“The mountains are calling and I must go.” This quote is from famous adventurer and naturalist John Muir whom many credit with the birth of our national park system. In fact, August 25, 2016 marks the 100 year anniversary of the national park service. If you have ever enjoyed the beautiful natural scenery of Yellowstone, hiked the red rocks of Zion, marveled at the desolate ruggedness of Death Valley or seen the majestic sequoias of Yosemite up close, you know a little of what John Muir must have experienced.
We enjoy escaping to nature as often as we can. Unfortunately, time restrictions often limit these getaways to local areas such as Idyllwild, California. We visited this local mountain town a couple of years ago with our dog, Iris, who enjoyed the crisp, clean mountain air as much as we did.
Lilly rock in Idyllwild, California photo Martin Pierce Hardware Los Angeles Ca 90016
This trip was for both pleasure and for work as Martin was seeking inspiration for the new beetle sculpture he was working on at the time. Familiarizing himself with the habitat of any animal or creature makes it possible for him to add authentic details to his work, including the door hardware, lighting fixtures and sculptures he designs. That detail is evident on this entry door handle backplate from our Lizard collection.
Multi point door lever from Lizard collection of entry door handles by Martin Pierce Hardware Los Angeles Ca 90016 photo Doug Hill
We were also fortunate enough a couple of years back to take a few weeks and venture north through Wyoming, Montana and other western states and seeing the bison and other wild life roam free in their natural settings.
Bison national range in Montana. Photo Martin Pierce Hardware Los Angeles Ca 90016
Do you have a favorite park you like to visit?