Imagine row after row of tiny, bud-like purple flowers majestically raising their heads from green shoots. Their stalks burst free from the hard-packed rusty brown earth. The surrounding soil is covered by limestone rocks, crunching under my feet as I walk through the field. Lavender plants wave in the breeze tickling my legs, just below my knees.
I listen carefully; the field buzzes with the sound of humming bees. No need to worry, these little critters don’t bother people. They are happy and content to flutter between the thousands of blossoms, bee nirvana. The insects produce what is called lavender honey and sometimes beekeepers place hives along the edges of a field.
Provence, a glorious region in the south of France, is home to legendary lavender fields. Wild plants have grown here since the Middle Ages. The climate and soil create perfect conditions for farming the herb. While the harvested flowers yield a sweet perfume scent, the cultivated fields send a softer aroma.
I see purple haze. Tourists and locals stop their cars, get out and stare at the mesmerizing scene. They bring cameras to photograph the visual joy, but the pictures don’t capture the ethereal essence. Being among the fields, in person, is like tasting fine wine. To fully experience the moment, you must immerse yourself.
Mid- August brings harvest time but similar to grapes, readiness depends on the seasonal weather. Lavender is hand-cut and left to dry for three days in the sun before being passed through a steam press. Nothing is wasted; leftovers from pressed flowers are used as fuel for the steam producing oven.
Honey, essential oils, perfume, soaps and dried flowers are end products of the crop. Lavender honey is said to help heal open wounds; the essential oil promotes calmness. Potpourri or lavender sachets help mask odors and chefs in France sprinkle the herb in many dishes.
The territory casts a magical spell with golden sunflower fields, precariously perched hillside towns, historic sites, in cities like Avignon, and a relaxed lifestyle made famous by Peter Mayle’s books. Tour de France fans know Provence as the home of Mount Ventoux. Photographers call it paradise for the diversity of nature, colors and vistas. Artists such as Van Gogh and Cezanne found Provence inspired their creative talents.
July 20, 2009 will mark the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s first step on the moon. My home state of Florida has several air and space attractions which educate as well as entertain visitors.
During NASA’s early years astronauts trained at Cape Canaveral, Florida perhaps remembered as Mission Control Center. Later, training facilities moved to Houston, Texas, but the Cape still boasts the official launch site and the Kennedy Space Center.
The Kennedy Center deserves a full-day visit featuring the Shuttle Launch Experience. If you dare, board the ride that simulates the sights, sounds and the sensation of launching into space. While at the complex visit NASA’s spaceport facilities, see towering rockets and IMAX space films. Several times a day you have the opportunity to meet and talk, often a question-and-answer session, with an astronaut.
Astronaut and the American Flag on the Moon
On Thursday, July 16. Astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11; Charlie Duke, Apollo 16; Al Worden, Apollo 15; Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14; and Walt Cunningham, Apollo 7, will celebrate the anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch at Kennedy Space Visitor Complex, and mark the opening of a new exhibit at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, the Apollo Treasures Gallery. The new gallery showcases treasures from the Apollo moon missions. For more information go to Apollo-40th Anniversary.
Shuttle Blasts- Off from Kennedy Space Center, Florida
With some pre-planning and good weather, you might be lucky enough to watch a shuttle launch; information and dates are available at www.nasa.gov.
In Titusville, six miles west of the space center, you’ll find Kennedy Space Camp (for kids and adults) and the US Astronaut Hall of Fame. This locale houses memorabilia and tells the stories of the American space pioneers.
Visit Central Florida to taste Moon Soup at Chalet Suzanne Inn and Restaurant. Lunar Module pilot Jim Irwin grew particularly fond of the Inn’s romaine soup and chose it for his space menu. NASA freeze-dried the creamy green broth and carried it aboard Apollo missions. They make and sell Moon Soup at their own cannery on the property.
In nearby Polk City discover Fantasy of Flight, 30 minutes from Orlando. This interactive museum offers a chance to soar into the wild blue yonder by donning a helmet, goggles, and white scarf and slipping into an open cockpit bi-plane. A pilot takes you for a ride reminiscent of The Red Barron. Be sure to inquire about hot-air balloon rides, too.
Family Fun at Fantasy of Flight, Central Florida
Fantasy of Flight houses over 40 rare vintage aircraft which are often flown in weekend aerial demonstrations. Visitors can immerse themselves into a multi-sensory sight and sound journey through WWI trenches and a WWII pre-bomb mission brief. Veterans love this place.
Florida’s Space Coast, as the Cape Canaveral area is called, sits just 45 minutes east from Orlando. There are miles of pristine beaches and the largest sea turtle nesting area in the country.
The JFK library offers a fabulous re-creation in real time on the Web at www.wechoosethemoon.org. The site goes live at 8:02 a.m.on July 16th, 90 minutes before the anniversary launch of Apollo 11. Visitors can see animated re-creations of key events and browse video clips and hear radio transmissions between the astronauts and NASA flight controllers.
And if you want to plan a lunar dinner party please visit Mimi’s food blog for ideas.
By golly, I admit I’m not a country girl. Can’t name the Country Music Singer of the Year, don’t follow NASCAR and camping makes me itch. You won’t be able to kiss my grits because I don’t eat any, or fried okra or hush puppies. Nonetheless, I had a dang good time in Sevierville, birth place of Dolly Parton, and home of the Smoky Mountains .
I recently flew to Knoxville, Tennessee, and then drove to the foothills of the Smokies. I found Sevierville to be a right nice place, even if the name sounds a bit harsh. This is a town where you can go hog wild visiting all the attractions.
A View within The Great Smoky Mountain National Park
But the mountains are what called to me. I fell in love with the “Land of Blue Smoke,” as the Cherokee called their native homeland. What appears as wispy smoke from a fire rises out of the peaks and valleys. The enormous amount of water in the area and the respiration of the trees causes this mystical natural phenomenon.
The Smokies are also famous for bears and, of course, I was hoping to see one. Alas, I did not, that being my only disappointment.
Flowing water in Great Smoky Mountain National Park
I thought I’d give you a little history on the park and add a few interesting facts at the end. Future blogs will explore the attractions, activities and restaurants in the Sevierville and Pigeon Forge area.
A Brief History of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The Smokies were formed 200-300 million years ago. That makes them very, very old!
Sometime not that far back, Native Americans, the Cherokee, settled in South. However, between 1838 and 1839, the government rounded them up and forced all the Cherokee from their homes. In total 17,000 were sent to a reservation, what’s now Oklahoma, but sadly, many died along the way. That saga is known as the Trail of Tears.
After the Cherokee left, the logging companies moved in and began cutting the forests. Concerned US citizens wanted to protect the natural beauty but the government was not allowed to buy land for national park use. Private money had to be raised to purchase the acreage.
In the late 1920s, the Tennessee and North Carolina Legislatures appropriated $2 million each for land purchases. Additional funds were raised by individuals, groups, and even school children who pledged their pennies. By 1928, a total of $5 million had been collected. Trouble was the cost of the land had now doubled. The Laura Spellman Rockefeller Memorial Fund came to the rescue. They donated an additional $5 million, stipulating that the park remain free and open to the public.
Rural mountain families or hillbillies, as they were often called, had also built cabins in the Smokies and did not want to leave. Eventually, they too, were forced out. Many remained in the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge area but struggled to eke out a meager existence.
Between 1933 and 1942 the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), an agency created during the Depression to provide work and wages for the unemployed, built a number of the currently used rails, campgrounds, beautiful stone bridges and buildings.
The park was dedicated by President Franklin Roosevelt in October, 1934. This year makes the 75th anniversary, as good a reason as any to visit.
The Smokies and Sevierville welcome all with Southern hospitality. You’ll find the landscape rises in scenic splendor and the people are down-home friendly. I heartily recommend you mosey on over.
Debi in the Smokies of Tennessee
Now in case you don’t know much about the wildlife or offerings in Great National Smoky Mountains (I sure didn’t before I went), I’m leaving you with the bear facts:
The Great Smoky Mountains are among the oldest mountains in the world, formed perhaps 200-300 million years ago
Entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is free. The park is one of the only major national parks that does not charge an entrance fee.
There are over 800 miles of maintained hiking trails.
1,500 bears live in the park. This equals a population density of approximately two bears per square mile.
In the Smokies, the average annual rainfall varies from approximately 55 inches in the valleys to over 85 inches on some peaks-more than anywhere else in the country except the Pacific Northwest. Waterfalls can be found on nearly every stream and river in the park
Elevations range from 800 feet to 6,643 feet.
Temperatures differ about 20 degrees F from base to summit.
Auto touring is the most popular way to see the park There are 384 miles of road to choose from in the Smokies.
Seventy eight historic structures, including grist mills, churches, schools, barns, and the homes of early settlers, preserve Southern Appalachian mountain heritage in the park.
Fishing, biking and horseback riding are permitted in certain areas only.
Biological diversity is the hallmark of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. No other area of equal size matches the park’s amazing variety of plants, animals, and invertebrates. Did you know?
Over 10,000 species have been discovered in the National Park; Scientists believe there are over 90,000 more to be discovered
100 species of native trees (more than any other North American national park)
1,400 flowering plant species
4,000+ non-flowering plants
200+ species of birds
66 types of mammals
50 native fish species
39 varieties of reptiles
43 species of amphibians
And here’s the kicker, the Great Smokies have lungless salamanders and fireflies that synchronize their flashing lights. Pretty daggum amazing.
