Everyone has places they consider favorites. We say things like, "It's one of my favorite places in the whole world," even though we've only seen a small fraction of the whole world. But if we define "the whole world" as our own personal limited experience of the world, well, then the expression works.
Swallow Falls State Park is one of my "favorite places in the whole world."
I grew up in these woods; knew the rocks, the trails, the water intimately. My family camped there frequently, often with another family we were great friends with, the Flanders. In my youthful imagination, colorful mushrooms became umbrellas for fairy folk and hidden rock formations served as enclaves for elves.
As I grew older, I sensed God in the majesty; the rush of the river, the scent of pine and primordial decay, the glisten of dewdrops on pink rhododendron petals, the texture of cool green moss. The place became sacred to me.
In my 20s, I took any friend who would go with me to this park. I wanted to share its beauty and serenity. I hadn't been there in too many years, and though I'm sure they were there at some point when they were very young, I had the pleasure of taking my sons to this favorite place last week when we traveled to Pennsylvania and Maryland to visit family and friends. My dad and step-mom Mary came with us.
Where's your favorite place in the whole world?
Swallow Falls State Park is one of my "favorite places in the whole world."
Muddy Creek Falls
Rock formation at the base of Swallow Falls
I grew up in these woods; knew the rocks, the trails, the water intimately. My family camped there frequently, often with another family we were great friends with, the Flanders. In my youthful imagination, colorful mushrooms became umbrellas for fairy folk and hidden rock formations served as enclaves for elves.
Me and my friend Chris Flanders hiking the trails, no doubt looking for fossils. I was maybe 14 years old. Or so?
As I grew older, I sensed God in the majesty; the rush of the river, the scent of pine and primordial decay, the glisten of dewdrops on pink rhododendron petals, the texture of cool green moss. The place became sacred to me.
Tulliver Falls
In my 20s, I took any friend who would go with me to this park. I wanted to share its beauty and serenity. I hadn't been there in too many years, and though I'm sure they were there at some point when they were very young, I had the pleasure of taking my sons to this favorite place last week when we traveled to Pennsylvania and Maryland to visit family and friends. My dad and step-mom Mary came with us.
My Happy Place
Where's your favorite place in the whole world?
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2 comments:
Beautiful! I think this might be very near one of my favorite places (although I have only been there once): Deep Creek Lake.
I also treasure our local county park.
Yes, CHM. Very close to Deep Creek.
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