As you’ve seen above, #preservethegood could mean anything – it could mean helping someone in a time of need; it could be picking up trash on a trail, or a wilderness area; it could be educating people on leave no trace principles; it could be making a difference in any way you want; and it could be just about anything you want as long as you are focused in keeping the magic and the unique positive things in this world and this life. In terms of tangible things, I encourage you, my readers and followers to use the hashtag when you post a photo of something amazing; or when you’re talking about something exceptional you – or someone else has done to improve the world. I look forward to seeing how all of you end up preserving the good in 2015, and you can rest assured that as always, I will keep preserving the good where I find it as well, because as Plato says, “Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others.”
As I mentioned previously, Waimea Canyon is a site that is most definitely one of the “must-view” locations on Kauai, and in the world; and as I also mentioned, the best way to experience it is to hike it. While there are many great hikes through the canyon, the best hike in my book is the Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls. It is the best hike to me because at four miles roundtrip, it is accessible, it has stunning views of the canyon from inside the canyon, and it ends at the top Waipoo Falls. It also allows the hiker the chance to swim in a waterfall, which is a once in a lifetime experience.
Yosemite is known for being one of, if not the most beautiful National Park in all of the United States. In fact, beyond that, Yosemite is a place that is known world-wide as being a place of amazing natural beauty. Having worked there, visited there, and having spent more time there than a majority of people, there is nothing I can or will say to dispel that fact. But, like most large open expanses that are wild in the world, Yosemite has a dark side
Tree Tunnel on the trail at Presidio Park
A couple months ago, I was out on a run through the Mission Hills area, and as I came into Presidio Park, it began to rain. As I ducked under the trees near the Father Junpiero Serra museum, I decided I’d explore that area of Presidio Park. I wandered around the short trails, hoping the rain would end soon, and ended up in a corner of the park where there was an overgrown jungle bar enclosure and a plaque stating that I was at Inspiration Point. Since I wanted to stay somewhat dry, I decided that I’d come back on a later date when the sun was shining. I recently returned, and while I found that the City of San Diego has since removed the rusty and strange jungle bars, another mystery remained.
As I headed up the hill past the former jungle bars, I stopped to read a plaque on a bench. The plaque stated that the bench was there in memory of a “white deer”. That caught my attention. After all, who places a bench in honor of a deer? And since when were there deer in Mission Hills? Not for a long while, I thought. Then, a short bit later, I found something even stranger, a concrete watering hole under a tree with hoof impressions, and another plaque, bearing this inscription: "Bliss in solitude beneath this tree, formless, silent, spirit free.” (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wench_18/2606834937/). I stared at this for a while, because at that point, I was really curious. At that point I was almost believing that a deer was going to walk up at any minute, take a sip from that artificial watering hole, and sit down on its bench.
White Deer Park - can you find the "watering hole"? :)
Since I’m never without my trusty iPhone, I decided to get to the bottom of the mystery right then and there (as I sat on the deer’s bench). What I learned was this: there was a wild deer (a San Diego zoo escapee, no less) that lived in that section of Presidio Park from 1965-1975, before having an unfortunate run-in with the Presidio Park Rangers. (http://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/pdf/presidiorr00-0609.pdf). After the deer’s death, the monument was created and placed in the park, and there it has stayed. As for how you get to the monument, either drive up the road to Inspiration Point, or walk .10 miles from the entrance of Presidio Park upwards, where you will find the monument in the far back corner under a tree. If you see a deer, don’t be skeptical like me – maybe it’s the relative of the original white deer, or the ghost of the white deer stopping by for a drink, and a quiet moment of reflection on its bench.
More Information:
http://www.examiner.com/headlines-in-san-diego/urban-legend-or-not-the-white-deer-of-presidio-park
