Kentucky and bourbon. Some things just go together. And along the Kentucky River the land flows sweet with amber liquid.
Out West gets all the fun. Places like California and Utah and Colorado are constantly in the headlines of adventure and outdoor articles. The big name national parks are featured in movies and pictures and lists like “10 Trails You MUST Hike This Summer!” and “5 Lakes That Are Perfect For Camping.” The outdoor community has its epicenter in the great wilds out West, but what about people who don’t live in these places? What about the people on the East Coast?
Mammoth Cave National Park campground was busy, but thankfully not crowded. Kids ran around and shouted gleefully on bikes and scooters and adults sat back in camp chairs swigging beer. I curled up in my hammock and fretted over the next day - whether McCrae and I would be accepted on the wild cave tour or if we’d make it through all the obstacles without getting stuck and (for my part) without having a mental freak-out. There was little information online about the Mammoth Cave Wild Cave tour, a major spelunking trip lasting 6 hours and covering 5 miles underground through some truly wild and rugged paths.
I was about a mile into my hike of Hunt Fish Falls at Wilson’s Creek when I realized something: I wasn’t there for my usual reasons - pain, masochism, exercise, big views - but simply to get away from distractions and process.
Climbing means an intimate knowledge of gravity. My friend Emily S. and I started climbing at the Triangle Rock Club gym in Morrisville, and one bright and early morning before work in an empty gym we played around on the bouldering wall. Fun fact: bouldering is a pain. The guy working the gym desk told us the V0 bouldering routes are about equivalent to 5.8 or 5.9 top rope routes (Emily and I had been sticking to the super beginner friendly 5.5 to 5.7 routes). So the bouldering routes meant a lot of falling. A LOT. And that's hard when you're not used to falling.
Sometimes the best adventures aren't the ones with the biggest summits, the longest miles, or the hardest obstacles. Sometimes the best adventures are simply based on the company that you keep.
I was so excited when a couple of my good friends announced their engagement! Seriously, these two are awesome - I know them from work and from running groups. These two rockstars helped me get through several races from my first half marathon at OBX to this year's Tar Heel 10 Miler. So when they asked me if I'd photograph their engagement session I was so stoked! They decided to set their engagement photos at the American Tobacco Trail, which is important to them as a place they frequently use for training runs. In one section of the trail there's a scenic bridge over Interstate 40 where Travis proposed to Kristen, so one evening we headed there to do a little celebration via photos. The highlights are in this post! Congrats, Travis and Kristen!
Father’s Day is this weekend and instead of the tacky tie or discount power tools or new grilling tongs and apron, get your dad something that will make him truly happy: experiences. Science actually says spending money on experiences provides much more happiness than purchasing material things, and you know we can't argue with science. Here are a few ideas of affordable experiences in the Triangle for you to get out in nature with your “old man” and have a Father’s Day to remember!