"There is no small pleasure in sweet water." —Ovid
Oil may be the lifeblood of the global industry, the stuff of speculation, profits and war, but water is the lifeblood of life. Over the years, the Independent has devoted significant resources to documenting threats to our water table and citizens' efforts to preserve this most indispensable fuel for living. We've reported on degradations of aquifers in the hog country to the east, encroaching development—and its accompanying toxic runoff—along the Eno, and the overburdened Neuse River that recently debuted on the American Rivers foundation's annual list of endangered rivers.
In this year's Indy Summer Guide, we're putting the bad news aside and focusing instead on why we love water in the summertime. Our writers ventured as far afield as the Uwharrie National Forest, as far below the surface as the bottom of a flooded rock quarry, and as close to home as an urban park. Please consider these as suggestions for close-to-home getaways—an idea that gets ever more appealing as the cost of gas approaches $4 a gallon. And, for more summer merrymaking ideas, we've assembled a guide to outdoor festivals of various kinds.
And while you're sampling the refreshments of the cool water of your choice, consider becoming involved with one of the numerous organizations in the region devoted to preserving the quality of our water resources, such as the Haw River Assembly, the Eno River Association or The Neuse River Foundation.
Have fun, and bring a towel.
- What lies beneath: Eno Quarry
By Douglas Vuncannon - Rain over me: Uwharrie National Forest
By Megan Stein - Floating his boat: The Canoeist by Durham's John Manuel
By Sylvia Pfeiffenberger - Bring the Neuse: Falls Lake State Park
By Sarah Lupton - Nightswimming: The Eno
By Megan Stein - Riding the waves: Local water parks
By Iesha Brown - Join the crowds: A roundup of summer outdoor entertainment
Compiled by Madison Owen
Comments (2)
Showing 1-2 of 2
- To create paragraphs in your comment, type <p> at the start of a paragraph and </p> at the end of each paragraph.
- To create bold text, type <b>bolded text</b> (please note the closing tag, </b>).
- To create italicized text, type <i>italicized text</i> (please note the closing tag, </i>).
- Proper web addresses will automatically become links.
Latest in Summer Guide
-
Will the ELF, from Durham-based Organic Transit, save the planet?
Take a spin in the ELF, a category-defying new vehicle built here in Durham, and prepare to have this question shouted at you by passing motorists: "What is that?!"
- May 29, 2013
-
An explosion of places to find affordable bicycles in the Triangle
Bike shop owners don't seem overly concerned with outcompeting their fellow shops, but instead seem to encourage their work because they share a common goal.
- May 29, 2013
-
2013 Summer Calendar
All the music & movies, theater & dance, special events & more you don't want to miss
- May 29, 2013
- More »
More by David Fellerath
-
Jesse and Celine return in Before Midnight, getting old in Greece
When do we ever see this movie, this film that tells the truth about the not-so-happily-ever-after?
- Jun 12, 2013
-
Full Frame 2013: Four fine documentaries by Durham filmmakers
Thursday-Sunday
- Apr 3, 2013
- More »
