Thoreau would be so proud…

If you’ve ever been to Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Smoky Mountains, the Rocky Mountains, Joshua Tree, or the Grand Canyon, you know just how beautiful and awe-inspiring our national parks are and how lucky we are to have them within our borders. Wouldn’t it be a marvelous experience to travel across the country on a car-camping trip through our national parks? Well, that’s just what the women in Joanne Wilke’s new memoir/family history, Eight Women, Two Model Ts, and the American West did. Not only that, they did it back in 1924, “without a man or a gun along.” Over the course of nine weeks, these farm girls (and students at Iowa’s Teachers College) traveled over nine thousand unpaved miles through six national parks and had more than a few adventures along the way. Since many of us do not have the time (or command of the great outdoors) to complete such a journey ourselves, this week’s “Linking in Lincoln” features links to wonderful national park and outdoor adventure sites sure to inspire a desk- or couch-bound communion with nature.

The National Park Service Web site is the perfect place to begin your virtual outdoor adventure. This site boasts information on the countless U.S. National Parks, including details on the history, science, and culture of each park.

You’ll, of course, want to be able to pick and choose which parks you’d like to visit on your e-journey. For a well-compiled list of U.S. National Parks, visit Wikipedia.

Puzzled as to what to pack for your nature excursion? eHow has a great article on “How to Pack for a Camping Trip,” complete with step-by-step instructions, checklists, and even camping games! Visit them here.

Are you an avid hiker (or, at least came claim to be one from the safety of your armchair)? If so, you’ll want to check out the Web site of the American Hiking Association. These folks offer a plethora of information on U.S. hiking trails, hiking safety, trail conservation, and more. You can sign up to become a member and perhaps actually lace up those old dusty boots and spring for a new pair of hiking poles with a New Year’s resolution to hit the trails (and not just virtually)!

Want to take your hiking ambitions a step further and hike for a cause? The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has an amazing fundraising program called Hike for Discovery in which volunteers are trained by hiking professionals over the course of a few months to complete an endurance destination hike (they’ve taken their participants to the Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountains, Yosemite, and even Kauai!). In exchange, volunteers agree to raise money for the LLS to support them in their fight against blood cancers. Sounds like a cause worth hiking for!

Finally, if you’re afraid that you might come face-to-face with a foaming-at-the-mouth grizzly bear on your Internet camping trip, let me assure you that it’s probably not going to happen (besides, even if it did, you could always just shut down your computer). But, just in case, our friends at eHow can offer you tips on what to do to survive a bear attack. Check it out here.

That’s all the linking for this week. Now, take inspiration from the women in Eight Women, Two Model Ts, and the American West and embark on your own adventure, whether on foot, by car, or by keyboard!