I had a deal with my sister that when my nephew turned 3, I would take him on his very first camping trip! We would start with backyard camping in their backyard – the same as I did with my other nephew. I figured if we did everything the same, he would love it as much as his cousin right?
Continue readingUncategorized
Bikepacking the Pine Creek Rail Trail
The Pine Creek Rail Trail or PA Grand Canyon is supposed to be one of the most beautiful spots in all of Pennsylvania. My friend Tracy and I had been trying to plan a bike camping trip there for at LEAST 2 years, but if you have been following this blog you know that 9 times out of 10 when I’m trying to plan an outdoor adventure it rains a lot and I have to cancel. We actually had the campsite booked 3 times last year and due to heavy rains we didn’t go. I was nervous to check the weather as the weekend of our trip approached – honestly a big part of me didn’t think we would actually be going because we had to cancel so many times before. The weather was supposed to be perfect so I dug out all my camping things the night before and stuffed them into my panniers. In the morning, I was making breakfast and a glass jar fell out of the top shelf right onto my glass stove top – completely shattering it. I texted Tracy I would be a little late as I picked the glass shards out of one foot and put a bandaid on the cut on the other. I assured Tracy I wouldn’t need stitches, but just needed to clean up the glass that was now all over my kitchen and then I would be over – there was NOTHING that was going to stop our trip.
Continue readingSassafras 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 readingCherry Blossom 10 Miler 2019
I was so excited when I got accepted for the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in DC again this year. To be able to run in this event, you need to put your name into a lottery. Then names are randomly selected out of the thousands and thousands of people who apply. I applied the last 3 years and was accepted the last 2. Last year I ended up dropping down to the 5K due to not feeling well and my sweet cat Willow passed away a few days before….I can NOT believe it’s been a year without my snuggle buddy.
Anyway, I was excited to be chosen again for this run – and the course did NOT disappoint. I believe the peak bloom day was a few days before the run, so when I arrived a few blossoms were falling, but the trees were still all in bloom and it was breathtaking! After heading to the expo, getting my packet, and bringing it back to the hotel I headed out to see the sights – along with like a million-bazillion other people. We were all headed to one place – the tidal basin. Although I have been to DC a few times, I am not completely sure where everything else is – turns out following the sea of people led me right to where I wanted to be.
Continue readingFairy Tale Challenge – Princess 1/2 Marathon
It was HOT for the 10K – it was even HOTTER for the half marathon. RudDisney still had a heat warning and was telling everyone to take it slow and stay hydrated. My character was going to be Rapunzel for this run so I put on my purple sparkle skirt, the Rapunzel themed shirt I got off Etsy, and pinned a little Pascal (that I also got off Etsy) to my shoulder. Kevin once again dropped me off at Epcot and I made my way to the start. This day was gonna be tough…
Continue readingFairy Tale Challenge – 10K
The morning of the 10K I strapped on the tentacles I made after Kevin dropped me off at Epcot – transforming me into Ursula. I hoped they would not annoy me while I was running, which is why I wore them for the shorter of the 2 races. You really should take your costumes out for a test run, but I just wing it…
Continue readingFairy Tale Challenge – EXPO
Whew! This was a crazy day. Let me start by telling you that awhile ago I signed up for another runDisney race series – the Princess Half weekend! I decided to do the Fairy Tale Challenge – which consists of a 10K and a half marathon back to back days – hey, that’s easier than the Dopey Challenge I did right!? So ANYWAY we booked our flight to leave Friday morning from Philly to Orlando – the flight was supposed to arrive at 3:00, giving me plenty of time to get to the Expo to pick up my race packet before they closed at 7:00. You note I just typed SUPPOSED to arrive at 3:00….
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 readingChristmas Lights Bike Ride 2018
I took my nephew on the annual Christmas Lights bike ride – and man oh man was it cold. Literally freezing. Thankfully my dad agreed to drop us off because I still don’t have a hitch on my new car. My nephew wanted green lights on his bike so I ordered a set for his wheels and he helped me install them. When we arrived there were so many people with decorated bikes. My dad looked at me and said, “Well – what are you waiting for?” “It’s cold!!” I answered, “5 more minutes.” I decided I was going to try to stay in the car as long as possible – It was 30* outside!
Continue reading
blisters and bug bites 