Building Gypsy RoseTrophy Trips
Yesterday, I received a call from a journalist at one of the “biggie” national magazines. She is working on an article about moving to Vermont for the June issue. She wanted to know about kayaking on Lake Champlain.
Hmmm. Yup, I can talk about that.
I took her on a “verbal” tour of my favorite section of the lake – putting in at the mouth of Otter Creek where one might see osprey, kingfishers, turtles, beaver, mink, fox, deer, and dragonflies among the wealth of species that make their home where river meets lake. I described the backdrop of the Adirondack and Green Mountain ranges that flank the lake, the 200 foot-high cliffs that rise from the water where paddlers may sight a rare peregrine falcon, a species that was almost eliminated in the days of DDT and Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring.”
I could hear the reporter yawning from her Manhattan office. “That sounds nice,” she said. “Are there any seals and sea lions?”
Seals and sea lions? On Lake Champlain?
It’s not the first time someone has asked if they might see marine mammals in our freshwater lake. I went on to explain that our lake is not connected with the ocean today, but that Lake Champlain was filled with saltwater for a period after the glaciers of the last ice age retreated 10,000 years ago. I told her the story of the Charlotte whale – bones of a beluga that were found by railroad workers digging a railway bed in the nineteenth century.
I could hear the yawning again.
My naturalist friends have a term for what the reporter was looking for. “Charismatic megafauna” – large animal species with widespread popular appeal. The polar bear. The Asian elephant. The giant panda. The blue whale. That’s what today’s ecotourist wants to see.
I mentioned the increasing number of bald eagle sightings, including the one that flew over the top of Gypsy Rose late last fall.
“That’s nice,” the reporter replied, but I knew that I hadn’t yet uncovered the big one for the story.
Despite our apparent lack of charismatic megafauna, the interview progressed. I moved on to the cultural highlights of the area. I spoke of the many shipwrecks on that section of lake, adding that the paddler can make a stop to learn more at the Maritime Museum along the route.
More yawns from Manhattan.
We’ll just have to wait and see what (if anything) shows up on those glossy perfumed pages when the article goes to print in a couple of months.
I was still pondering the interview when an article in this morning’s New York Times caught my eye.
“TROPHY TRIPS”
“For today’s jet set it’s a braggart’s banquet.”
Here are a few excerpts:
“ . . . lately the idea of the trophy trip has reached a peak, as the travel industry keeps offering rarer and more meaningful ways to connect to the world.”
‘‘Most of our clients have ‘been there, done that,’ ’’ says Mollie Fitzgerald of the high-end outfitter Frontiers International Travel. ‘‘People are seeking richer experiences because the ‘flop and drop’ concept is passé.’’
“Trophy hunting comes at a price, of course, and as global wealth keeps expanding, there’s no shortage of punters. ‘For people at the very top, there are not many surprises left,’ says the Cornell professor Robert H. Frank, author of ‘Luxury Fever: Money and Happiness in an Era of Excess.’ Like modern-day Edmund Hillarys, the über-elite are going to the ends of the earth — and beyond — and they want to get there first.”
“Such is the power of bragging rights. As Ann Mack, who monitors trends for J. Walter Thompson in New York, puts it, ‘The more experiences you have — and the more obscure and upscale they are — the more interesting you are at cocktail parties, because you have done something that most people haven’t.’”
Okay, okay, now I get it. If only I could offer an exclusive opportunity to sight Lake Champlain’s legendary lake monster, Champ! Talk about charismatic megafauna! Talk about a Trophy Trip!
Wow! If I could have promised Champ, that upcoming article (and me) might even have had a chance at the front page!
Comments
Just as well you didn't lure them with Champ -- sounds like those aren't the kind of visitors you'd really want in your area anyway.
Posted by: Sue in the Western Great Basin | March 28, 2008 09:03 PM
Too many people don't notice the little things any more...
Sounds like a wonderful lake,
Posted by: Crafty Green Poet | April 17, 2008 02:52 AM
Love the cabin on wheels. I discovered the Tumbleweed Tiny House Co. years ago, and visit the site often. I am planning on building one of their designs soon. In fact, I'm thinking of building severeal of them gradually over a period of time as a sort of side business in addition to my teaching job. You appear to be the local expert in the field (I live in Connecticut too, and own property in Vermont). I plan to visit that property soon, possibly in May. It's in Duxbury, near Waterbury, which is near Stowe, and, you get the idea, near the Gypsy Rose! Is there any chance I could get a peek at the cabin and talk w/ you about the building process, etc? Also, I look forward to seeing more photos. inside and out, of the Gypsy Rose soon. Thanks.
Posted by: Jay Creighton | April 23, 2008 01:55 PM
I appreciated all the small details of your article. I think the problem with a lot of people is they want the biggest, greatest and miss the biggest, greatest moments happening right around them. For me, there is nothing more beautiful than being alone in nature, doesn't matter if 100,000 people have been there before me. I like solitude . Seeing the first brightness of a dandelion makes me smile. Too bad so many people feel they have to travel to the ends of the earth to find something to make them interesting.
Posted by: Dagny McKinley | April 28, 2008 06:26 PM
I appreciated all the small details of your article. I think the problem with a lot of people is they want the biggest, greatest and miss the biggest, greatest moments happening right around them. For me, there is nothing more beautiful than being alone in nature, doesn't matter if 100,000 people have been there before me. I like solitude . Seeing the first brightness of a dandelion makes me smile. Too bad so many people feel they have to travel to the ends of the earth to find something to make them interesting.
Posted by: Dagny McKinley | April 28, 2008 06:27 PM
Hi,
Just checking in. Off to the other woman now? By which I mean Raven of course.
Posted by: Susan Buhr | May 8, 2008 11:29 AM
Hi Kevin,
I just wanted you to know that I have created a green bloggers forum on which you can post a description of your blog and a link to your site. No reciprocal link to my site is required . . . just want to spread the word about good green blogs and have people take a look at my site. Go to www.webuyitgreen.com, select the green forum button, register for the forum, select the Nonprofits Resources and Discussions forum, then select the Green Blogs subforum, and post your thread.
Jay Kilby
Posted by: Jay Kilby | May 23, 2008 04:36 PM
Hi Kevin. I have been doing some writing for the Tiny House Blog and I wanted to do a post on Gypsy Rose. Can I ask where you got your plans or your idea? What a great blog! Keep it up.
Posted by: Christina | August 22, 2008 06:10 PM
Christina,
Glad you've enjoyed the blog. It's been a while since I've last posted - almost to the point where so much has happened that I don't know where to begin. I'll update soon.
The idea for Gypsy Rose was completely independent of the "small house movement" that has gained popularity among many. I live on a boat for 7 months a year and had a need for winter accommodations. My friend Marion had a need for summer accommodations on the land she owns in eastern Vermont. One cay I called her up and suggested that we build a mobile cabin that we could share between the two locations. We designed it ourselves based on the maximum dimensions allowable on the highway and my experience with efficient use of space on boats. Much of the design incorporates marine systems, including 12 volt electrical.
All the best,
Kevin
Posted by: kevin | August 22, 2008 08:15 PM
I wondered if you put a shower in front of the toilet in Gypsy Rose?
Can you throw up a floorplan? It's wonderful - thanks so much for the journal!
jill
Posted by: jill | September 16, 2008 12:28 PM
Jill,
Yes, there is a shower in the bathroom, opposite the toilet. I haven't finished it yet. My thoughts are to line the shower in the same fashion as building a strip-built canoe (narrow strips of wood covered with epoxy and a layer of fiberglass cloth).
I do have a hand drawn floorplan. If I come across a scanner someday I'll take you up on the suggestion to put it on the blog.
It's been a long time since I've written in the Gypsy blog. The summer has been a blur of activity given that I make virtually all of my income during the short Vermont summers. We're getting Gypsy ready for the winter, though, and I'll start posting more on the progress soon.
All the best,
Kevin
Posted by: Kevin | September 18, 2008 06:40 AM