hikes
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Hike at Pine Log Creek Trailhead
It was December 29 and while most of my family was recovering from a nasty cold or the flu, I did not relish the idea of staying indoors despite the cooler day. It felt nice and brisk, the sun was shining and while we didn’t want anyone in the cold air, I needed to get out. I walked 3 miles with my friend that morning, but the afternoon was beautiful, so I posted on our gals’ running group-me thread to see if anyone was interested to hike a new to me trail. One of the gals I hadn’t seen in a year responded, so I picked her up and we…
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Bell Mountain, GA
Once I decided where we were spending our anniversary trip, I looked up activities in the area. The one thing that stood out to me that we had not done in the past was to go up to Bell Mountain. The google search describe the drive up as paved and very steep, but the views would be incredible from the top. I concur on both accounts! The drive up was very steep and I would not have enjoyed driving it myself because it was so steep and there were a couple sharp hairpin turns, but the views were worth the effort. It appears that the top of the mountain has…
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Banning Mills: Hike and Mushrooms
Last week, I shared a little about our overnight trip to Historic Banning Mills for our anniversary a few months ago. Today, I am sharing some more pictures, this time of our hike on the 2nd day. It was an overcast day which made it really comfortable for a hike and we were quite impressed with the number of trails there were on the property. We enjoyed this one and would pleasantly surprised with all of the mushroom varieties we encountered. I love swinging bridges: whether they are in Costa Rica or here in the states, swinging bridges are really fun to cross! When hiking in the fall, you might…
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Arenal Observatory Lodge and Trails, Costa Rica
The second planned outing in the region was a hike at Arenal National Park but after discussing choices with the resort’s concierge and looking at reviews, we decided to head to Arenal Observatory Lodge and Trails. The price was better for our family of 6, at $15 per person for a day pass instead of $25 (and they let our youngest in for free) and there were more trails and viewpoints. We were welcome on the road to the lodge by a coati which was very exciting since we had not seen one until then. We saw him (or a friend) when we left too. We paid our fee at…
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High Shoals Falls, GA
The same day we visited Hamilton Gardens in Hiawassee, GA, we drove about 20 minutes away to visit High Shoals Falls. We had seen pictures of the pretty falls so we knew we would enjoy the hike. The dirt road up to the fall hike trailhead was very manageable and there several parking spaces. Since the first week in June was still fairly cool for Georgia and the hike had lots of tree coverage, it was a very pleasant hike. Hiking with children ages 5 to 16 also insures that we are not walking too fast. The hike is 2.6 miles total (in and out) and starts high up going…
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Fire Creek Falls and Recreation Area
Our Airbnb host had emailed me a list of activities nearby before our trip and this spot caught my eye as she said we could tube down a natural water slide. In anticipation of this possibility, I had packed some river tubes we had, as well as our pump which could be plugged in the car to inflate the tubes quickly and effortlessly. We also packed water shoes for everyone. Fire Creek Falls was about 20 minutes from our rental and we enjoyed it so much the first time, we returned for a second afternoon of fun. To get a decent view of the falls, you must cross the river…
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Sweetwater Creek State Park and Casual Hike Attire
This past Saturday was a fun but exhausting day. I started my morning with a 9 mile run with my friends at 6 AM and this particular run was a difficult one as there were many hills. I came home to make my boys some banana pancakes and we decided that since there were no sports activities that we should do something as a family. We decided to hike. Did I really want to hike after that run? Not really, but it was a beautiful day and we decided on a hike that was somewhat of a short drive from home at about one hour. Sweetwater Creek State Park is…
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The Blowing Rock, NC
On Sunday afternoon before the snow started, we decided to go on a little excursion. The Blowing Rock was only about 15 minutes from our rental and is the oldest attraction in North Carolina. The Blowing Rock overlooks the Johns River Gorge and is 4000 ft above sea level. “The phenomenon is so called because the rocky walls of the gorge form a flume through which the northwest wind sweeps with such force that it returns light objects cast over the void.” We were able to observe this with the snow flurry that were coming up toward us instead of down. So we actually got to observe what is described…
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Morning Run Sunrise Beauty
One of my favorite things from my Saturday morning runs is when we are able to catch the sunrise. Some days in the winter, it is too dark other days, it is too cloudy. Most Saturdays though, we are rewarded on our runs with the beauty of God’s creation. Of course, getting to exercise is a reward too as well as spending time with my friends. I think this might be my favorite picture: my friend took it by getting real low by the tall grass. It reminds me of the beach and the colors of the sunrise were absolutely gorgeous. I am always amazed at how the sky can…
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A Hike at Stone Mountain Park, GA
We hadn’t visited Stone Mountain in quite a while so I took advantage of meeting up with a new Instagram friend nearby to plan a hike. Now, going up Stone Mountain on the hottest week of the start of summer might not have been the best idea but we came prepared with water, snacks and gatorade. We also made sure to wear hats and wear sunscreen. We also make sure to walk in the shade as much as possible. For the first part of the hike, we were able to do that by sticking to shade of the pine trees. Stone Mountain boast the largest exposed mass of granite in…