“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Walking beside a quiet stream and taking pictures of it, especially when the water is full of reflections, is one of my favorite things to do. This stream is located along Highway 41 in Yosemite National Park. -- Photo by Pat Bean
Travels With Maggie
I recently came across a great travel blog called Wanderings. It’s written by Shannon and Brian, who like me unloaded possessions and took off in an RV to see the country.
I particularly enjoyed one of their recent posts: “7 Lessons from a Year on the Road,” http://wanderings2010.wordpress.com/
In it, they noted that the “path is beaten for a reason.”How true I thought, but then remembered how much planning I do to take the road less traveled when I have a choice. Or do I?
Since beginning my travels with my canine companion, Maggie, seven years ago I’ve seen many of this country’s most popular tourist sites, including Niagara Falls, Mount Rushmore, St. Louis’ Gateway Arch, The Golden Gate Bridge, the Everglades, and numerous national parks, including my visit just this past month to Yosemite.
My solution to finding a little peace at some of the more popular tourist sites has been to visit them after Labor Day and before Memorial Day. This strategy has at least minimized the impact of traffic jams around the more popular attractions.
I’ve also discovered that even in the midst of hundreds of tourists, it’s still possible to find a bit of solitude to ease the pain of jostled elbows, the cacophony of noise and long lines.
I found it in Yosemite when I pulled off the road at a convenient spot to take some pictures of a small stream and stretch mine and Maggie’s legs a bit. There was room for only two other vehicles to park at the spot, which had no markers and wasn’t indicated on the park’s map.
Except for one lone fisherman, who was upstream a ways, Maggie and I had the place to ourselves. After taking a few pictures of the stream, I glanced up at the rock cliffs on the far side of the water.
Wow! I thought when I saw the waterfall. I had chosen well for my off-the-beaten path rejuvenation stop.
I guess it doesn’t matter which path you choose to follow – beaten or unbeaten – as long as you take one of them.
Pat Bean's blog 
Hi Pat,
Thanks for mentioning our blog. I’m glad to see some of our thoughts filtering out into broader discussions like this.
My approach, and what I try to articulate in the “7 Lessons” article you mention, is to really try to walk down both paths. I’ve come across many fulltime travelers who consider popular tourist destinations somehow beneath them. I’ve also come across people who are so beholden to guidebooks that they’ll only see the major sites and ignore everything else the world has to offer. Both groups of people have it exactly half right, in my view; and also half wrong.
I, like you, try to visit popular places off season in an attempt to avoid crowds. But unlike many fulltime travelers I don’t consider the word “touristy” as necessarily pejorative. I recognize that most of the world’s great places have already been found. The very best tend to be popular, and with good reason. I’d do myself a disservice to look down at great places for no other reason than their greatness has attracted a lot of attention.
Happy travels,
Brian
I like how your last sentence referenced the quote at the beginning. Looks like you are having a lot of fun with your dog, I just backpacked in North Carolina with one for the first time and it was great to share my tent with a canine.
“And I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
Robert Frost
Hi, Pat. The link for wanderings didn’t work. WordPress says it doesn’t exist. Sounds like a blog I’d enjoy. Any suggestions?
Great photos you take.
Barbara
The correct link is http://wanderings2010.wordpress.com/
Brian
Sorry Barbara, thanks Brian. The link has now been corrected on the blog.
We would miss a lot if we avoided places, simply because others had been there before, it is a wonderful feeling however, when it seems you’ve found a moment in space and time that no one else has experienced before. There is a balance there, the trick lies in finding it (and I imagine everyone’s balance point is a at a different place, as we each weigh things differently).
Nice sentiments
I found that if you are short on time, it is best to take the beaten path if you want to see something special when you are hiking in a park. The path less taken is for when you have time to explore .. and sometimes it is worth the extra time to do that.
I love water reflections for pictures, too.