LIFE UNDERGROUND

DON’T DRINK THE

(BOTTLED) WATER

Many of the national parks we visited

encouraged vistors to switch from bottled water to the local, free brew.

GETTIN’ DOWN

Who would have thought Florida had caves?

We explored a great one north of Marianna in

Florida

Caverns State Park. A ranger led us though a crack in the earth and we hiked for an hour underground. Occasional a bat would whiz by to make it even more exciting. At 65 degrees, it was a nice break from the heat.

Jumping into Madison Blue Springs was another way to chill.

We never tire of plunging into these cool, clear pools in North Florida.

As we left, we passed a private spring, the source of Deer Park Water. An endless line of semi-trucks was transporting this month’s millions of plastic bottles to quench America’s thirst. Its a shame more of us don’t drink the local water. Much of the bottled water people buy is “local water”.

You can’t buy a bottle of water in many national parks. Everyone there just fills their reusable bottles and canteens with spring water.

Signs like this remind us that bottled water is a bad idea, a waste of natural resources. Next they’ll be selling us air.