Quiet Invigoration in Nature with Josh Daugherty
The Spectrum of Experiences
Josh Daugherty’s desire to connect to nature is palpable. He’ll do anything possible to immerse himself in a rainstorm, wade into a river, throw a frisbee barefoot and all along remind himself that ego is the enemy. He also might be skinny dipping in that lake so – fair warning.
Necessary Stillness
He also might be simply standing still and appreciating the quiet. This kind of stillness is hard to find these days. For Josh, a self described, ‘spokesperson for ADD’ he doesn’t just like it, he needs it.
So he’ll go at the drop of a hat to anyplace wild. And he wants you to go too.
Disc Golf IS the Way
He’ll also build a thriving outdoor community out of nothing by aiming his frisbee at the light pole on your corner. Frisbee golf, or disc golf for the purists, is just one of the ways we can, in Josh’s words, “create a greater connection to the planet and to each other.”
He sees the throwing of a disc as a conversation. A conversation that’s subject to the wind and terrain and ever so slight changes in weather. This simple shift of mindset, to call the throwing of a frisbee back and forth a conversation, is what makes Josh’s approach to the outdoors compelling.
A Generous Act
It’s perhaps crazy to think one can start a disc golf course in one’s neighborhood just as a pandemic takes its full grip on the country. However crazy it may have seemed, Josh’s actions were, in fact, a gift. A gift to his neighbors and to his state of mind. Josh and a few others scouted out their disc golf holes and decided on the appropriate number of throws,
“Looks like a par four to me.”
Soon enough people did an amazing thing. They came outside and joined in. Just like what used to happen when we were kids.
This is what brings people together: a willingness to go outside and immerse. Immerse in your surroundings. Immerse in the weather. Immerse in the simple act of throwing a frisbee or noticing a tree. Most of the time, someone else is going to join you. Because both of you need that connection that is fostered by the outdoors.
Full Immersion
Josh believes in nothing less than jumping in with both feet, literally. This approach has shaped his life as long as he can remember and he’s here to remind us that it’s gonna be okay. In fact, it’s going to make you happier, healthier and a better friend, spouse, neighbor, parent and citizen.
He’s a mountain man – forest bather – fly fisherman, hunter and practicer of what he likes to call “vertical yoga.” Also known as, rock climbing.
Come along with us on our conversation that covers everything from the need to reduce our ego to the identification of local garlic plants. It’s an inspiring and thought provoking episode with someone who truly proves that a deeper connection to nature provides meaning and happiness.
It’s possible this was photoshopped. Ashley Ann and Josh Daugherty
The 3 x 3 Main Street Challenge
We start this time on a main street in south Atlanta in the College Park neighborhood at a local BBQ restaurant called Tom Dick and Hank BBQ Restaurant. https://tomdickandhank.com/our-story/ They have two locations, one in downtown Atlanta and one at 3807 Main Street, College Park.
Just 3 minutes away is Brenningham Park and the Wayman and Bessie Brady Recreation Center
Just 30 minutes away is the Silver Comet Trail. It’s a free, paved, non-motorized 60 plus mile trail for bikers, walkers, hikers and horseback riders. It starts in Smyrna Georgia just West of Atlanta and goes all the way to the Georgia/ Alabama border. https://www.silvercometga.com/index.shtml
Youtube video for the Silver Comet Trail. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiN0Hy0mUA8
Just 3 hours away is the the Blue Ridge Parkway. Called “America’s favorite drive” this wonderful roadway goes along the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountain chain from the Great Smokey Mountain National Park through North Carolina all the way to the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. The Blue Ridge Parkway was the first national rural parkway to be conceived, designed, and constructed for a leisure-type driving experience.
Its varied topography and numerous vista points offer easy public access to spectacular views of central and southern Appalachian rural landscapes and forested mountains. It connects Shenandoah National Park in Virginia with Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina.
As an example of pre- and post-World War II automotive rural parkway design, the Blue Ridge Parkway retains the greatest degree of integrity of any parkway in the United States. The Parkway is recognized around the world as an international example of landscape and engineering design achievements with a roadway that lies easily on the land and blends into the landscape.
The Parkway is the highest and longest continuous route in the Appalachian area. Along its 469-mile length, it provides scenic access to crests and ridges of five major ranges within the central and southern Appalachian Mountains, encompassing geographic and vegetative zones that range from 649 feet at James River in Virginia to 6,047 feet at Richland Balsam in North Carolina.
https://www.blueridgeparkway.org/
Where Art Meets Nature
DJ Shark and I breakdown the wonderful storytelling and rich images of Lucinda Williams’ song, Lake Charles, from her astonishing Grammy award winning album, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dglHW7rOwk
There’s No Planet B
For inspiration and resources on one of the great outdoor activities and how to do it in a responsible way look no further than Fly Fisher’s International.
