February 12, 2013
by David Ryan
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Walking and Seeing

I once had a conversation with a young man at an outdoor store about the Appalachian Trail; he told me that he would never do the Appalachian Trail because one of his friends said it was just a long green tunnel. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Appalachian Trail is a lush green trail with something to amaze you every inch of the way.

For many reasons, there is no better place for a long distance hike than the Appalachian Trail. Going on a long distance hike is an opportunity to live life simply and with clarity. It is a world that moves only as fast as your step. At this pace you can take the time to observe the world around you and see all of its abundance.

The whole idea behind this website and the book The Gentle Art of Wandering is to help one cultivate the mindset to see. It is giving yourself permission to see something that you had nothing to do with and realize that it is a gift for you to enjoy. It is not about racing to the top for a “killer view” but about experiencing everything along the way.

And when you do this, you will find something no matter where you are. If you are fortunate enough to take a long walk on the Appalachian Trail, you will see plenty of bears, moose, and deer. But most of the life you’ll see will be little life such as this red eft.

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January 23, 2013
by David Ryan
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Wandering with Bob Inman on Los Angeles’ Mount Washington

If you walk on the Appalachian Trail long enough you’ll eventually hike to the top of Mount Washington in New Hampshire. It is the tallest mountain in New England and famous for its nasty weather. It once recorded a wind gust at 231mph.

If you take the Los Angeles Metro Gold Line to northeast Los Angeles and get off at the Southwest Museum stop, you can walk to the top of Los Angeles’ Mount Washington. Although it once had a 100mph burst of wind, you should find the weather to be excellent.

This past Saturday the weather was perfect, and I had the opportunity to go on walk led by Bob Inman through the Mount Washington neighborhood. Bob is the authority on urban wandering in Los Angeles. His book, A Guide to the Public Stairways of Los Angeles, is indispensable for the LA stair seeker. He is currently working on new book that will expand the stair guide to include paths and other pedestrian only conveyances.

Saturday’s walk began and ended at the entrance of the Southwest Museum and included both stairs and paths. In addition to being a workout, the walk was informative as Bob provided a narration of the architecture and other tidbits that we passed along on the eight mile route.

Bob leads walks quite often. If you happen to be in LA and would like to walk with Bob, you can find information on his upcoming walks at his book’s Facebook page, “A Guide to the Stairways of Los Angeles.”

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January 16, 2013
by David Ryan
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Soaking and Wandering in Truth or Consequences

In 1951 the citizens of Hot Springs, New Mexico renamed their town Truth or Consequences after a popular TV game show. And when it’s cold during the winter in Albuquerque, there may be no better place to wander to than Truth or Consequences over 120 miles to the south. There you can soak in hot mineral water for next to nothing and wander around one of the funkiest towns in America.

Prior to the construction of Elephant Butte Dam on the Rio Grande in 1916 the area that is now downtown Truth or Consequences was a swamp with warm water seeping into it. The warm water was used by the Apaches and early settlers as a place to soak and heal. With the new dam now controlling floods on the Rio Grande, the swamp was filled in and the land developed into a new community called Hot Springs, New Mexico.

The name was appropriate as the entire central area of the community sits above a hot water aquifer. Many of the new residents took advantage of the hot water to heat their building or to open a spa for soaking in the hot mineral laden water. Many of those building are still standing and are now quite old.

As you approach Truth or Consequences and get off the Interstate, you’ll see a new Walmart and some newer services near the highway. As you follow the old road into town, you’ll pass the usual array of some really old motels, a few auto parts stores, some thriving businesses, and a decent amount of empty stores. You’ll soon recognize that this is not the most affluent town in America.

And when you finally reach the old center of town, it may not jump out at you as America’s cutest town.

Looking west on Main Street in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

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