Why is the Giant Rafflesia so special?

The Giant Rafflesia, which weighs up to 7 kg, boasts the biggest bloom in the world (the world record is 107 cm in diameter, and the average is around 1 m). What makes the flower even more special is that it takes 8-9 months to grow from bud to bloom, and the dark red petals are alive for a few days to a week only. Afterwards they decay to a black mass and you have to wait another year to see the magical spectacle. The Rafflesia is a parasite with no stem, leaves or roots, growing instead on a tropical vine.

Bud

Almost ready

In bloom

Rotten

When does the Rafflesia bloom?

Nobody knows when the flower will bloom, as the season changes from year to year depending on conditions. It’s a good idea to contact a local agency a few days prior to arriving – they can tell you if it’s the right time to see the Rafflesia. December and January seem to be the most likely months, but the bloom could happen any time.

Can you reach the Rafflesia in Khao Sok National Park without a guide?

The trails leading to the Rafflesia are in a way well marked, but the starting points are small, innocuous-looking paths by the roadside, which are kind of hidden on purpose. If you don’t know the starting point, you can’t get any farther.

At first, I was kind of annoyed that you must hire a guide (500-1500 baht for two hours depending on the agency and how big the group is) instead of getting there yourself. I initially thought they arranged it like this as a way of making money from foreigners, but I was proven wrong. The park rangers from Khao Sok take good care of the rare flowers – every bud is numbered and monitored through the year, and your guide makes sure you behave responsibly around the flower. You are not allowed to touch or, god forbid, pick the Rafflesia. If everyone could find the flowers on their own, the beautiful Rafflesia would undoubtedly suffer more damage.

How does the Rafflesia smell?

Before I visited the Rafflesia, I had read on the internet about how dreadful, life-endangering and dead-corpse-like the stench of the rotten flower was. Eager to try this lethal weapon on my own nose, I almost screamed out of excitement when I saw a dead Rafflesia on the way. But what a disappointment! There was nothing! I couldn’t understand why, as our guide spoke only Japanese (which I don’t speak), but after reading many blogs on the topic, I think I might be the first person in the world who has been spared the rotten-meat smell of this incredible plant.

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Glacier preserves some of the nation’s wildest country. Welcome to this rugged slice of nature’s best.

1. Cruise Going-to-the-Sun Road: Whether by car or iconic red bus, this stunning road cuts through immense cliffs and glacier-carved mountains dripping with waterfalls. For avid cyclists, the climb rates as one of the best in the country, especially if you go in spring when the road is closed to vehicles.

2. Touch the Continental Divide at Logan Pass: While you-re there, you can climb the boardwalk to Hidden Lake Overlook or watch for wildlife and admire the wildflower meadows.

3. Go Backpacking: Explore the rugged, remote backcountry over Boulder Pass or the Northern Circle. For a shorter trip, try the Dawson-Pitamakin Loop.

4. Paddle the Park’s Lakes: Canoe, kayak, or paddleboard in remote solitude at Kintla Lake or Bowman Lake. For easier access, float Lake McDonald.

5. Stay at Granite Park Chaler: It’s rustic and simple, but Granite Park Chalet perches on a knoll above the treeline with a 360-degree mountain view. Reach it by hiking the Highline Trail.

6. Relish Summer Wildflowers: See meadows of wildflowers blooming in Preston Park on the Piegan Pass and Siyeh Pass trails, along Many Glacier Road, and in many other places throughout the park.

7. Watch Wildlife: See mountain goats, bighorn sheep, bears, and moose. Two of the best places are the Hidden Lake Overlook Trail at Logan Pass and Many Glacier.

8. See the Park in Winter: Even when snow buries and closes park roads, you can still snowshoe or cross-country ski to Bowman Lake, McGee Meadows, Rocky Point or on Going-to-the-Sun Road.

***
See more in Moon Glacier National Park by Becky Lomax

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#1 Go stargazing. With no city light bleed, this dark Northern California sky showcases millions of stars—a rarity in most cities. Outfitters provide guided stargazing hikes and tours with high-powered telescopes for planet tours.

Stargazing in Tuolumne. Photo Credit: Kyle McLaurin

#2 Walk in California’s largest underground cavern. Enjoy a 45-minute Family Walking Tour or a 3-hour Wild Cavern Adventure Trip including the historic 100′ spiral staircase.

#3 Go gold panning. Although the Fandango Halls and gun fights are but an eerie presence found in the ghost towns the miners abandoned, the boom of the 1849 Gold Rush left nuggets and frontier adventures behind. In Tuolumne County, several mines are still open that allow visitors to pan for gold, and there are several gold panning adventure companies that teach prospecting courses for adventurous miners who seek a true Gold Country experience.

#4 Travel back to the 1850’s at Columbia State Historic Park. Today the town still has the atmosphere, shops and activities of the olden times. Gold was discovered in Columbia in 1850. By 1870, the “Gem of the Southern Mines” produced more than $1 billion (in today’s figures).

Columbia State Historic Park. Photo credit: Michael Sharps

#5 Go cider tasting. Wine tasting is cool but cider tasting is even better. Indigeny Reserve is located in the hills of historic Sonora. Hard ciders and spirits produced in small batches are produced from the organic apple orchards here. Enjoy the shaded picnic areas for a lazy afternoon.

#6 Go whitewater rafting. Trips range from 1/2 to 3-day on the Merced, Tuolumne, Kings, Stanislaus and American Rivers and offer everything from float boats to Class 5 runs.

#7 Ride a steam train at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park. Hundreds of movies and TV shows have been shot here. Join 45-minute a ride from the backyards of Jamestown to the rugged hillsides of California’s Mother Lode country.

Railtown 1897 State Historic Park. Photo Credit: Tuolumne County, CA

#8 Discover your wild self at Stanislaus National Forest. Here you can fish in over 800 miles of rivers and streams, stay in a campground, or hike into the backcountry in search of pristine solitude. You can swim near a sandy beach or wade into cold clear streams.

#9 Make your own candy canes. Get your fingers sticky and join a candy cane making lesson at Nelson’s Candy Kitchen. 

Candy cane making. Photo Credit: 2018 Tuolumne County Visitors Bureau

#10 Head on a road trip (giant sequoias included). Venture along Highway 120 for the “front door” entrance to Yosemite National Park from the San Francisco Bay Area. The Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias is one of three groves to walk among these giants that can live to more than 3000 years old! You will have to hike just about 1.5 miles to reach the Tuolumne Grove but it will be well worth the work to enjoy these massively beautiful trees with a lot less crowds than the Mariposa Grove at the south end of the park.

#11 Escape the crowds of Yosemite Valley. Far from the crowds of Yosemite Valley, you can experience the abundance of waterfalls up-close and personal in the Hetch Hetchy section of the national park, easily accessible from Rush Creek Lodge’s location on Highway 120.

Escape the crowds, Yosemite. Photo Credit: Kim Carroll

#12 Get in shape to see the iconic Half Dome in Yosemite. You can hike the 16-mile round trip to the top of the dome, but it is only recommended if you are in a shape for an extremely rigorous hike, and you need a permit. You will gain nearly 5000 feet during the climb, most hikers take 10-12 hours to complete the trip. Do you accept the challenge?

Read more: 9 unusual things to do in Southern California

Feature image: Tuolumne County Visitors Bureau 

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National parks in the USA

Most of the US National Parks do not need to be introduced, but there are some that you are yet to discover. See the page for all virtual walks around US National Parks here. Some of our favourites are:

Mount Rushmore is the park that houses the famous rock with the carved faces of US presidents. Get there by clicking here.

Yellowstone National Park-read more about the park and then walk around it here.

 Grand Canyon – the creepy and majestic Grand Canyon is also yours for virtual walks here.

Yosemite National Park – Once a naturalist, John Moore said that no temple created with hands can be compared to the Yosemites. Make sure of this fact by walking the park.

National parks in Canada 

On the National Parks Site of Canada, you can see a complete list of all the parks captured by Google Street View cameras. Here are some of our favourite walks:

Lake Louis at Banff National Park – see it from a bird’s eye view and take a stroll here.

 Quttinirpaaq National Park – Canada’s second-largest national park welcomes you with breathtaking views. Take a walk around the park here. 

Kluane National Park – A lake, an islet and coniferous forests – what else do you need? Take a walk here.

National parks in Australia

Visit the National Parks page of Australia and follow the links for a Google Street View walk through some of the continent’s most visited eco trails and natural sites. Here are some of our favourites:

Kosciuszko Peak (2,228m) It is an interesting fact that Australia’s highest peak bears a strange Polish name (Australians pronounce it Kozioskou). The reason for this is the fact that the first European to climb it is a to whom, according to the rumour, the shape of the top reminded the shape of the tomb of Polish national hero Tadeusz Kosciuszko. Take a virtual walk around here.

Jervis Bay National Park-If you feel like walking in the cool woods off the coast, see here.

The trail from Pretty Beach to the Gulf of Snakes – a boardwalk trail winds amidst low vegetation along the coast of Muramarang National Park. Take a walk here.

Crowdy Gap campground- Do you miss the carefree days of the tent? Take a virtual stroll at Crowdy Gap Campground in Crowd Bay National Park here.

The Blue Mountains National Park-This is one of Australia’s most beloved national parks, the Blue Mountains, is located only an hour and a half from Sydney, and although not made up of mountains in the true sense of the word, the views in it are breathtaking. Take a look here.

Border Rangers National Park – another platform view, see it here.

Authors: Maria Angelova and Borislav Georgiev

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>>> Read an excerpt from Lost With Directions here!

We reached out to Rob to ask him a few very important things about challenges and adventures.

– Who is Rob Erwin and what are his dreams?

– I’m just a small-town guy from Illinois who’s spent most of his life doing things I really had no business in doing. I never played a minute of football in my life, and then went on to coach college football for seven years. I never swam a lap in pool in my life until a few years ago, and now I’m training for my first Ironman triathlon. I had no formal writing training, and managed to write a best-selling travel book last year. My goal is to continue learning from all my adventures and experiences, and eventually share something great with the world. I’m not there yet, but I’m working on it.

– Why is the leap from ‘I have a boring job’ to ‘I’m following my dreams’ so hard for most people?

– We’re all afraid of something.

For many, the greatest fear in their lives is what will others think of me? In particular, what will others think of me if I fail? 

The thought of failure, and the pain we associate it, is sadly what keeps many of us from taking chances in our lives.

But what really hurts more? Going on a great adventure, even though you might fall short of your ultimate destination? Or following the herd, and successfully arriving somewhere that, in the end, doesn’t really matter? That’s the question for me.

– What was your biggest ‘mistake’ on the road that you laughed at later?

– The time in the Pelican Valley of Yellowstone, when I sprayed myself in the face with bear spray definitely stands out. And, no, there wasn’t actually a bear involved.

– Why does the wild backcountry attract you?

– Depending where you’re at, the backcountry can be a pretty scary place when you’re out on your own. But I love the adrenaline rush. It’s frightening going through dense brush in grizzly country, or being miles from anyone else in a mountain valley where you just watched a wolf chase down an antelope. But it’s also really exhilarating. You have to dig deep and find the courage to keep going, and for me, that’s always been a rewarding and exciting experience.

– If you have to list five reasons for people to travel more often to small towns, what would they be?

1) You never know what you’re going to find. (Big cities are already well-traveled, it’s really hard to find something that hasn’t already been written about 1,000 times.)

2) You never know who you’re going to find. It takes an uncommon kind of person to live in small-town Appalachia, or the Northwoods of Minnesota, hours away from the closest major city. I’ve met some pretty incredible individuals in these types of towns. (You’re also bound to run into some pretty unusual characters, as well.)

3) Great food. I always eat better in small towns.

4) Cheaper. You won’t break the bank staying the night.

5) Unexpected history. Many of America’s small towns weren’t always so quaint and sleepy. As the population migrated towards the cities in the 20th century, they left behind some pretty incredible stories in their former frontier outposts, boomtowns, and rural hubs.

– What’s your next travel challenge?

– My next travel challenge is a pretty big project, which I’ve already started.

Several years back, I came across the travel series Departures on Netflix. It followed the multi-year journey of two travel companions around the world, and it truly changed my life. The whole time I was watching, I just kept saying to myself, “These guys are living at a different level than the rest of us.”

Departures inspired me to go on the journey that eventually became Lost with Directions: Ambling Around America, and it’s also the inspiration for my latest project, my own travel miniseries.

I’ve currently filmed two installments, with the ultimate goal of four episodes. Each one explores a different part of America, and is shot in a different season. For instance, the Summer episode takes place across the American West, while the Winter episode was shot in the Northwoods of Minnesota and Canada.

It’s been an amazing process, and I’m excited to share it with others. (Anticipated release in December 2018.)

All photos: Rob Erwin. Discover more about his book on its website Lost With Directions. 

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