Tag: National Wildlife Refuge

A Random January Road Trip

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to visit another four National Wildlife Refuges. On Saturday, I traveled to Virginia for an Eddie from Ohio show at The Birchmere Music Hall in Alexandria, VA, and, as part of my trip, planned enough time to visit a few refuges along the way.

My first stop took me to Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Basking Ridge, NJ. This location features numerous boardwalks and viewing blinds, permitting visitors access to areas deep within the refuge while simultaneously providing protection to view wildlife without disturbance. After four hours on the road, the opportunity to walk around for a bit was welcome, and I found myself amidst numerous white-tailed deer. Unfortunately, my shoes on the composite deck material of the boardwalks made enough noise to alert the deer and I was unable to photograph any. After wandering around Great Swamp for an hour in the relative warmth of 45° sunshine under a bright blue sky, I continued south towards Philadelphia.

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Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge

Finding myself with some time to kill this afternoon, I stopped at the two units that comprise the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. Both units are located near Boston, one in Sudbury surrounding the river of the same name, the second in Concord, also near a river with which the unit shares its name.

While the weather wasn’t optimal for either hiking or taking pictures, it was still a worthwhile diversion. I certainly intend to return with my hiking boots and warmer clothing to wander the many miles of trails throughout the refuge.

Some photos from my trip are at https://i.ethitter.com/2010/01/great-meadows-national-wildlife-refuge/.

 

My Southern Excursion, Part 4

The following is the fourth and final installment recounting my trip to Georgia. For the first three parts, see “My Southern Excursion, Part 1,” “Part 2,” and “Part 3.”

The final leg of my northbound journey had just one planned stop, at Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Davis, WV. Already, I had stretched a journey that can be made in 18 hours into a three-day excursion, and too many more diversions would add a fourth day. While I would not have minded an additional day, I found my desires at odds with my wallet. After all, being unemployed necessitates a weekly visit to Connecticut as the state does not offer direct deposit. So, after ending the second day of my trip at an I-79 rest area in Servia, WV, I continued north to US-33, which would take me into the Monongahela National Forest before delivering me to WV-32 and this day’s destination.

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My Southern Excursion, Part 2

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the first half of my recent trip to Georgia. I headed south to visit my brother and, suddenly finding myself with unexpected free time, I decided to visit the Gulf Coast. Then, after spending a week touring Fort Benning and the surrounding Columbus, GA area, it was time for me to head north again. Thankfully, I wasn’t in much of a hurry.

In light of my obsession with federally-protected areas, I planned my return trip with an eye towards visiting as many National Wildlife Refuges, National Parks, and so on as was feasible. To that end, I set out for Macon, GA and the Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. As it turned out, however, my visit coincided with the refuge’s annual hunting season (bizarre, I know), which meant that without a special permit, I could venture no further than the parking lot. After taking a few pictures to prove that I had at least made an effort to visit Bond Swamp, I found my way to Interstate 16 and set off towards Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, on the other side of Macon. My plans were interrupted, though, when I noticed a familiar green mark on my Google Map.

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My Southern Excursion, Part 1

Last month, I had the opportunity to visit my brother in Georgia, where he is stationed at Fort Benning in Columbus. Departing New Hampshire on a Wednesday, I planned on arriving in Georgia the following day. As such, I had no plans to stop at any attractions as I headed south, instead saving those sightseeing opportunities for my return trip. As the Army is wont to do, however, my brother was placed on a last-minute detail, giving me an extra, unplanned day of travel. Being that I was already in Georgia, and that I’d never seen or swum in the Gulf of Mexico, I set out on Thursday to extend my journey southward. In a manner similar to that which began my obsession with federally-protected areas, as I headed south on US-431 through Alabama, I stumbled upon Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge.

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