National Parks and Recreation Month -- Bear Creek Lake!

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July is National Parks and Recreation Month! To celebrate and kick-off this wonderful month, I'm going to repost some of my favorite write-ups of various parks we've enjoyed. Yesterday, we visited Shenandoah National Park; today we're off to Bear Creek Lake State Park in VA!

For my birthday back in February, my family gave me something I’ve been wanting for several years – a new BIG tent with 5 comfortable cots. Yes, greenmomster is no longer camping; it’s “glamping” for me! So I decided to take my beautiful new tent out for her maiden voyage to Bear Creek Lake State Park in Cumberland VA, about an hour west of Richmond. What a pleasant surprise this park is! This 326 acre park includes a 40 acre lake and is surrounded by the 16,000 acre Cumberland State Forest. Our campsite sat right next to the lake, so we woke up to million-dollar views of the lake out our tent window! We tried a little archery and took a canoe tour led by the very friendly park staff and interpreters (can you believe that $5 paid for a 1 1/2 hour archery lesson?) Of course, we went fishing, hiking, and swimming at the lake beach. And what camping trip would be complete without a campfire and s’mores? But our campfire had an international flare, as we shared s’mores with our camping “neighbors” from down-under! Now we know a little more about camping in Australia!
Definitely a park to visit, Bear Creek Lake will certainly be on our “to do” list again next year!

Great American Campout!

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Are you someone who would like to camp and hike, but you think that you don't know how, or you don't have the right gear?

Well, have no fear!  This weekend, we celebrate the Great American Campout, which is a great way to learn about enjoying the great outdoors.  Events are happening all around the U.S.; one of my favorites is at Sky Meadows State Park.  The various events around the country are a great way to learn about camping, or take part in a nature or history program.  Check out an event near you and enjoy the beautiful summer weather -- as the National Wildlife Federation reminds us, the body, mind, and spirit benefit from outdoor activities! 

Nature that can freakin' kill you!

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Continuing on our week-long series of reposts on the national parks, here are my thoughts on Old Rag and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Be sure to "like" greenmomster on facebook!

Scrambling up Old Rag

Last weekend, our family took a terrific guided hike through the Harper’s Ferry, WV area led by Larry Broadwell from the Maryland Sierra Club.   We bushwhacked through brambles and up hills to find old Civil War forts that are now covered with weeds and trees.  This was not an easy hike.  The kids were covered with scratches from tangles of vines, burns from spring-growing nettles, bruises from falling down hills, and smiles from the fun they were having!  We imagined ourselves as civil war soldiers, climbing up hills to surprise the soldiers in the forts.  We really got a great sense of how difficult it must have been to be a soldier, wearing a wool uniform in summer, carrying a heavy rifle, and probably fighting on one meal a day.

This hike reminded me of a friend I had many years ago.  We were at a party and people were talking about all sorts of interesting strolls they had on various nature trails in the area.  My friend, who worked in organic agriculture and lived for many years in a house-trailer in Kansas responded, “Nature! These people don’t know anything about nature, the real nature!  Nature that can freakin’ kill you!”  Now, I don’t advocate doing fool-hardy stunts or ignoring dangerous weather conditions, but my friend did have a  point that’s applicable to my life (he also gave my family a great catch-phrase).  I’ve often found that although my kids always like getting outside, they really love experiences that involve some challenge and they really respect Mother Nature more when they feel her power.  Like bushwhacking up a hill to find a long-forgotten fort or climbing through the rock scramble to get to the top ofOld Rag.  Like getting wet in a cold stream while hunting for salamanders and crayfish (and then getting pinched by those same crayfish).  Or hiking in the snow.  I still remember camping as a kid and waking up to snow all around our tents – and that was back in the days of cotton sleeping bags, brrr!  (Full disclosure:  I do prefer “glamping” these days and just bought some very comfy cots for this summer’s outings).

Planting trees in the rain

On our trip a few years ago to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (the most visited park in the U.S.), one of our most enjoyable hikes was one we took in a rainstorm (no lightning or thunder – again, I’m not stupid).  Because the weather was lousy, the crowds were fewer (a big plus in the Smokies), and the waterfalls were spectacular in the rain.  The kids loved telling their friends about that particular hike!  And my kids aren’t the only ones who love a challenge.  Just last week, I photographed a small group of girl scouts planting trees for Earth Day at a local state park – it was 50 degrees, raining, and they were laughing the whole time!  My in-laws in Portland OR, never let a little snow or rain get in their way – they’re always off snowshoeing or hiking in the mist!  And those of us who live in warmer climates can grab the sunscreen and water and head into the summer swelter for a few adventures.

The bottom line is, we don’t have to wait for 70 degrees and sunny to venture out with the kids.  Some of their most memorable experiences will be when nature wasn’t at its easiest!

TBT–Bear Creek Lake!

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As we head into Fall (some of us kicking and screaming – that would be me), I thought it might be fun to suggest one more green getaway – Bear Creek Lake State Park.  If you don’t live near this park, try out a state park in your local area – they’re a great, cost-effective getaway!  For more getaways, be sure to “Like” greenmomster on Facebook.
For my birthday back in February, my family gave me something I’ve been wanting for several years – a new BIG tent with 5 comfortable cots.  Yes, greenmomster is no longer camping; it’s “glamping” for me!  So I decided to take my beautiful new tentout for her maiden voyage to Bear Creek Lake State Park in Cumberland VA, about an hour west of Richmond.  What a pleasant surprise this park is!   This 326 acre park includes a 40 acre lake and is surrounded by the 16,000 acre Cumberland State Forest.  Our campsite sat right next to the lake, so we woke up to million-dollar views of the lake out our tent window!   We tried a little archery and took a canoe tour led by the very friendly park staff and interpreters (can you believe that $5 paid for a 1 1/2 hour archery lesson?)  Of course, we went fishing, hiking, and swimming at the lake beach.  And what camping trip would be complete without a campfire and s’mores?  But our campfire had an international flare, as we shared s’mores with our camping “neighbors” from down-under!  Now we know a little more about camping in Australia!
Definitely a park to visit, Bear Creek Lake will certainly be on our “to do” list again next year!

10 Favorite Green Adventures for 2012

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‘Tis the season for lists and reminiscing, so greenmomster is going to indulge!  Here’s the list of my 10 favorite green activities for 2012.  I’d love to hear about yours too – be sure to post them on Facebook!

10)  Starting out the New Year at our favorite park – Sky Meadows – with our annual New Years Day hike!

9)  Being chosen as a Climate Mama on the Climate Mama website, a website and organization dedicated to reducing human impacts on our climate!

8)  Clamming on Block Island RI!  What a great day – hanging out with our favorite environmental science teacher, raking up clams, and learning about sustainability.

7)  Adopting a stream!  OK, maybe our stream wasn’t quite as healthy as we thought, but it was a great experience and we learned a lot.  And hope springs eternal – we’re checking out our new stream in January 2013!

6)  Goin’ Ape!  Swinging from ropes, practicing our tarzan yells, and zip-lining!

5)  Volunteering at Sky Meadows State Park with the family!  Whether we’re hiking the trails for trail maintenance, designing a calendar, taking pictures at park events, or collecting acorns, any day at Sky Meadows is a great day!

4)  Camping at Bear Creek Lake State Park!  Canoeing, fishing, archery, s’mores, and glamping in my new BIG tent with the family – what could be better than that?

3)  Hiking and biking on Bull Island SC!  We’ve still got that SC beach buzz going as we enjoy our sand dollar Christmas tree ornaments.

2) Attending the anti-fracking rally on the U.S. Capitol grounds this summer! Craft supplies for our protest signs – $3; parking near the rally – $20; sunscreen for the incredibly hot day – $10; hearing my son say “Hey Mom, I never knew there were so many people like you out there!” – priceless.

1)  Definitely one of my favorite green activities every year – watching the baby loggerhead sea turtles dash from their nests to the ocean! 

Happy New Year to all of the greenmomsters out there!  Here’s to a green 2013!

Green Getaways–Bear Creek Lake State Park

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For my birthday back in February, my family gave me something I’ve been wanting for several years – a new BIG tent with 5 comfortable cots.  Yes, greenmomster is no longer camping; it’s “glamping” for me!  So I decided to take my beautiful new tent out for her maiden voyage to Bear Creek Lake State Park in Cumberland VA, about an hour west of Richmond.  What a pleasant surprise this park is!   This 326 acre park includes a 40 acre lake and is surrounded by the 16,000 acre Cumberland State Forest.  Our campsite sat right next to the lake, so we woke up to million-dollar views of the lake out our tent window!   We tried a little archery and took a canoe tour led by the very friendly park staff and interpreters (can you believe that $5 paid for a 1 1/2 hour archery lesson?)  Of course, we went fishing, hiking, and swimming at the lake beach.  And what camping trip would be complete without a campfire and s’mores?  But our campfire had an international flare, as we shared s’mores with our camping “neighbors” from down-under!  Now we know a little more about camping in Australia! 

Definitely a park to visit, Bear Creek Lake will certainly be on our “to do” list again next year!

Happy Fathers Day to my favorite men!

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I hope all the green dads out there have a terrific day!  I’d like to send out a special “thank you” to all the green dads in my life --

To my dad who introduced me to the beautiful world of nature.  Although he doesn’t like to camp (“Desiree, I’m in the army.  I camp for a living”), he brought me to countless zoos, aquariums, nature centers, and national parks.  He showed me the Grand Canyon, the Alps, and the mountains of Peru.  He even allowed me to try to cross-pollinate the roses at our house!

To my brother, a terrific vegetable gardener!  We’ve had some fun hikes in the Smokey Mountains and near his family’s cabin in PA.
To my father-in-law, who raised my husband to love the great outdoors and still hikes regularly with my mother-in-law (an expert hiker in the Pacific NW).  He and my mother-in-law live in an entirely green high-rise in Portland OR.  My husband still talks about their first backpacking trip in the Rockies!

To my husband, who puts up with all of our family’s green experiments.  He was a bike commuter, even before biking was cool.  My husband was a bike courier in Boston, biked across the U.S. and Norway, and still bikes to work daily, come rain or shine.  He’s doing his part to slow climate change!

Happy Fathers Day to all of you!