about his business. Ellison is still talking about it!

The Rich Mountain Loop trail was a departure from our usual visit to Cades Cove and was a welcome respite from the crowds. Ellison and I enjoyed it (though I am not sure I would say it was my favorite of the trip) and, now that she is able to hike more substantial daily distances, we would love to check out other long trails in the area. Honestly, I can't imagine that there would be one in Cades Cove that would disappoint, so it's pretty much a sure bet.

Have you hiked Cades Cove? Do you have any recommendations? Ellison and I would love your advice as we make a list of trails we want to check out on our next trip.

See you back here next weekend!

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Smoky Mountain Hikes: Part One (Laurel Falls and Silers Bald)

11/15/2015

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The Smoky Mountain trails treated us well on our recent visit and we're ready to share all the details. But, first, I have to say CONGRATULATIONS!! to Ellison for completing her first double-digit hike during this trip (almost 11 miles!) and doing it with more energy and enthusiasm than I thought possible considering it was pretty much uphill both ways. She killed it on the Silers Bald trail and proved once again why she is my favorite hiking partner!

So you take your chances with the weather in the Smoky Mountains in November - some years it has been snowing so hard that trails closed early for the winter and then other years it has been 75 degrees and sunny. On this trip we had moderate temperatures and a lot of rain, which really cut into our hiking time. With 2 full days spent inside, we were forced to be more selective and opted for a few new experiences over some of our favorites.

Laurel Falls (2.6 miles,
320' elevation change)

No trip would be complete without a visit to Laurel Falls. This is the most popular hike in the park, but is worth it because the falls are so pretty. The 1.3 mile trail is paved to prevent erosion and it definitely not strenuous, but it is narrow with steep drop-offs so you do have to be somewhat attentive if you're hiking with small children. The waterfall is one of the biggest in the area (you can hear it long before you see it) and is the end destination of the vast majority of hikers on this trail.

Because everyone had to squeeze their hiking into the two-hour window of good weather available that day, the trail was particularly crowded, which meant so was the area around the waterfall. A million families were attempting to take the perfect picture for their holiday cards and the place was packed with crying kids and testy adults. And selfie sticks. Oh my lord, y'all, the selfie sticks. It was ridiculous. But normally if you wait a few minutes the crowd clears and you can enjoy the spot in relative peace.

The trail continues another 2.7 miles to the summit of Cove Mountain after Laurel Falls. We didn't go any further than the falls this time because the weather was getting bad, but I highly recommend making a day of it and hiking the longer route if you get the chance - you'll walk through some of the most beautiful forests in GSMNP.

silers bald (10.6 miles,
2300' elevation change)

So Ellison and I decided on Silers Bald because we wanted something longer and more strenuous than what we had attempted in the past, and we heard that the views from the top of the ridge were beautiful. This is one of the trails we mentioned in a previous post about the Smoky Mountains.

The hike to Silers Bald is 10.6 miles roundtrip when leaving from the Clingman's Dome parking lot (Forney Ridge trailhead). The initial ascent takes you through a fir forest (which smelled like Christmas trees, much to our delight) and then offers glimpses of mountain views on both sides of the trail as you reach the ridgeline, which forms a partial border between Tennessee and North Carolina. While there are places where it opens up, for the most part this route takes you through wooded, forested areas (like most Smoky Mountain trails) with an elevation change of around 2300'. Ellison and I didn't find this to be too challenging until the last mile or so back to Clingman's Dome. It's all uphill and we were tired from hours of walking and had to stop a few times to catch our breath. (Actually I was the only one stopping - Ellison wasn't tired at all. Youth. And her dad wasn't either. Ego.)

A good portion of this hike is along the Appalachian Trail and about the halfway point you'll come across a shelter for AT thru-hikers. It offers a place to rest, either for a few minutes or overnight, and access to fresh water. From there the trail continues for another few miles until you reach an area known as "the Narrows", where the trail becomes no more than a few feet wide for the rest of the trip to Silers Bald. Apparently Silers Bald used to be an actual bald, but is now overgrown and is simply a small clearing with a large rock painted with white arrows marking the direction of the Appalachian Trail.

After hiking for about 2.5 hours, Ellison was super excited to make it to the bald, but then quickly realized she had to hike the same route back to the trailhead. While she has hiked 5-6 miles many times before, it's never been much more than that. But, Ellison is amazing and was completely undaunted by another 2.5-3 hours of walking, much of which was uphill. She loved it and was in a great mood the entire time! We were really proud of her and, more importantly, she was really proud of herself. I think this hike served as the turning point for her willingness to take on longer routes and longer camping trips, which are both things we have really been wanting to do as a family.

While we're happy to be back home and looking forward to the next trip, Ellison and I will both miss being out on the Tennessee trails enjoying the mountain views and fall weather (minus the rain). If you would like to see more pictures from our trip and follow along as we venture to new places, check out Girls in the Park on Instagram (@girlsinthepark). We're excited about it and would love for you to join us!

See you back here next weekend!

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Nature makes us feel better. Science agrees.

11/4/2015

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Ellison on a rope swing in Hawaii. It makes me happy just looking at this picture. Nature is magic.

Ellison and I have both been under the weather lately -allergies and fall colds are causing us to feel run down more often than not. However, with the unseasonably warm weather here in Gainesville (90 degrees?!) we have been trying to get outside in hopes that some fresh air will get us on the road to recovery. Even if we aren't out hiking or exploring new areas, just an afternoon walk definitely lifts our spirits. Which got me thinking about the restorative powers of the outdoors, which then motivated me to actually put together a post I had been working on for awhile, but just hadn't completed (which is not a surprise to anyone who knows me). The following isn't intended to sound preachy, it's just meant to shed a little more light on a topic I feel is worth mentioning - the positive connection between spending time outside and improvements in our overall health.

So, start loving nature a little bit more. Go outside. Run around. Lay in the grass. Everybody. You, me, Ellison, my students. All of us. It will improve our physical, mental and emotional health. We'll learn new things, take deep breaths and if we do it once, we'll probably even want to do it again. We can do it alone, or with friends. We can take pictures and dogs, children and picnics.

One of the reasons Ellison and I started this blog was because we believe that being active outdoors makes us feel better. It's that simple. And that chances are it will make you feel better, too. The good news is that it looks like we're not the only ones. Science is has our back.

The healing powers of nature have long been known, but recently, as rapid urbanization has resulted in an alarming disconnect between people and the natural world, there has been a movement to scientifically prove these benefits in hopes of encouraging more people to get outside. Experts have made positive correlations between spending just 30 minutes outside a day with lower instances of (or improvement in symptoms related to) obesity, ADHD, mood disorders, anxiety, seasonal affective disorder, and a variety of psychopathologies. Psychologists are even recommending increased outdoor activity as treatment. It's called ecotherapy. While everyone can benefit from time spent outside, the key to establishing a lifelong connection to the natural world starts in childhood. Children who are exposed to daily unstructured outdoor play are healthier, happier and are more likely to care about the environment. While this seems so obvious, the amount of play time (and particularly play time spent outside) has greatly diminished for most children as a result of an increase in structured, supervised activities, a heightened sense of danger and fear related to the outdoors and technologies that cater to indoor fun.

We're all super busy just trying to get by and it's difficult to find time to do even one more little thing. But Ellison and I encourage you to at least glance at the list of readings we've put together below. You've probably heard of a number of these books and have maybe even read a few of them. If so, then you can attest to the healing power of nature as well as we can. If not, then we hope you will give the idea that nature is essential to a healthy life some thought and maybe even find ways to incorporate time outdoors into your weekly routine. And if you're a teacher, possibly find ways to incorporate more opportunities for your students to learn outdoors (forest kindergartens, anyone?). I will say, on this note, allowing my students (high school seniors) to study outside, having class outside in nice weather or just taking them on a simple walk in the open fields around school not only breaks up the monotony of the day (for them and me), but also adds a much appreciated element of relaxation to the class that does not diminish academic performance. I would argue the opposite, in fact.

These readings illustrate the connection between exposure to nature and overall well-being. I am by no means an expert (and have no connections to these books or articles other than I have read them over the years and happen to support the arguments made), but I can say that I (like many others) have struggled with real issues like ADHD, depression and anxiety, and incorporating regular outdoor activity into my everyday life has become a critical component in helping me manage my symptoms. I have had conversations with Ellison about this and I haven't tried to hide my struggles from her. I want her to know that while spending time doing things together outside is fun, it is also an important way in which we take care of our holistic health and that there are real consequences that result from a lack of exposure to nature, both as individuals and collective societies. She seems to understand, and I hope that Trevor and I have instilled a foundation strong enough that she will continue to value these principles as she gets older.

So check out our list! Did we leave off something essential? Feel free to add your own recommendations - Ellison and I would love to hear from you!

* Click on image to link to the book or article. Book covers and article photos not property of Girls in the Park.

Last child in the woods - richard louv

This is the book that really brought national attention to the idea that kids may actually end up suffering lifelong consequences as a result of not spending enough time playing outside. I remember receiving this book as a gift from a student in my class many years ago. He had gone to hear the author speak about the concept of "nature-deficit disorder" and thought that I would appreciate Louv's viewpoint. He was right. Thank you so much, John!

The Nature Principle - Richard Louv

This is the follow-up to Last Child in the Woods, published 7 years later, in 2012. Whereas Last Child in the Woods focused more on the issue of nature-deficit disorder, The Nature Principle addresses what we need to do both as parents and as a society to reconnect with nature. I love this book. It served as a motivating factor in my decision to start this blog with Ellison.

Your brain on nature -
eva selhub, alan logan

This book is a little more scientific than the other two, and it offers a clear picture of the varying effects of both technology and nature on the human brain. It gets into detail about how natural settings can affect everything from impulse control to sleep quality to academic and athletic performance. This book made me reevaluate the way I approach almost every aspect of my life. For real.

how to raise a wild child - scott sampson

I just finished this book and loved it as both a parent and a teacher. Sampson (who is the paleontologist on the PBS KIDS show, Dinosaur Train) examines the need for nature in the lives of children from infants to teenagers, offers ways to incorporate more of the outdoors into our lives and even touches on how to affect environmental policy changes. A lot of what is in this book is widely known, but I still think it should be a "must-read" for anyone who interacts with kids!

How walking in nature changes the brain -
NY Times

green spaces makes kids smarter -
the atlantic

stanford researchers find mental health prescription: nature -
Stanford report

kids need to offset 'screen time' with 'nature time' -
cbc news

Ellison, Trevor and I leave for our annual hiking trip in Tennessee tomorrow. While this is something that we look forward to as a family for many reasons, all three of us agree that a big part of the appeal is that we get to spend almost all of our time being physically active. Unlike other vacations, especially those in cities where we race around trying to fit in all the things we want to see/visit/do (which is fun in its own right - especially in NYC!), this trip to the Smoky Mountains relaxes us and restores our peace of mind. While we may not all have the luxury of long daily jaunts through the woods like those of Henry David Thoreau, hopefully we can all make a little more time to get outside.

"I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits, unless I spend four hours a day at least — and it is commonly more than that — sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements."
- Henry David Thoreau

See you back here next weekend with some stories from the Smoky Mountain trails!

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Welcome!

My family and I love to get outside and explore every chance we get. My daughter and I started this blog as a way to chronicle not only the places we have visited, but also as a way to preserve our time together. We hope you enjoy it and will make a little time for a hike with friends!
More about GIP

Bok Tower Gardens

Smoky Mountain Hikes: Part 2 (Rich Mountain Loop Trail)

Rich Mountain loop trail
(8.5 miles, 1736 elevation gain)

Smoky Mountain Hikes: Part One (Laurel Falls and Silers Bald)

Laurel Falls (2.6 miles,
320' elevation change)

silers bald (10.6 miles,
2300' elevation change)

Nature makes us feel better. Science agrees.

Last child in the woods - richard louv

The Nature Principle - Richard Louv

Your brain on nature -
eva selhub, alan logan

how to raise a wild child - scott sampson

How walking in nature changes the brain -
NY Times

green spaces makes kids smarter -
the atlantic

stanford researchers find mental health prescription: nature -
Stanford report

kids need to offset 'screen time' with 'nature time' -
cbc news

Welcome!

instagram

Categories

Archives

Bok Tower Gardens

Smoky Mountain Hikes: Part 2 (Rich Mountain Loop Trail)

Rich Mountain loop trail(8.5 miles, 1736 elevation gain)

Smoky Mountain Hikes: Part One (Laurel Falls and Silers Bald)

Laurel Falls (2.6 miles, 320' elevation change)

silers bald (10.6 miles, ​2300' elevation change)

Nature makes us feel better. Science agrees.

Last child in the woods - richard louv

The Nature Principle - Richard Louv

Your brain on nature -​eva selhub, alan logan

how to raise a wild child - scott sampson

How walking in nature changes the brain -​NY Times

green spaces makes kids smarter -​the atlantic

stanford researchers find mental health prescription: nature -​Stanford report

kids need to offset 'screen time' with 'nature time' -cbc news

Welcome!

instagram

Categories

Archives

Rich Mountain loop trail
(8.5 miles, 1736 elevation gain)

Laurel Falls (2.6 miles,
320' elevation change)

silers bald (10.6 miles,
2300' elevation change)

Your brain on nature -
eva selhub, alan logan

How walking in nature changes the brain -
NY Times

green spaces makes kids smarter -
the atlantic

stanford researchers find mental health prescription: nature -
Stanford report

kids need to offset 'screen time' with 'nature time' -
cbc news