Diana’s Baths – White Mountains -New Hampshire
In our world of high tech gadgets, information overload, and constant deadlines it is sometimes easy to forget about the simple things in life. For example, when was the last time you strayed from civilization and took a walk in the forest? I recently had the fortune of having such a getaway in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
On a brisk spring day, our family went looking for a natural feature names Diana’s Baths. We were informed that Diana’s Baths was a waterfall. My wife and I were excited to go on the hike however our children were not so enthusiastic. Even if we had not made it to the waterfall I would have said that the walk was a success. For about half of a mile we traversed a half frozen path that meandered through moss covered granite and pine trees. The peacefulness was almost therapeutic. We crossed over a couple of brooks that, prior to reaching, sounded like they might be the waterfalls.
Finally, we reached our destination and were rewarded with a glimpse of the power of nature. I was expecting to see your typical waterfall where there was only one fall however; Diana’s Baths is a series of cascading falls, waterspouts and granite basins. The sizes of the granite boulders were enormous. I stopped and took some pictures and then we proceeded upward. Each new level provided another spectacular view. It looked as if we could climb forever and had I been alone I would’ve tried. I stood there and pondered the magnificence, simplicity and timelessness of nature and forgot all about the mundane trivialities of everyday life. In short, I felt humbled and untroubled.
Exploring nature can be a very soothing experience. It can help clear your mind and put problems and or incomplete thoughts into perspective or a better context. Most likely there is some type of natural area near you. In fact, there are 391 national parks that cover over 83 million acres and over 3,500 state parks.
It can also be an excellent educational experience for your children although I would not try to sell it that way. Be the bad guy and make your children go with you and ensure the mp3 player or Nintendo Ds stays at home or at least in the car. Once they are there, nine out of ten times they will thoroughly enjoy it and you will be surprised at the meaningful and wide array of conversations you will have with your children.
Some items you may want to bring to enhance the experience are binoculars, camera, a bird guide or plant guide depending on what you want to focus on or your family’s interest. Snacks and water are a must. Definitely wear comfortable shoes and socks. Nothing is worse than when a child’s feet begin to hurt. You might even want to bring a change of clothes in case someone falls into a creek or you are forced to walk though a muddy area.
So go have some fun exploring this extraordinary planet of ours. In these challenging economic times, visiting nature with the family can be a very rewarding and inexpensive experience.
no comments