5 Favorite Nature Areas & Trails in Middle Tennessee
Going on a hike can be an excellent outdoor activity for you and your family, loved one and friends. There are many different trails in Tennessee, but I have narrowed down my five favorites in the middle Tennessee area. 5. BURGESS FALLS 4000 Burgess Falls Drive Sparta, TN 38583 931.432.5312 Burgess Falls is a great park to bring the entire family. Every time I have visited the falls, there are always picturesque families with their dogs. This easy trail follows a scenic river down to the falls where you can feel the spray of the water without getting completely soaked. There is a cage tunnel that allows quick access to the falls, which my friends and I believe to be the remnants of a Pterodactyl cage from the movie Jurassic Park III. Even though the trails...
How to order tacos in Mexico
As far as languages beyond English go…Well… I don’t know any. I did take two semesters of French in high school more than a decade ago: Je m’appelle Joseph…J’adore le football. That’s all I got going for me if I visit Paris, and I don’t even like soccer. For some reason, though, I have found myself deep in the heart or kidney of Mexico. Over the past couple months, I’ve gathered a few Spanish lines to get me through the day. Hola (hi). ¿Cómo estás? (how are you). ¿Bien y tu? (Good, and you?). Adios (bye). ¿Que pasa güey? (what’s up, man?). When I got here, however, there was only one thing on my mind: TACOS. Is there anything better? Absolutely not. Does anything else matter? Absolutely not. Before I...
The Malecón in Jocotepec
Among the many beautiful places Jocotepec has to offer, the malecón is one. Malecón is roughly translated as jetty or pier, but I describe it as a boardwalk or a park. On a busy holiday you will find the malecón a crowded place, like you would find a weezer concert. On a normal day however, you can find the park fairly quiet and relaxing. If you decide to come to the malecón, don’t forget to bring your camera! Near the entrance to the park, there are small shops with ice cream, candy, food and more. (Please use caution before eating the ice cream. In the past, when I went for ice cream, I noticed bugs in the tubs of helado.) Walking from the shops or tiendas there are statues of fish. When you get closer, you will notice that you can actually sit on these...
Coffee Shop Deliciousness
If you live in Jocotepec, most likely you have been to the coffee shop in the center of town. This coffee shop brings in many customers day and night. I’m not sure it even has a name, but it is a delicious addition to the plaza. This shop, although small, has a good-sized menu including, coffees, frappes, teas, chai teas, Italian sodas, cakes, pies and ice cream. They have something to please just about anyone. The inside of the shop is small, however there are many chairs and tables outside to sit and enjoy the fresh air with company. The cakes and pies differ weekly; usually they keep at least two to three cakes or pies in the shop to choose from. The cakes are almost always moist and soft and extremely tasty. Every time I order a cake or pastel, I immediately...
Michoacán Butterfly Biosphere Reserve
Every year around late October until March, butterflies cover a beautiful forest in Michoacán, Jalisco. Last year, the kids, staff and I, from La Ola Shelter, traveled to the butterfly biosphere reserve. The butterflies that migrate to this location are all Monarch Butterflies and they fly from Los Angeles and other areas in the states. When we got to the biosphere reserve, there was a large mountain in front of us. Luckily, with our tennis shoes on and lunches packed, all of us were prepared to go on the hike. (Depending on what part of the forest the butterflies migrate to will decide how far or strenuous the hike will be. If you have any health problems, ask your doctor before making the climb. If you don’t want to make the hike up, but still want to see...
Jocotepec’s Bustling Plaza
At the center of Jocotepec, Jalisco rests a busy plaza with people shopping, playing pool, eating tacos and tamales, and enjoying each other’s company. Jocotopec, which is considered a small pueblo, is home to around 37,000 people, and you can definitely see this lively population in the plaza on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night. Music fills the air and reverberates for miles outside the plaza on a weekend night. Trumpets, tubas, and guitars resound as the mariachi bands play into the early morning hours. It’s a meeting place for the townsfolk—a place to enjoy the company of family and friends. Children run through this large area as if it were a public park with grassy fields and playground sets. However, it is the direct opposite. Instead, it is a...
Ball Courts of Teuchitlan
At the Guachimontónes archaeological site in Teuchitlan sit ball courts. These ball courts were technically the political courts of the day. If there were matters that needed solving or quarreling among tribe members, they were sent to the ball court. The tribal officials would oversee the game as well as the other tribe members. The two teams would use a one pound, small, round ball, about the size of a grapefruit, and would have to hit this ball with their hips. They weren’t allowed to touch the ball with their hands or it would count against the team. If you can just imagine a hard, round, one pound ball hitting your hip bone, it would almost make you cry! Neither side didn’t just walk away from that game unscathed, like you might in soccer...