Dad and I snagged Mount Mitchell on one of our road trips before, but it was so close to where we were that we decided to go again. The drive there was….interesting. Dad asked Siri to take us there and we followed her directions. “Turn right and you will arrive at your destination.” She told us after awhile of driving. Dad and I both looked at each other as we steered the car in the direction Siri told us to go. “This doesn’t look at familiar at ALL!” I exclaimed. Dad agreed, but we were going up so we kept going. “You have arrived!” Siri proudly told us as we pulled into….a housing development. What. ON. EARTH.
Continue readingHiking
Sassafras Mountain – South Carolina – UPDATED 2019
One of the main reasons Dad and I chose to head down south again for our road trip was to see the new tower they built on the top of Sassafras Mountain, the highest point in South Carolina. It was recently reopened a few months ago so we decided to head down and check it out.
Continue readingSKYBRIDGE, Gatlinburg TN
While planning our recent roadtrip, my dad sent me a link to an article he found about a new bridge in Gatlinburg that would be opening right before we headed down there – the SKYBRIDGE.
The SkyBridge is the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the US. I texted my dad back and said “We will watch some ppl test it first….also I better not drop my camera off that” (If you read my blog, you know one road trip I broke 2 cameras and a gimbal in 24 hrs.)
Continue readingMiddle Creek Wildlife Management Area
I decided to come out of hibernation for a bit since we were having a break in the extreme cold. My Dad, nephew and I drove over to Middle Creek – a wildlife preserve in PA that gets THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of snow geese every year. I knew it wasn’t QUITE peak time for them yet as it was still a bit cold, but I also knew there would some there – over the next few weeks as the lake warms they take over the area.
Continue reading#OPTOUTSIDE 2018
Although you don’t NEED an excuse to head outside and take a hike, I appreciate that the #OPTOUTSIDE tradition continues. It gives me a set date that I know I will be able to do something fun with my nephews while one sister goes Black Friday shopping and the other works.
Driskill Mountain – Louisiana State High Point
There was a hurricane coming as Dad and I drove to our final highpoint of this epic road trip. We drove down the back country roads to beat it before the rain was expected to start at Driskill Mountain Louisiana. We figured I should have time to hike it and continue driving as far as we could for a bit. They were calling for flooding and crazy winds so I knew I had to hurry.
Mount Magazine: Signal Hill – Arkansas State High Point
Dad and I arrived at Mount Magazine late in the afternoon. We were tired from driving so we decided to stay at the lodge there. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. It reminded me of the Trapp Family Lodge in Vermont, but more modern. After we checked in we decided we may as well hike to the highpoint to save us time in the morning because we had another long day of driving.
Taum Sauk -Missouri State High Point
The first state high point for my recent road trip with my dad was Taum Sauk in Missouri. On the way to the main parking area there is a great lookout that I recommend stopping at.
Taum Sauk
Cataract Falls
The first stop Dad and I made on our roadtrip was to Cataract Falls in Indiana. I literally just googled i70 tourist attractions or something and saw this as well as a few other places of interest. It was about 15 minutes off i70 and we love a good waterfall so we decided to check it out.
Stony Valley Rail Trail
It has been a long time since I have hiked or cycled the Stony Valley Rail Trail. My friend, Laura, was the one who first showed me this trail and we explored various sections – especially the abandoned town of Rausch Gap. The Appalachian Trail also goes through this area so there are miles of hiking and cycling that can be done. I have been looking for new places to take my nephew bike camping so Kevin and I grabbed our bikes one sunny day and headed out to see if there were any campsites near the trail that we could get to with our bikes.
blisters and bug bites 