after forty-two years
I’ve visited Shenandoah - Blue Ridge Parkway - Great Smoky Mountains stretch of national parks again, this time from north to south, from Front Royal (north entrance to Shenandoah) to Gatlinburg (exit from Great Smoky Mountains). Forty-two years ago, yes forty-two years, I traveled in the opposite direction. Driving, a lot of driving (the above mentioned stretch is about 650 miles, not counting the scenic loops and side-roads to campsites), hiking and camping. And, this time, with fall sceneries it was more colorful [see
APPALACHIA], plus early morning fog and evening cool air made campfire more attractive.Otherwise, this time, everything was more crowded and, in a way, denaturized ('improved'). But that wasn’t the reason I was sad most of the time. The real reason is that I feel it’s my last big exploring & camping trip. Through the forty-three years on the North America’s continent, starting at the age of thirty, I’ve visited most of the national parks and monuments in US and Canada, many of them, particularly in the West and Pacific, more than once. However, the advanced age brings physical and mental limitations. And that’s that.
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Krešimir J. Adamić
