Evotourism

There's nothing like expanding your vocabulary. Because, in the process, your horizons also become broader. One of my favorite magazine subscriptions I have had for many years, Smithsonian, never fails to fascinate me. Now they have introduced me and so many others to EVOTOURISM. This is a concept whose time has come. Evotourism destinations are microcosms of evolution in action. Spanning six continents and such varied locales as Kangaroo Island, Australia and Mount St. Helens in Washington state, the evotourist becomes witness to the Earth's timeline as it supported the evolution, and sometimes extinction, of an astounding array of species. I never knew whales walked in Egypt. Let me say that again. Whales. Walked. In. Egypt. You must go here to see it for yourself. A mammal that possesses a duck's  feet and bill, spines on its back, and lays eggs? Yes, the duck-billed platypus is represented, as are microscopic ancient fossils called Foraminifera. Giant, cactus-eating tortoises are here along with Gregor Mendel's humble peas.

The concept of evotourism as presented by Smithsonian has given me a new perspective on travel. I knew there were places I've always wanted to see; doesn't everybody? Only, I couldn't say just why I've always longed to go to the  Galapagos Islands and La Brea Tar Pits. I understand now that this is travel with a purpose. It is human nature to yearn for understanding, to want to believe there is an order to and a rationale for our existence. When one is confronted with a billions-of-years-old history before one's eyes, when one witnesses layer upon layer of time just waiting to be seen and understood, when one begins to truly believe the insignificance of one's existence in the shadow of the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic eras, then, and only then, does one grasp the world around oneself.

Won't you visit www.Smithsonian.com for some evotourism? Maybe, like me, you will have finally found your bucket list.