Entry 3- How Natural is Natural?


Over Valentine's Day weekend, my girlfriend and I visited a resort perched in the rolling hills of the Hill Country near San Antonio. We had plans to roam the local shopping center and enjoy the thrills of the nearby Six Flags; however, upon seeing the breathtaking views from our balcony of deep-green hillside ridges crashing into one another like waves, we had little desire to leave the property. And we didn't need to. The resort did a remarkable job of encouraging guests to take in the environment by orienting pools, loungers, fire pits, and restaurants towards the mesmerizing horizon. I could not remember the last time I had the opportunity to appreciate the undeniable beauty of a natural landscape like this. It was an incredible experience and a wonderful long weekend. 

 

Naturally, given how much I enjoyed the trip, I found myself daydreaming about the hillside as our class began on Tuesday. It turned out to be the perfect image to consider as we discussed Edward Abbey's Polemic and the concept of industrial tourism. As I recalled my mental portrait of the Texas Hills and looked closer, I could see cement roads built into their slopes, mansions set on their ridgelines, walking trails cut through their terrain, and golf courses uprooting and scattering a sea of live oak. Just how natural was this landscape after all? The hills had been leveled, paved, beaten down, and split for vacationers. The backdrop I found naturally beautiful was physically built to be that way; there’s nothing “naturally” beautiful about that at all. Nevertheless, that realization does not change the joy, peace, and wonder I felt over the weekend. 

After considering our class discussion, Edward Abbey’s opinion on development, and the concept of commercialized tourism, I found myself at a crossroads. I agree that commercialized tourism in the protected areas (National Parks) Abbey references must be restrained before we “love them to death” (perhaps with some modifications to his methods). However, I still believe that development in other areas has value; otherwise, many would never have the opportunity to appreciate the natural beauty I did this weekend. There must be a way to develop with reflection and intentionality so that environments may be experienced without being lost. 

Comments

  1. williams.dan76February 24, 2026 at 11:07 AM

    How natural are our natural environments is a great question. For most of us, natural is always curated

    ReplyDelete

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