- Weekend forecast: Saturday; high 88, partly cloudy/ Sunday; high 88, partly cloudy
- Recommended adventure: Experience a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Lula Lake Land Trust is now auctioning off a number of unique experiences, from private movie screenings to wine tastings and more, in an effort to raise funds for its property. The auction closes Sept. 7 at 11:45 p.m. Learn more here.
- Most interesting thing we’ve learned about nature this week: The old-growth redwoods in California are thousands of years old and among the tallest living things on Earth. Learn more about their history and how they’re withstanding wildfires here.
Greetings, outdoorspeople!
Every summer, my family and our across-the-street neighbors (conveniently with two little girls the same ages as my sister and me) would pile into our station wagons and road trip to Carter Caves State Park. We’d spend a weekend hiking, exploring the caves and playing putt-putt on a miniature golf course near our campground.
That’s what my mom says, anyway. Despite the many trips, I remember only one: the time it never stopped raining. We hiked in the rain, slept in leaky tents and grilled hamburgers over hissing coals.
One evening, I remember, we had just sat down at the picnic table for dinner when the drizzle became a downpour. We rushed to our tents, desperate to protect our already-damp gear. When the storm finally passed, we re-emerged to find our salad floating in its bowl like duckweed on a pond.
We could have just packed up and left. But we didn’t. The unexpected, after all, is often what we seek when we travel.
And anyway, road trips aren’t about taking shortcuts.
In our new fall issue, we invite you to take the long way with our guide to small towns big on outdoor adventure, all within a 10-hour drive. Additionally, we bring you stories from would-be Chattanooga Ironman competitors whose journeys to the finish line were interrupted when the event was canceled due to the coronavirus. After months and years of training, those athletes now share their backup plans – because more than the unexpected, it’s the way we adapt that makes an experience worth remembering.
Find those stories and more on stands, online and shared each week within this newsletter.
– Sunny Montgomery, smontgomery@timesfreepress.com