Nature Wide Open

The Lost Sea Adventure

2009-07-20T16:29:00.025-04:00

This was a very difficult place to document with pictures due to the darkness in the caves but i do think we were able to come out with a few shots

The main entrance

The Lost sea is listed in the Guinness book of world records as "america's largest underground lake". The Lake in located deep inside Craighead caverns,which are named after the Cherokee indian chief who,at one time owned the cave and may have actually discovered the natural entrance.This was an enjoyable day for my family,lots of interesting history here.There was actually a cat skeleton found in the cave,That upon further research was determined to be a prehistoric jaguar.The Largest underground lake in the country is located in the cave which you are able to take a ride around ina glass bottom boat..The lake is stocked with some of the largest rainbow troutt I think I have ever seen.It is said that due to the absense of light that the fish lose their color and site.I was not able to get any good pics of the lake unfortunately.But I promise it IS there,Even though the water level seems to be dropping,uncovering new caverns not yet fully explored.You can do a normal cavern tour and lake ride,or you can do the extreme wild tour and actually do some spelunking through the nooks and crannies.You can get more info at http://www.thelostsea.com/

This one speaks for itself That troutt is HUGE

Here are some various pics from our trip to the lost sea adventure

hope you enjoy

The tunnel leading into the cave looks like a prop froma bad sci fi movie

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The Cave is actually broken into several rooms or caverns.some of which are so large you could fit a two story building in..SO no need to worry about calustrophobia..There is plenty of room to move around in unless of course you choose the wild tour which you can out more at http://www.thelostsea.com/

Outside the caves at The Lost City

ye old wishing well The Blacksmith shop tools inside the shop

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more to come having to edit more pics of the caves due to the lighting

Pictures of Nature

2009-07-15T00:40:00.015-04:00

As your coming around the corner you start to hear the suttle rumble of what sounds to be churning or pouring water as you get closer the sound gets bigger and louder,your heart starts beating a little heavy,you get anxious, finally you round the corner axnd ther she is.She is what you made the hike for,and right now at this moment you wouldn't trade anything for her cascading sounds.
Tranquility at last

Can't really remember where this one was taken found it on an old memory card...lol

As we take our journeys we always like to take nature pictures.Me and my wife both love the outdoors and photos of nature.It's great to have a reminder of some things that might not be around forever if we do not strengthen and organize our conservation efforts.And there is one in particular I would like to share with you.The organization is GIGA or Green in Gwinnett Area,they hold several various functions to promote nature conservancy,including the recent July 11th cinema under the stars at town center park in Suwanee,Ga.
so be sure you go on over and check those guys out.their site link is www.greeningwinnett.org You should follow them on twitter also.
Now for some nature pics that I have snapped recently

Hope you enjoy

nice rushing water to soothe the uneasy soul...

I believe this nature photo was taken at amicalola state park

Me and my wonderful wife actually had our wedding vows at the base of this 120 ft waterfall
I told you we love nature...

sometines you have this great scenery but the distance is just a little too far away for the naked eye to see clearly.Thats when I brok out the old trusty binoculars or monocular if that is what you like.Nikonpersonally makes great waterproof set of binoculars that are my favorite since a lot of wht I do is around the water..only makes sense.

Just like in these pics especially with wild life it is very to difficult to view sometimes because you can't get close enough without disturbing the animals

That's when we break out the trusty Nikons.

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Nikon Trailblazer H2O Proof ATB Binoculars

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Nature Gear Outfitters

2009-07-07T02:47:00.004-04:00

Got some great locations coming up really soon to share with everyone..should I was really pleased with, others we'll just say I'm not in a hurry to get back.

Lately we have just been covering some basic city life type parks, so that you can still enjoy the outdoors close to a city.and find some really beautiful places..I hope you have been enjoying>Please comment on the posts and let us know what you think or share your ideas with other readers as we start getting more replies and comments I will open up the list for everyone to read and discuss topics.

Well I need to take a short post here to thank some of our sponsors who we could not do this without..please take a moment click on their links and browse around and some of them offer special discounts only through this site...Seriously not a sales pitch just a thanks to our sponsors..
till next time
tread lightly
keep your paddles in the water....

Again,I hope ypou nenjjoy some of the sponsors that keep this blog running.Sorry for the Ads but got to show the the backers some love...NOw gear up,hit the trail,pedal or paddle hard,go get wet. YOu should be able to find all you need from the guys above and by the way they are are in no particular order.I love and ashop with all these companies...

keep enjoying and conserving
chadley77

nature with the kids

2009-07-01T02:03:00.005-04:00

This is not going to be a long post but Nature of course is one our most valuable resources and it is usually the best when you can spend it outsides with your family.There is nothing better than the Great Outdoors and the people you hold dearest to you.So just a reminder if you plan an outing anytime soon take the kids along they will love you for it and learn valuable lessons while being in nature that will last a lifetime.This was just on my mind today and thought I would share it with you guys..

But on one last note I always have had trouble finding outdoor gear for the little ones. Just no real outdoor gear for kids maybe some play stuff here and there but no real man gear men you know what I mean GGrrrr!!!!

check out there site if you are interested in kids gear they are super nice people with great support also

Sims Lake Park in Suwannee GA

2009-06-29T18:52:00.017-04:00

SIMS PARK LAKE

Sims Lake Park is a beautiful well maintained park nesteld off of Suwanne Dam road.It has to be by far one of the nicest and cleanest public parks I have seen in quite sometime...Hat's off to the upkeepers of this recreational area.There was a nice playground area for the children.And it is a pet friendly park they just ask that you clean up after your dogs...(shouldn't even have to be asked).
The park also has a nice hiking trail encompassing the lake.with various scenic areas along the way.Plenty of rest benches throughout the hike also.There was one feature that especially caught my attention which was a water feature with a zen like feel along the trail.

This was a very relaxing place for me great to just get away and listen to the voices of nature talking..that is my wife in the upper picture

Need a great shoe to make the long hikes with but can then wear out in the urban scene also click on th shoe image for my favorite

As we continued our walk around the lake at Sims Lake Park we were exhilerated by several great views of the lake itself which has a great fountain in the middle.Even though fishing and swimming are not permitted at the lake you are only a shor distance from the chattahoochee river and buford dam.Where you can do some excellent troutt fishing as well as splash in the water(if you can stand the temperature)

In a nutshell just about everywhere i turned in this park I was able to get great shots of nature.The over all cleanliness of the park and restroom facilities make it much worth the drive.I would highly recommend this park to all ny friends and family..But I would love to hear from you also.Please post comments on your experience at Sims Lake Park,or even other parks and adventures.I am going to leave this post with some more pics from Sims Lake Park.

hope you enjoy....

tread lightly

chadley77

The Rivers Are Running

2009-06-27T13:12:00.011-04:00

Now that the rivers are running strong,where areyou? Do you have your paddles in the water?If not now would be the perfect time to start planning that trip. whether you enjoy the calm serenity of a peaceful lake or the ragin whitewater of a mountain river,it's about that time for everyone.

A nice calm paddle across a glass finished lake is always a good way to put your mind at ease,its great if you like to fish also

And then there's the adrenaline pumping heart racing quick thinking of the whitewater junkies that flock to rivers when they are the fullest and most powerful.The world of whitewater kayaking can be a very dangerous one,but a very rewarding one also if you are trained properly and always be sure to have the correct safety equipment.We will talk about some of this equipment,why you need it and where you can get it in upcoming post so please be sure you stay tuned for that

Nature close to home

2009-06-25T17:48:00.005-04:00

In previous post we talked about finding parks if you lived in a metropolitan area.Well I did just that yesterday. I packed up my son and we went out for asmall close to home outing.What we found was a great leisure time,to enjoy with one another.If you are in the Metro Atlanta area this is a pretty nice park to visit it is also pet friendly.

As we walked the path there was nature abound everywhere,from the plants blooming,the squirells playing,or the fish swimming in the pond..

We also spent a little time picking up some trash left by some other careless person,Who does not realize the drastic effects of their careless actions.

The Great Outdoor Adventurers

2009-06-23T15:19:00.001-04:00

First off I would like to say hello fellow nature lovers and welcome to my tribute to Nature Wide Open.If there is any one thing that we can universaly agree on,it would probably be the sheer beauty of what nature has to offer us. Whether you enjoy a rugged mountain hike,an afternoon trek to a mystical waterfall, or a mesmerizing night under the stars,Nature has something to offer all of us and it is a universal language we can all understand.
No matter what geographic location you are located in you can find a hidden treasure of nature if you just open your eyes and look around..Are you located in a major metropolitan area? If so no worries,just do a city search and i'm sure you will find a city park that is abound with nature..
I will share some great destinations that I have found in my journeys in later posts.And hope to hear about some of your great adventures also.Remember in order to continue enjoying what we love we must also put forth some kind of conservation efforts also, if you pack it in, pack it out is one of my favorites....
Until next time keep your footing sure and your paddles in the water and enjoy what has been giving to you....
chadley77