John Muir

with only the music of the stream and the cedar to break the flow of silence.

There lies the value of wilderness.

So of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.

Keep close to nature's heart and break clear away once in a while and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods and wash your spirit clean.

Come to the woods, for here is rest.

As long as I live, I'll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing.

I'll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm and the avalanche.

I'll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens.

and get as near the heart of the world as I can.

Most travelers here are content with what they can see from car windows or the verandas of hotels. When an excursion into the woods is proposed, all sorts of dangers are imagined. Snakes, bears, Indians. Yet it is far safer to wander in God's woods than to travel on black highways or to stay at home. John Muir, Our National Parks.

Most travelers here are content with what they can see from car windows or the verandas of hotels. When an excursion into the woods is proposed, all sorts of dangers are imagined. Snakes, bears, Indians. Yet it is far safer to wander in God's woods than to travel on black highways or to stay at home. John Muir, Our National Parks.