The Goats
Popular Culture Review 30.2
For me , the property is all about nature . The trails wind through well maintained forests , with a variety of flora and birds . It ’ s worth the challenging hike to the top of Big Glassy Mountain to see the impressive views . The goats and their barns and the dairy where Mrs . Sandburg bottled milk is worth a look . It ’ s a relaxing and inspirational place .
Equally as pervasive among the reviews were experiences related to the site ’ s herd of goats . The goats ’ barn and pasture are open to the public , and , used to the attention , the goats are quite friendly . Visitors enjoyed petting the goats , feeding the goats , and taking photos with the goats . One post captured the feelings many shared “ we loved ( sic ) the goats and could have stayed much longer .” Others noted that they had been excited to see the goats in order to “ pet them and take great pictures of them up-close .” Given the novelty and immersive experience the goats offer visitors , it is no surprise that they were widely noted as factors contributing to people ’ s experiences . However , the popularity of the goats reinforces the notion that the pastoral elements of the property were most impactful for visitors .
In addition to interacting with the goats directly , visitors enjoyed purchasing goat-milk related products in the gift shop and learning about Lillian Sandburg ’ s connection to the goats as the animals are direct descendants of her original herd . The gifts shop sells various items , mostly National Park Service branded souvenirs , a number of books about the local area , several books written by Sandburg , and an array of goatmilk based items including fudge , caramels , cheeses , and half
74