The Window Seat: Nature & Outdoors Archives

You may not be aware of this, but it snows regularly on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Yes, you read that right--at a staggering 13,790 feet, the dormant volcano Mauna Kea (“White Mountain” in the native Hawaiian tongue) dons a sparkling cap of snow in wintertime. (Its counterpart, Mauna Loa, does the same, although snow on the latter is less visible due to its more rounded peak.) Because of Mauna Kea’s unique assets, native Hawaiians have long considered it a sacred site.

Incidentally, the summit of Mauna Kea is also an ideal place for stargazing, given its height and remoteness from major cities. Hence, it now houses several of the world’s leading astronomical observatories. Native Hawaiian groups are displeased with these developments, protesting that the developments defile the sacredness of the site.

Photo courtesy of the 'Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai'i.

Richard Louv coined the phrase Nature Deficit Disorder in his book LAST CHILD IN THE WOODS and ever since I read about it, I've been thinking about how the majority of us are nature deprived; and as a result, in some way, suffering. How many times are you outside walking about but barely taking in the world around you? Have we forgotten how to truly see? Louv claims that in really seeing, and more importantly in experiencing and interacting with, nature we are more able to deal with the troubles that life hurls our way. He links ADD and ADHD among other symptoms that can be healed through more interaction with nature.

I got to thinking about how our vacations are our time (especially as adults) to stop and sniff the roses. It's how we recharge. But how many of us return from vacations exhausted? So my question is, are we getting that time? And Louv would contend that this issue is critical when we look at how families vacation because we must teach our children to embrace nature. For if we don’t, they will never develop an appreciation for and a commitment to nature. Without that, our environmental stewards will die off within just a few generations and the outlook for the world will be bleak.

I polled Travelocity’s travelers and asked them about how they spend time on family vacations to see what has changed over the past several generations. Here are the highlights of what I found.

Photo thanks to IgoUgo member Caromeow

This week, I’m visiting local TV stations to raise awareness of a looming generational crisis: nature-deficit disorder. A term coined by Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, this “disorder” isn’t a medical diagnosis, but a description of the “human costs of alienation from nature,” he writes. In his book, he recalls fond memories of being outdoors: hiking deep into the woods where he climbed trees and felt the exhilaration of nature swarm around him. In one powerful statement he divulged that “nature was my Ritalin.”

This past weekend, I stole away to Long Island for some seaside biking with my family. I spent the first hour-and-a-half jaywalking my bike across parkways, a quarter-mile behind my father (who, incidentally, was alternating between illegal sidewalk-riding and erratic wrong-way riding), because it turned out that a bicycle trailhead was nowhere to be found.

From the time we found the path, though, the ride was gorgeous: winding over sailboats and sea, with marsh grass blowing alongside, the route was well-maintained and not too crowded. I enjoyed the foray beyond my usual Brooklyn bike route so much that I’m determined to take this show even further afield. And what better time to plot a path around the world than today, Earth Day? I can’t think of a more enjoyable, healthy, and eco-friendly way to explore a new town than on bicycle, and I’m not the only one: W Hotels are offering free PUMA bike rentals to guests to mark Earth Day.

Editors’ Note: To celebrate Earth Day on April 22, The Window Seat is devoting this week to exploring some of the world’s natural environments, hereby declaring this Nature Week. Through our Nature Week posts, we hope to inspire all travelers to get outside and interact with nature no matter where they happen to be. For more ideas, visit our collection of Children & Nature road trips and volunteer opportunities.

I did Disney World. I was five. I remember the haunted house ride because I went on it with my grandpa and I worried the entire time that he would have a heart attack right there in the cart next to me. I remember being absolutely wrecked after running as fast as I could to chase down Goofy to get my picture taken with him only to have him disappear through an invisible door in some fake wall before my little legs could catch up to him. And that’s pretty much all I remember from the Magical Kingdom.

The truth is, the truly magical moments I remember from my childhood didn’t come from any sort of manufactured fun. My most vivid memory from that trip to Florida is climbing a ladder in an orange grove, picking an orange, and having the farmer squeeze the juice right there in front of me and tasting the best thing I’d tasted up to that point in my life. Later that night we wandered out back behind my Uncle Roger’s house to look for the crocodiles that supposedly lived in his pond. The thought of those crocs lurking in the waters made my heart race with a delightful terror the haunted house could never have. No animated characters or movie theater popcorn necessary to create those memories – just the pure beauty and thrill of nature.

Editors’ Note: To celebrate Earth Day on April 22, The Window Seat is devoting this week to exploring some of the world’s natural environments, hereby declaring this Nature Week. Through our Nature Week posts, we hope to inspire all travelers to get outside and interact with nature no matter where they happen to be. For more ideas, visit our collection of Children & Nature road trips and volunteer opportunities.

It’s ironic. Animals like sea turtles, penguins, elephants, and reef fish draw tourists from all over the world, and in so doing, bring in so many well-intended gawkers like me that many of their habitats have been irreversibly changed.

When I was in St. John last year, after I finally figured out how to operate my snorkel breathing tube in a way in which I wasn’t involuntarily gargling salt water, an entire otherworld opened up. With sounds muffled and body buoyant, I wondered at the novelty of sensation with the keen awareness that I was the alien intruder into a bustling, day-glo colored society of gills that thrived completely oblivious of me, yet symbiotic. And I couldn’t help but notice that some of the corals beneath me had gone gray and abandoned.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member adman2u.

Editors’ Note: To celebrate Earth Day on April 22, The Window Seat is devoting this week to exploring some of the world’s natural environments, hereby declaring this Nature Week. Through our Nature Week posts, we hope to inspire all travelers to get outside and interact with nature no matter where they happen to be. For more ideas, visit our collection of Children & Nature road trips and volunteer opportunities.

Allow me to let you in on a little secret. You may think you've frolicked on the best beaches of Panama City, Florida, but you haven't. A long time ago my hometown parceled off a portion of our beaches and gave it over to the tourists who come every year with their boom boxes, cans of Natty Light, and coolers.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member wheretogonext.

Editors’ Note: To celebrate Earth Day on April 22, The Window Seat is devoting this week to exploring some of the world’s natural environments, hereby declaring this Nature Week. Through our Nature Week posts, we hope to inspire all travelers to get outside and interact with nature no matter where they happen to be. For more ideas, visit our collection of Children & Nature road trips and volunteer opportunities.

On either side of the Golden Gate Bridge, you’ll find elements of the natural world seamlessly coexisting with city life. The Presidio, part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, guards the city side of the bridge while Muir Woods National Monument awaits those who want to get away from San Francisco for a day of hiking.

I’ve done my share of exploring these city-side nature retreats, climbing inside a massive Redwood at Muir Woods and leisurely walking along the trails of the Presidio to marvel at the beautiful historic buildings. The Presidio is steeped in a rich culture history; a fact that I was well aware of. Something I didn’t know about the Presidio is that it boasts a rich natural history as well. More than 100 million years in the making, the Presidio is home to rare ecosystems, found in only a few places on the planet. Everything from its unique plant communities to the sand dunes are results of massive geological events, and exploring these are all part of the San Francisco experience. How’s that for a day in the city?

I’ve always thought that San Francisco was a one of a kind city in this sense, happily marrying big city life with outdoor pursuits. Well, it turns out that it’s not all that unique. Even if the family plans to visit a big city destination this summer, chances are, nature awaits beyond the skyscrapers and public transportation.

Editors’ Note: To celebrate Earth Day on April 22, The Window Seat is devoting this week to exploring some of the world’s natural environments, hereby declaring this Nature Week. Through our Nature Week posts, we hope to inspire all travelers to get outside and interact with nature no matter where they happen to be. For more ideas, visit our collection of Children & Nature road trips and volunteer opportunities.

Besides blogging on The Window Seat, part of my job here is to talk to reporters about the travel industry. Sure, I spend a lot of time giving out money-saving tips and talking about the airlines, but once in awhile, I get the chance to talk about Travel for Good.

It has two parts: Go Zero, which allow travelers to purchase carbon offsets and plant tress through our partners at The Conservation Fund to trap the carbon emissions from their trips; and the Change Ambassador program, which helps people find volunteer vacations that are tailored to their interests.

Travelocity’s program was the first of its kind offered by an online travel agency, and the people behind the program are so passionate about it, I’ve been inspired to try and get the word out there whenever I have the opportunity. I had one such opportunity recently, and I am happy to report that I’m pretty sure Travel for Good inspired lots of news producers to – because this one interview was picked up by 34 television stations around the country.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member Sharon F. from the 1,000 Trees for Tucson Make a Difference day event.

Editors’ Note: To celebrate Earth Day on April 22, The Window Seat is devoting this week to exploring some of the world’s natural environments, hereby declaring this Nature Week. Through our Nature Week posts, we hope to inspire all travelers to get outside and interact with nature no matter where they happen to be. For more ideas, visit our collection of Children & Nature road trips and volunteer opportunities.

I was so enamored with New Zealanders on my first trip Down Under in October that I spent the next few months lamenting, more often than I’d like to admit, the fact that I am not a Kiwi.

Everyone there seemed so friendly, so warm, so happy, that it’s hard not to think of the isolated country as some sort of sheep-dotted nirvana. Well, I may have missed the boat when it comes to being a born-and-bred Kiwi, but it’s entirely within my power to become a real live kaitiaki instead—and that’s close enough for me.

Editors’ Note: To celebrate Earth Day on April 22, The Window Seat is devoting this week to exploring some of the world’s natural environments, hereby declaring this Nature Week. Through our Nature Week posts, we hope to inspire all travelers to get outside and interact with nature no matter where they happen to be. For more ideas, visit our collection of Children & Nature road trips and volunteer opportunities.

If New York City were a child, it would be one of those way-beyond-her-years kids who’s a total genius at some esoteric pursuit—calculus, poetry writing, playing the oboe—who speaks four languages thanks to carefully orchestrated childcare, and who’s shuttled every day after school to various lessons and practices that will someday contribute to a formidable college application. All impressive and enriching and wonderfully exciting, to be sure, but the poor kid is in desperate need of some fresh air. That’s where Scenic Hudson comes in. To kick off Nature Week at The Window Seat, I’m putting the spotlight on this fantastic environmental organization devoted to preserving the Hudson River Valley, which gives New Yorkers like me an easy, and much-needed, escape from the urban jungle.

I always looked forward to family vacations as a kid. My parents would load the minivan with games and a cooler full of goodies, and we’d hit the road. Of course, my little sister and I would usually end up fighting in the backseat, but the conflicts were laid to rest with pit stops along the way and the occasional ice cream break at Dairy Queen.

The most memorable road trip was one that we took to Red River, New Mexico the summer after fourth grade. It was the first time I saw a mountain range. I remember winding our way through the beautiful scenery, stopping at various outlooks to relish the views and explore. To me, road trips have always been about more than just getting from Point A to Point B; they’re a chance spend quality time with family and to see parts of the country that you’d otherwise overlook.

Knowing that summertime is limited and road warriors have a lot of ground to cover, I consulted the road-tripping gurus at RoadTrip Wizard to get their recommendations on making the most of America by car. They suggested 15 drives to introduce the family to some of the country’s most beautiful, natural landscapes, but I whittled the list down to my five personal favorites:

Here’s the situation: I have only skied twice in my life in conditions that many West Coasters would sneer at. Both times were many, many years ago, in fake machine-generated snow, on soft and forgiving East Coast slopes. In one case, I fell so spectacularly (cartwheeling head over skis into the air) that a person on the ski lift above actually shouted down at me to make sure I was okay.

In a couple weeks, I head to Vail, Colorado, where the snow is the real deal, and the mountains are thousands of feet higher than those in Pennsylvania’s White Tail and Virginia’s Wintergreen. I’ll be going with friends who currently reside in Colorado, and who spend every weekend that they can snowboarding. While they shred the triple-zillion black-diamond runs and conquer the K-12 a la Lane Myer, my plan is to take a lesson and baby my days away on the bunny slope. But what I can’t decide regarding my lesson is, skiing or snowboarding?

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member NSXEatr.

As far as U.S. vacation spots go, beauty-queen Oahu, social-butterfly Manhattan, and flamboyant Key West always grab the limelight first. But what about the best American islands that you’ve never been to? Read on for five unique and close-to-home island getaways rich in Americana and natural treasures.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member Reiflame.

It’s an unfortunate truth that the average American isn’t going to get to the African savannah to watch a wildebeest, the Mongolian Steppe to see ibex, or the Antarctic shelf to ooh-ahh at penguins. That’s why so many cities proudly flaunt their zoos as a way to showcase and preserve exotic and endangered creatures.

Years ago, while staying with a host family in Uruapan, Mexico, I had the opportunity to visit the zoo in the nearby Michoacan state capital of Morelia. This was not the cushy Smithsonian Institution Zoo that I’d grown up with in D.C. Amid a frenzy of balloons and lime-chili-chip vendors, I stood in front of a tiger cage that stank of raw meat and watched a magnificent cat pace back and forth in an intensely dense cloud of flies. Echoing my thoughts exactly, the father of my host family lamented aloud, “pobrecito, el tigre” (poor little tiger).

National Zoo tiger photo courtesy of IgoUgo member Reiflame.

If it’s true that you can attract more bees with honey, then can you attract more tourists with… aliens? That’s the crux of a controversy in the state of New Mexico right now, where they are considering the further release of a round of ads starring aliens to ratchet up tourism to the Land of Enchantment. No doubt, there’s an interest out there for UFOs and other unexplained mysteries--just ask Dennis Kucinich and Shirley MacLaine.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member jurko.

The best traveling companions aren’t always the ones with whom you left home. Some of my most memorable travel buddies are people I’ve met along the way: Erwin of the indigo hair in the Paris Laundromat; Paula of the free pizza on the train to Rome; Christos and Jason of the ouzo on the Greek ATVs. The list goes on.

A few weeks ago, I spent two days with a group that inspired me in ways none of my previous friends of travel happenstance can claim, and, perhaps not surprisingly, I met them in New Zealand, the friendliest and most inspiring place I’ve ever visited.

Their names are Niko, Baldy, Auntie Sugar, Reina, Corrinne, Claire, and Brent; their mountain is Ruapehu; their river is Whanganui.

This weekend, as wildfires raged across the southern half of California and Governor Schwarzenegger channeled The Terminator to warn all arsonists that he will “hunt them down,” I fled to the east and atop the jack-o-lantern laden Sierra Nevada mountains for my annual “girls weekend” at Lake Tahoe.

Now put your frozen-bra and pillow-fight illusions aside. This fall tradition began about five years ago, when we didn’t even know it was going to be a tradition, just a generous invitation to a friend’s family cabin in the woods with views of the lake, mountains, pink-valentine sunsets, and a woo-hooo witchy-woman moon glowing through the giant glass windows.

Photo: One of the Angora Lakes before this year’s fire.

This time of year I’ve got the white stuff on the brain. No, no. Not the Hollywood starlet kind of white stuff—I mean snow, of course. And so I begin to convince (some might say coerce) my friends to take a big ski trip with me.

But in every group there are always a few non-skiers. These poor souls get dragged to the mountain year after year by ski bums who care more about the inches of fresh powder than the amenities. This ski season, to tempt my favorite non-skiing compatriots, I looked up the best on-the-mountain bars. These watering holes are destinations unto their own, affording unmatched alpine views and elixirs to keep you toasty, and all are accessible without skis.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member captain oddsocks.

What’s better than a relaxing day off work spent lounging in the countryside? Nothing, except that same day spent imbibing some of California’s finest wines, nibbling on exquisite appetizers, and chatting with friendly vintners in a quaint, bucolic atmosphere.

I just got back from a one-day wine tasting excursion to Napa Valley. Napa is a world-famous destination for wine lovers of all kinds, and is also known for its lush scenery. Framed by rolling hills shrouded in stout oak trees, and sprinkled liberally with brilliant California poppies, olive trees, and those famous vineyards, Napa is a true treat for the senses, even for those who are not particularly wine-inclined.

Some people are all work and no play, others are merely slackers holding down a day job to fund their fun. Others still work hard and play harder. Then, there is that nearly imperceptible minority that simply cannot bear to be separated from their coworkers for even the slightest passage of time and so engage in some sort of fun jaunt on the weekend with their various professional counterparts. The office outing can be a dreaded affair but not at IgoUgo. I don’t mind telling you that here we take our fun seriously, and we settle any in-house issues the old-fashioned way: with duels.

This past Saturday afternoon, as I stood in the sunlight soaking wet from a flume ride and nibbling on a pickle on a stick, a bearded man asked me in all earnestness if I wanted to learn about lye soap. Bluegrass music emanated from a nearby rock. To my right, bald eagles rested on a branch. To my left, a woman in period dress stood in line to buy a pork rind while the man paying in front of her was holding onto a kid on a leash and wearing a t-shirt that read “get high on Jesus.”

This was my first visit to Dollywood, which is part amusement park, part celebration of Smoky Mountain culture, and part rollicking country fair. It was day three of a whirlwind road trip through the region, and my friends and I would be staying that night in the Tennessee town of Pigeon Forge, where it quickly became clear that the backwoods are back in style and it’s hot to be a hillbilly.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member Alan63.

Ah, the Great Outdoors. There’s nothing like lying in a tent at night listening to the final crackles of the fire, the occasional owl hoot, and the far-off coyote call. Even better is letting the songbirds wake you up in the morning, the rustle of the chipmunks in the trees, and, umm. What is that annoying tapping sound?

I’m talking about the sound of the gal in the tent next door. The gal who is furiously tapping on her keyboard thanks to the glory of wi-fi access, which according to the Associated Press, is becoming more and more common in campgrounds each year.

I’ve just returned from the U.S. Virgin Island of St. John after a week of sunset swimming and amateur snorkeling attempts. If you’re interested in that sort of thing—and in hiking, boating, sunbathing, and pina-colada drinking—then the good news is that, according to the Boston Globe, prices on Caribbean vacations and cruises are remaining refreshingly low for summer.

St. John is unique in that two-thirds of it is national park (so pristine!), and this extends under the sea to its rich coral gardens. On the island, just five minutes outside of Cruz Bay, each bend of the jungle road leads to another unspoiled beach, no two alike but all equally blessed with the fabled white sands and clear waters so touted in all the brochures.

I'm not a big hiker. To be honest, I'm not really a big exerciser. Sure, I drag myself to the gym every few days and walk 50 minutes roundtrip to and from work, but I only manage to do the former because it's in the lobby of my office building, and I certainly make up for the latter with supplementary trips to the candy bowl. (Supplementary to the candy I'm already eating, you understand. Because I need my strength with all that walking!)

And so this weekend when the mercury hit the high 70s in San Francisco and my boyfriend dragged me out of the house for some fresh air--some fresh hillside air--I wasn't too into it. Because although my single greatest achievement in life is the completion of a four-hour hike over the Great Wall of China in 90 degree heat and badly-fitting shoes, I only really did that by accident. (I thought we were going to a nice busy spot, where I could take a few pictures, wander around a little, and buy some postcards. I didn't know we'd be trekking from one remote spot to the other, with only a few hastily-made peanut butter sandwiches and a can of overpriced Pringles for sustenance.) In the end, the hike was fun, of course, but it was fun in the way that eating ten Snickers bars in a row is fun. Which is to say, I probably wouldn't want to do it again.

I swear this post is about the mountains, despite the apparent lack thereof in the picture. (If you squint really hard you can see them in the background I swear - but isn’t my dog cute?) Today is my one-year anniversary of having left my mountain town for the city, and while I have very few complaints about the relocation, I still desperately miss the mountains – particularly in the summertime. While the picture might not scream mountains, it reminds me of all the things I love about them in the warm weather months.

When I was traveling around Southeast Asia last fall, there was a t-shirt making the rounds in the markets of Bangkok. It featured a tree with a speech bubble over its branches reading “hug me,” and a man standing next to it saying “no.” I’m not sure exactly what it signified--for all I know, it could just have been poorly translated from the Thai--but I chose to believe that it had something to do with the fact that sometimes we just don’t make the right ethical, environmental, and moral choices when it comes to looking after the world.

With Earth Day upon us, it’s important, I think, to highlight the amazing natural wonders of the planet, whether it’s the ones we use up our vacation days going to visit, or the ones we pass by every day. And so it was with great delight that I stumbled across Neatorama’s list of the Top 10 Most Magnificent Trees in the World.

Those who know that I once went bungee jumping off the summit of some sort of manmade pier in Mexico may not believe me when I say that heights give me the chills. (That adventure, btw, was definitely a one time thing!) Needless to say, the idea of walking across a glass bridge towering 4,000 feet above the earth doesn’t appeal to this aversion of mine, but people lined up today to be one of the first to experience the Grand Canyon Skywalk. At a whopping $75 per person, that’s one pricey stroll, but the attraction is expected to lure travelers who visit the Las Vegas area for its unparalleled view of the Canyon.

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Lots of events have conspired over the last few years to bring the fragility of the environment into the spotlight. As a self-proclaimed eco-ge

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