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Newsletter
Spring 2008
Welcome
to spring at Earth Routes, where green travel is more
than where we go and what we do — it's how we travel. If we journey with a
respect for Earth's resources and inhabitants, we contribute to a world which
supports healthy growth, both in nature and in human relationships.
Earth Routes can provide research,
resources, and reservations for your travels.
A
LETTER FROM HOME
A pine tree in my yard fell down in
a windstorm last fall. It’s the one I’ve gazed at from my bed for many years,
always there to show me how windy or snowy or wet the weather is. Now that
it’s not there I have to look around more, and look farther afield to see
what’s happening. I’ve managed to find other natural events to observe. From
another window I’ve seen a hawk catching the first rays of morning sun on a
dead tree limb. On a walk near a vernal pool I heard a chorus of chuckling
that I discovered to be wood frogs. In nearby woods I was honored to see a
great horned owl fly by and to hear him call to a distant mate. I know I
would have seen all these things even if my pine tree were still standing,
but its absence has made me think about appreciating what’s still there.
May our eyes and ears always find something green and
lively!
GREEN
LODGING:
Nature
retreat in Ohio
A peaceful stay at a cabin in
southeast Ohio may be just what you need to recover from winter blahs,
fast-paced work, or just too much time within four walls. If you’d prefer to
bring a group or have a more structured retreat, there’s also a lodge where
cooking classes, yoga sessions and massage treatments can be arranged, to
re-awaken your senses and revitalize your body. The owners of this rural
retreat center in the Hocking Hills have designed their lodge and cabin to
put their guests close to nature, with large windows, natural building
materials, environmentally friendly cleaning materials, and hiking trails
through the woods right starting right outside the door. Ask Earth
Routes to book your stay here!
FEATURED
TRIP: An
earlier Alaska
I distracted myself from spring
cleaning recently by reading notes and journal entries about a family trip to
Alaska many years ago. It was the first trip plan that I made, long before I
got into the travel profession. Family members came from Vermont, California,
and southwest Alaska to meet in Seattle and board the ferry to travel up the
coast on the Marine Highway. We were re-creating in part the trip that
prospectors made when gold was discovered in the Yukon Territory a century
earlier, and we were just as excited though much more comfortable than those
earlier adventure-seekers.
We spent two full days gazing at the wild scenery and
watching for eagles and whales as the ferry made its way along British
Columbia and up the Inside Passage of southeast Alaska. We made the most of
the ferry stops, looking around the small towns. I still have the faceted
garnet stone I bought from a youngster who had set up shop at one ferry
landing, and I remember the fascination of being able to walk through town to
the start of a mountain trail when we landed in Juneau – after midnight but
still dusk. I had the best of both worlds in the evenings, spending time with
the congenial backpackers camped out on the deck and then sleeping on a bunk
in a cabin booked for other (non-backpacking) family members. I joined the
backpackers when we got off the ferry in Skagway and headed out on the
Chilkoot Trail for four days of hiking through wilderness and history. The non-backpackers
explored Skagway and later took the White Pass Railway to meet us at Lake
Bennett, where we had a roadhouse meal before traveling on by train to
Whitehorse. Out on the trail, there was rusty evidence of the many tons of
supplies hauled by gold-seekers; stove parts, sled runners, tools and even a
boiler furnace made the hike an open-air museum. Historic signs described
places where tent cities sprang up, and the photo of the line of travelers
going up over the pass in winter was memorable. We hiked on snow sometimes,
too, but the summer sun was warm and we hiked until midnight on the last
night.
We came back to the twentieth century to fly from
Whitehorse to Anchorage, then drove to more wilderness at Denali National
Park, where sightings of Mt. McKinley are rare but sightings of moose and
bear are common. The best views are from the park bus, which travels slowly
along the 80 miles of park road and stops as often as there’s a view to be
seen or a hiker to be picked up. We got closer experiences of the mountains
and tundra on hikes out from the road, picking our way along ridges or creeks
without trail markers. I remember being terrified when I saw a bull moose
from a distance walking towards me. I ran up the nearest hill, not having any
place to take cover on the tree-less tundra, and I looked back to see the
moose continuing on his way, certainly aware of me but not showing any concern or interest – it was his world, not
mine.
On the highway again, south of Anchorage, we drove up
to a glacier, hiked to a place where we could slide down a snowfield, took a
boat trip along deeply cut fjords with shorebirds nesting on steep cliffs,
and saw the distinctive blue ice of a glacier dwarfing the boat from half a
mile away. I don’t recall much about the cities and towns we saw along the
way – the wilderness is what stayed with me.
These adventures are still there to be had! Give Earth
Routes a call to help plan your future trip!
FEATURED TIP: Appreciate nature’s wonders
There are many organizations whose purpose is to
preserve sites of natural beauty or significance, from national and
provincial parks to local and regional land trusts. Travelers can take
advantage of having such sites discovered and made available to them. Often
there are trails and signs highlighting the history of the land and the
events of a particular season, from what’s in bloom to who’s migrating
through. Respectful practices and entrance fees help in the effort to keep
these wonders around.
Even if we aren’t visiting one of these special
places we can see what natural beauty has been saved for us to enjoy near our
own neighborhoods. Check out public lands, land trusts, and state or county
parks in your area.
TRIP
PLANNING: Balance rest and adventure
When you’re planning a
trip to a far-away place or a destination that’s new to you, there’s a
temptation to fill your days and get as much as you can from the trip. You’ll
be able to enjoy it more, though, if you give yourself some rest time. Plan
for some unplanned time – give yourself a break from your adventures! If
you’re traveling for more than a week, taking a whole day off is not a bad
idea. You can always use the time to write a letter or a journal entry about
where you’ve been, and you’ll have a long-lasting memory of your trip.
LODGING NOTE: Bring your papers; check your bill
I have read several hotel reviews lately
that note unpleasant surprises in the travelers’ final bill. Producing a
print-out of the reservation and rate usually solved the problem, but
sometimes there were charges added on in error. A quick check-out is great,
but it’s best to leave time to look over the bill and get any mistaken
charges removed before you have to race to your next travel connection.
AIRLINE TRAVEL NOTE
Spring is bringing several changes in the
airline industry. Smaller airlines ATA and SkyBus have gone out of business;
charter flight operator Champion Air will terminate by June; and Frontier
Airlines is still operating but is re-organizing under bankruptcy protection.
Alitalia is said to be nearing bankruptcy. Major airlines are announcing
mergers: Delta and Northwest are planning to merge, and it’s likely that
United will try to merge with another major airline. Travelers may face fewer
options and higher prices as competition diminishes and fuel prices rise.
There will also be continuing inspections of all US
airlines by the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) through the end of June.
This will probably mean more flight cancellations as aircraft are temporarily
pulled out of service to be inspected. Ticket-holders should make sure the
airline has their contact information, and should also check with the airline
a day or two before the flight for any changes.
VOLUNTEER WORK TRIP: International
workcamps
If you’re interested in the
adventure of working and living with people from different countries, you can
live in a foreign country for 2 to 3 weeks this summer and pay as little as
$300. Volunteers for Peace is a non-profit organization that works with communities
in more than 100 countries, placing volunteers in projects that serve local
needs. A project in the Czech Republic is constructing a historical museum of
houses made of wood, brush, and hay; in Japan volunteers can work with
farmers to build a playground in a rural setting; in Vietnam volunteers are
needed to organize activities and play with children in a home for the
disabled and orphaned. There are many workcamp projects in the US, too.
These are experiences in intercultural immersion as
well as service, since participants come from four or more different
countries to each workcamp. Most volunteers are ages 21 to 25, but adults of
all ages are welcome. See www.vfp.org for a directory of
offerings. Travel to the workcamp is the responsibility of the volunteers; Earth
Routes can help with plans and tickets.
GREEN TRAVEL TIP: Get
roadside assistance for your bike!
The
Better World Club provides an alternative to AAA for insurance coverage of roadside
breakdowns, and they go an extra mile by offering coverage for bicycles.
Whether you’re biking to work or off on an extended trip, you’ll be able to
call for service or transport when needed. See www.betterworldclub.com
for details or contact Earth
Routes for other contact information.
Wishing you green trails and clear horizons -
Jan Carpenter
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