Zion National Park is a place that inspires religion, with its cathedral-like mountains and the restrained garden-like feel in its valleys. I wasn’t necessarily inspired to the local religions of Utah, but I could feel how this unique national park made me want to strive for something bigger, loftier, higher. For five days, I chose the park as my idol, worthy as it is.
Standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon, I experienced a flood of emotions I didn’t expect. The chasm is enormous – it stretches 277 miles, runs about 1 mile deep, and an average of 10 miles across – but it seemed to signify something much more for me.
As I made my way into the vast expanse of Big Bend National Park, I felt I was on another planet. I was totally unfamiliar with this landscape: the heat, the sun, the prickly plants, and, of course, the sand and stone.
At times, I felt the beautiful expansiveness of this protected area. At other times, death became a pervasive thought. As a pale-skinned Yankee, I couldn’t keep myself from thinking how dangerous this landscape seemed and how awful (and easy) it would be to die here.
How do I even begin to describe my recent visit to Big Bend National Park? The experience was a story of contrasts and expansion.
To start, let me say that I’m a Midwesterner (born and raised in Detroit, Michigan) who went to college and lived in western Kentucky and Tennessee (Murray, Kentucky and Paris, Tennessee). And I’ve lived in Vermont since 2003. I’m used to a few environments: cement, sprawling farmland, and mountainous greenery. Big Bend was really my first experience with a desert landscape.
My last visit to Atlanta was 16 years ago. I loved it then, as a wide-eyed, scared 19-year-old on a budget, spring break road trip via Greyhound. This spring, as a woman in her mid-30s, I was glad to return to Atlanta’s warm embrace.
The first time I was in Atlanta, I rode in to the questionable Greyound station and stayed in a sketchy hostel. I was also dazzled by the clean, open spaces the Summer Olympics had recently created, along with cops on bicycles, and the World of Coca-Cola.
This time, I came by my own vehicle, stayed in a nice place on the northside through AirBnB, found a wonderfully flourishing coffee scene and was once again dazzled by the World of Coca Cola. Some things don’t change.
Montpelier Art Walk
October 7, 2011
4-8 pm
Unwind on Friday, October 7th in downtown Montpelier during our fall Art Walk, where you’ll find fine art, fiber art, sculptures, comics, djembe lessons and more! Art Walk is from 4-8 pm. It’s free and open to everyone. For more information, call 802.223.9604 or go to www.montpelieralive.org/artwalk. We’ll see you downtown!
