Buck’s Pocket State Park. A Haven for Defeated Politicians. That’s how I’m greeted upon arrival at Buck’s Pocket State Park. How apropos. I’m not a politician, but I do feel defeated. Career-wise for sure. After moving to Alabama from Southern California over twenty years ago, Buck’s Pocket was one of the first places I visited. Drove through, really. […]
52 Weeks 52 Hikes
Hike Number Six – Cloudland Canyon State Park
It’s Thursday, and I’m headed to Cloudland Canyon State Park in North Georgia. Solo again, but this time totally by choice. I didn’t tell anyone I was going. I also didn’t tell anyone that I quit my job on Monday. No one. Except for my husband. Tomorrow some of my best friends will know when I […]
Hiking Cinque Terre? Here’s What You Need to Know!
Dreaming of walking the famed Blue Trail No. 2, or Sentiero Azzuro in Italiano, located in the gorgeous Cinque Terre? You won’t regret this fantastic 11 km hike along the coast of the Italian Riviera complete with visits to the charming Cinque Terra (five towns) along the way. Here are some tips to make the […]
Hike Four- Ruffner Mountain Urban Nature Preserve
Hike number four will take me to Ruffner Mountain, another relic of Birmingham’s mining past. A 1,000 plus acre urban nature preserve just minutes from downtown, Ruffner Mountain was mined for iron ore throughout the 1950s. The ore was processed at nearby Sloss Furnaces, which incidentally is the creepiest place on earth. Even in broad daylight. […]
Hike Three – Sweetwater Creek State Park, Georgia
But first, a little R & D is in order. For several reasons. One being my complete ignorance of hiking, coupled with the dilemma of where to go next. Two, my birthday is coming up over the weekend. Can someone say weekend road trip? Time to get with the google gods and make some magic. […]
Hike One – DeSoto State Park #52weeks52hikes
It’s early. Too early to be out on a cold, windy, dreary New Year’s Day. On any other New Year’s Day, I’d be drinking coffee in my PJs watching the Rose Parade, likely eating a cinnamon roll, eschewing any thoughts of healthy eating resolutions. Instead, I’m headed to DeSoto State Park for their annual First […]
A Tale of Two Trails – Here’s What Happened Next
Opening the confirmation email, I read it and hit forward to send to Carver. We’re hiking the Grand Canyon! It’s time to research those trails. Much like googling symptoms when you’re not feeling well, it’s best to proceed with caution. I search “hiking Grand Canyon” and scroll through the results. The titles are disturbing. Top […]
A Tale of Two Trails – And So It Begins
I don’t know when the seed was planted. My family went to the Grand Canyon when I was a kid. Maybe it was then. It was a road-trip; California to Michigan. We didn’t stay there, only passed through. I remember my dad yelling at me to stay away from the edge; he was deathly afraid […]
