Book 37 of 50 – The Story of My Boyhood and Youth

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Living 10 minutes away from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we hike weekly on its trails. It was high time for me to read one of John Muir’s books. I chose to start with The Story of My Boyhood and Youth (affiliate link). This book contains a hilarious account of how Muir grew up in Scotland and then immigrated to the US with his family.

The Story of My Boyhood and Youth

Cover of the paperback edition

In case you do not know, John Muir is considered the Father of our National Parks. As a conservationist, he worked tirelessly to inspire people to preserve the natural beauty of the American landscape. Muir also co-founded the Sierra Club, a prominent American conservation organization. Continue reading »


Hiking Our Hearts Out

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Once a week, we go hiking with a group of local homeschoolers. It helps that we live five minutes from the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, but we go other places, too. Last week, it was Panther Creek State Park. Next week, it will be Seven Islands Birding State Park.

Fern Branch Falls

Fern Branch Falls

The thing is, the National Park is so immense, some of the trails are still an hour from my house. So even if the destination is in the Smokies, we still have to drive for 30 minutes or longer. What can I say? America is big. That’s what this Israeli family told us last week, when we were at Grotto Falls and started chatting with them. “America is big.” They could not believe how long it would take them to get from point A to point B. Continue reading »