点评:“OMG!” That was awesome.” This is was I texted to my friend’s mom after our hiking tour at Ridges Hike and Ski Tours.
“What made this tour awesome?”, you ask…Brett, the owner, is who made the tour awesome. First, read his blog, “Arm in Arm,” to get a sense of his character. He describes his experience in creating a tour for my friend who is legally blind to enjoy. Brett gave my friend the option to ride in a golf cart or to walk. My friend chose to walk; and he did for two miles up and down hills, navigating roots, stumps and rocks. He did this with and without Brett’s or my help. Brett also incorporated our other senses in the tour to enable my friend to enjoy the other wonders of nature, the feel of bark created by different trees, sounds of a brook, the temperature of a natural spring, and the taste of the land.
As for me, the hike and tour touched upon what I enjoy: connecting with people, learning about the environment I am in, and walking. Brett also touched on themes that are important to my family and friends, thus me: nature, science, the environment, history, hiking/skiing, and literature. He explained how and why he maintains the land and trails; He talked about why some trees thrive and some don’t. He shared his thoughts about Native Americans living in the area; and he shared how the previous owners from Germany used the land’s resources to create a beautiful place for his wife and others to enjoy. He talked about the hiking and ski trails, which ones where his favorites and why. Last of all, he summed up some spots on our hike by reciting poems about the land before us.
After the hike, Brett provided refreshments. We enjoyed fresh water from the stream; a homemade custard blackberry pie; and one of six different kinds of homemade hard cider made with added ingredients such as hops, lavender, and peach, and. Many of the ingredients he used are from this land.
I cannot be grateful enough for the thought that Brett put into his Ridges Hikes and Tours business and the deliberate planning he did for our hike. As a former teacher, he put his lesson plan skills to the test for our tour; and I am confident he can do the same for you! ~ Andee E.
翻译:“天哪!太棒了!”这就是我们在Ridges Hike and Ski Tours徒步旅行后,我发给朋友妈妈的短信。
“是什么让这次旅行如此精彩呢?”你可能会问……其实是店主布雷特让这次旅行变得精彩非凡。首先,不妨读一读他的博客“Arm in Arm”,借此了解他的为人。他在博客中讲述了自己如何为一位视力有障碍的朋友精心策划并安排这次旅行。布雷特还让我的朋友可以选择乘坐高尔夫球车或步行哦。我的朋友选择徒步行走;他沿着起伏的丘陵走了两英里,途中还要避开树根、树桩和岩石。无论有没有布雷特或我的帮助,他都坚持完成了这段路程。布雷特还引导我们运用其他感官来参与这次游览,好让我的朋友也能领略大自然的其他奇妙之处:不同树木的树皮触感、小溪的潺潺声、天然泉水的温度,以及大地的气息与味道。
至于我,这次徒步与游览正好契合了我的喜好:与人建立联系。了解我所处的环境,还有散步。Brett还谈到了对我家人、朋友以及我本人来说很重要的主题:大自然、科学、环境、历史、远足/滑雪以及文学。他解释了自己是如何以及为何维护这片土地和步道的;他还谈到了为什么有些树木能茁壮成长而有些则不能。他分享了自己对居住在该地区的美洲原住民的看法;还讲述了之前从德国来的业主们如何利用这片土地上的资源,为他的妻子及其他人打造出一个美丽宜人的去处。他谈到了各种徒步与滑雪路线,说明了自己最喜欢哪些路线及其原因。最后,他吟诵起关于眼前这片土地的诗句,以此来总结我们此次徒步的所见所感。
徒步结束后,布雷特为大家准备了茶点。我们享用了溪水沏泡的清水;还有自制的蛋奶浆黑莓派;以及六种不同风味的自制硬苹果酒之一——这些苹果酒添加了啤酒花、薰衣草和桃子等配料来调味。他所使用的许多食材都来自这片土地。
对于布雷特在“Ridges Hikes and Tours”这项事业上倾注的心血,以及他为我们的远足行程所做的精心筹划,我感激不尽。作为曾经的教师,他在这次导览中充分展现了自己的教案设计能力;我深信他也能为您做到同样出色的效果!~ Andee E.