I just received an e-mail about the blog here, and took immediate attention to one specific statement made in it (which was not directed to me): "I want to see these places too, and not just as a tourist, but really getting out there and hiking in the wilds". Paraphrased.
You will notice that many of my photos are taken from roadsides or short jaunts from the pavement. This just happens to be circumstantial, and I want to remind my readers that the best way to see something is in full contact with the senses. Books, videos, museums, and even car trips are all wonderful ways to discover more of the world, but nothing beats getting out there (with reasonable precautions taken) and getting surrounded by the natural world. "Windshield tourism" is but a start to a great adventure further in.
Walking is something of a lost art, I feel. When I lived in London back in 2003, I found myself walking everywhere. I was in a car maybe three times while there, a bus a handful of times, and the subway only for the first few weeks. I ended up being in the best shape I was ever in, and I got to see a lot more of the great city at a personal level. People used to walk everywhere, even if they had horses, carriages, or boats. John Muir, in fact, walked 1,000 miles to the Gulf of Mexico from Indiana, just to see the changes in landscapes, ecosystems, and people pass by him. I have found out that there are people who still do long journeys by foot this way. I have considered taking such a trip of my own, from Sarnia, Ontario to Brent, Ontario.
Insane? Not nearly as much as the people who walk the entire Pacific Crest Trail in one shot.
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