outdoors
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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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Hamilton Gardens in Hiawassee, GA
Hiawassee is just 15 minutes or so from Hayesville, GA and home to a beautiful lake, Lake Chatuge. We first caught a glimpse of the lake on our way to Hamilton Gardens. The gardens are free except during the Rhododendron festival which had actually just ended a couple weeks before our visit. Sadly, most of the blooms were gone but the views were still beautiful and we did find a few bushes with colorful blooms. The garden has several trails that loop and we made sure to follow one that went all of the way down to the lake. On the way, we stopped to admire the sights and relax.…
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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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Corra Harris House, Etowah Valley Historic Society
Last week, our local running group met up at the Corra Harris House for a run, a tour and dinner! This was a trial run for a possible race here to spread the word about this beautiful place that hopes to host limited event venues as well as teach others about who Corra Harris was. Most of us did not know about Corra Harris and this beautiful spot, and enjoyed every minute of our visit. The property is 57 acres and we started our run up the hill, past the spring house and through the barn. There are some trails on the property and our run took us through one…
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Half Marathon Recap and Training
Well, my first half marathon is under my belt! While I actually mostly enjoyed the training leading up to it, I absolutely hated the half itself as the weather changed for the warmer and the morning was a southern Georgia morning at its best with a very high level of humidity. I have never drunk so much during a run (I typically don’t unless it is full summer since I do get dehydrated) and I have never walked so much during a race. My first reaction when I was done was that I wouldn’t never participate in half marathon again. The training I am part of our local running club…
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Ranching: Close Up
Last month, N. and I headed about 30 minutes from home to go observe my friend and her family work their “cattle”. We arrived for the tagging of the calves, vaccinations and … castration! We had never been to such an event and arrived after lunch but we were able to get some dessert. This is a friend from running club so several of our group were there. We first said hi to the horses that had been used to gather the calves. The calves were all gathered in one area and were mooing for their moms. They knew they probably wouldn’t like what was coming up! The funny thing…
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Wildflowers: Take Time to Smell the Flowers
A few weeks ago, we went to the nearby Indian Mounds for a short outdoors outing. The 3 younger boys came with us as our oldest was taken part in an Academic bowl at his school. We took a walk around the historic site and sat by the river for a while. My youngest went up the tallest mound with his dad while the rest of us relaxed on a bench. This is probably the prettiest time of the year to come as all of the wildflowers are in bloom. Soon they will cut all of this down and roll it into bales. These crimson clovers are so pretty and…
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Take Time to Enjoy Nature’s Beauty
This will be a recurring theme this month as I share some pictures from the month of April. I have been trying to really enjoy the moments in nature big and small, whether it is noticing how different the landscape looks in the fog, wildflowers in fields or on a little day trip with the boys. In Georgia, in the spring we sometimes get mild weather like we have this year and we really enjoy those pretty blue sky and mild temperatures. Flowers blooms, the grass is new and green and the bugs minimal. One new found hobby is bird watching. We’ve had birdfeeders at the house since my mother…
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A Campus Visit: Georgia Tech
A few weeks ago, my son and I went on a campus visit to one of the colleges he is interested in attending. Georgia Tech is about 45 minutes from us if Atlanta traffic is agreeable and is located in midtown Atlanta. Georgia is a research university with an emphasis on advanced research and technology. The campus is right off the I75 and in town but you wouldn’t know it is in Atlanta apart from the occasional peek at a skyscraper. The campus is compact with 400 acres with wooded areas and you can walk from one end to the other is 15 to 20 minutes. There are trees, bushes…
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Rome Labyrinth
As I was looking for a few free places to visit while waiting for my oldest to take his ACT, I came across the Labyrinth of Rome. I shared pictures with the boys and they agreed that they would like to go. While the pictures online made it look larger than it was, once the boys warmed up figuratively and literally (it was a chilly morning). The labyrinth is located by the visitor center. At first, the boys just ran around the brick path before deciding to see if they could reach the center by following the labyrinth. I love seeing their imagination at play and it was nice to…