America's National Parks bring out your inner Hippie.
Photo Credit: Bianca Mitchell
Escaping from society into the tranquility and timelessness of nature is an essential step to conjuring up your inner hippie. This can often be difficult to achieve, thanks to packed schedules and logistical challenges. You may ask, how am I supposed to find the time to hunt down this oasis of calm and get my Zen on? The answer may lie in the same place you were dragged for family camping trips and Girl Scout expeditions: America’s outstanding National Parks.
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| Photo Credit: www.starlandretreat.com |
Conveniently located and user-friendly, national parks provide a quick weekend getaway for both city dwellers unsure of their survival skills, and seasoned mountaineers who are well acquainted with the ways of the wilderness. The price is right on this deal too, the only expenses being if you decide to haul in a camper or otherwise (not encouraged by prippie™, as it could potentially lessen your immersion experience). Far better options include communing with nature through biking or hiking over the park’s majestic ridges, rocks, and mountain ranges, or just finding a quiet corner in which to meditate and absorb the atmosphere.
On a recent visit to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, I opted for the latter. I spent the afternoon stretched out on the warm sandy rocks, looking out on the endless desert horizon, and imagining the ancient Anasazi people who constructed the amazing architectural feat, and who have now mysteriously disappeared. In contemplating their fate and dedication, I unconsciously began to meditate on my own life in a world so far removed from that of those forgotten people and their legend. I digress only to illustrate the power of nature within the National Park setting, to provoke inner reflection and admiration of untamed beauty. Both are “musts” to be considered an active hippie/Prippie™.
So next time you feel unbalanced, remember that rejuvenation and relaxation are only a National Park away. From Yosemite, California, to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, you can discover nature’s best-kept secrets through this unique prippie™ experience.
-Anna Marie Armistead, Staff Writer
annamariearmistead@prippie.com
