Climber on the summit of Tenaya Peak, Yosemite National Park, California
March 8th is International Women’s Day!
Celebrating all the ladies out there today – the mothers, daughters, sisters, partners, friends. Your achievements in the social, economic, cultural, and political realms around the world are a powerful force.
You are strong and agile, and you add beauty and grace to this often chaotic world. At home and on the trail your compass keeps us balanced – and you deserve equality in the workplace as in life.
Evening light in Manarola, Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy
Hanging cliff-side along the Italian Riviera, the sleepy hamlets of Cinque Terre are a traveler’s paradise. Set aside as Italy’s first national park in 1999, these five quaint fishing villages (Italian for “Five Lands”) dot a magical strip of coastline accessible only by boat, train or foot.
Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza and Monterosso are all right on the water, while Corniglia sits atop a promontory surrounded by vineyards high above the Ligurian Sea. The only way to reach the latter is via the Lardarina, an intimidating 377-step brick stairway, or the park service shuttle bus from the train station. Cars were banned in all of the villages years ago, which has helped retain the old world feel that has existed here for centuries.
Walking is very popular in the region especially on the main coastal paths where centuries-old terraces cling to the rugged cliffs above the sea. The Sentiero Azzurro (or Blue Path) is the primary trail that connects the five villages and offers sweeping views of the coastline. Harbors filled with colorful fishing boats and trattorias serving local seafood specialties and Liguria’s famous pesto are the reward at the end of the journey.
Frequent trains link all five villages, and you can purchase an all day pass that also includes a hiking pass at the tourist information offices located in each town. A more expensive, but equally scenic option are the boats that travel along the coast several times throughout the day.
The towns of Cinque Terre date from the early medieval period, and the area was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. Though no longer the undiscovered find it once was, Cinque Terre’s charm and classic Italian hospitality still retain the feel of old Italy and make this a prime stop on any European adventure.
Kiva ladder and fire pit, Pecos Pueblo, Pecos National Historic Park, New Mexico
Nestled in the lower slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains 25 miles southeast of Santa Fe, Pecos National Historic Park encompasses the remains of one of the largest and most influential Native American pueblos in the region. Long before Coronado and Spanish influence arrived in 1540, this pueblo village was the major confluence of trade between the people of the Rio Grande Valley and the hunting tribes of the buffalo plains.
The rich mixture of history and culture at Pecos also includes the Santa Fe Trail and the Civil War Battle ground at Glorieta Pass, where the Confederacy’s last hopes of taking the goldfields of Colorado and California vanished. Today the park is far enough from the interstate and the bustle of Santa Fe that the only sound is the wind whispering through its adobe walls like spirits from the past.
It’s easy to forget that for centuries this was a major crossroads of North America and with over 12, 000 years of history preserved, it really is one of the hidden gems of the National Park System.
