Weekend Walk along Tammany Trace

Tammany Trace Abita Springs

Earlier this year, I went on a weekend walk along the Tammany Trace, which is a “rails to trails” path on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain (just north of New Orleans). I went with my sister, husband & the couple who introduced us to walking holidays. Our initial thought was to do this as a true inn-to-inn walking trip, but lack of transportation was an issue — we couldn’t find anyone willing to shuttle us from starting point to end. Plus, dinner options are limited along the trail if you don’t have a car with you that first night. So, we adapted & used 2 vehicles. The distance between parking lots was only about 7.5 miles each time we had to move cars.

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Forest Bathing…Are You Kidding Me?

shinrin-yoku japanese forest bathing
When someone first told me about “forest bathing” I looked at her with a stupefied face & could barely get out “say WHAT?” She told me it was “a Japanese thing” so I of course Googled it & lo & behold, forest bathing is a real thing. It is based on the Japanese concept of shinrin-yoku, which translates to forest bathing or “taking in the forest.” The basic idea is that meandering through a forest has scientifically proven health benefits. Japan & Korea are so serious about this stuff, they supposedly cover it with medical insurance. I might just move to Osaka.
It seems to be trending in the US right now, so all you turmeric & Buddha bowl fans should jump on this right now!!!
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Trip Notes: Devil’s Fork State Park

Planning a last minute hiking trip for New Years weekend can be challenging, especially when you have special requirements such as these:

  • Must be able to drive there (flights too expensive for last minute holiday)
  • Prefer one central location with lots of hiking options nearby
  • Prefer cold weather but no snow
  • Affordable AVAILABLE lodging

This was the challenge I faced earlier this year (after Eric informed me that under no circumstances would he visit Québec in January…no matter HOW good Air Canada’s deals were).

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