We are a family of 5 who focus on being in the outdoors from backpacking to overlanding.
Emery Creek Falls is located in the Cohutta Wilderness—one of my favorite places! The trail is 5.9 miles out and back. We attempted the trail in the winter after a lot of rain. We got about 1 mile in and the water was too high to cross. This trail would be amazing in the summer! There are multiple water crossings and plenty of places to get in the water and play.
Blood Mountain had been on my bucket list for a long time. It did not disappoint! We started from Byron Reece Trailhead making it 4.4 mile out and back. There was plenty of elevation with stairs in some places. When we went the snow was melting and there were several areas that were quite muddy. I wish we would have brought trekking poles for this reason. The views were incredible and multiple places to stop and take it all in. I enjoyed checking out the Blood Mountain Shelter. This is a bucket list item for a reason. Check it out!
This was another bucket list hike for me. It is located near Cleveland, GA. This is a very popular hike so parking can be difficult. The hike itself is 4.4 mile out and back with exceptional views at the end. There are many tight places and a little bit of rock scrambling. Beware! People have died here so please be mindful of where you are and don’t get on the edge to get that crazy shot. You can camp and if you are lucky, you may run into the Army Rangers training. This is an awesome trail with incredible views!
We parked at Point Park and hiked to Sunset Rock making it a little over 3 miles out and back hike. Point Park is gorgeous and the hike to Sunset Rock is really nice. There are rock formations on one side and views of Lookout Valley on the other side. There were rock climbers that made it fun to watch as well. This is a great hike if you’re in the Chattanooga area!
With the kids in school, we had a few hours to kill so we headed to a local trail just outside of Atlanta. Vickery Creek at the Roswell Mill is a great place to check out. There is an old mill, miles of hiking, and a beautiful waterfall. The trail has many posts with trail maps and there are several routes you can take to make it longer or shorter. I’ll admit, it gets a little confusing on which way you should go. There are at least 5 miles of trail here if you follow them all. You can park either at the Vickery Creek or Riverside Park. If you are not sure how long you want to hike, park at Vickery Creek and you’ll be at the covered bridge and a short walk over to the waterfall. This is a busy spot so I recommend going on a weekday if possible. It is one of the best hikes in the Atlanta area.
What a beautiful place Wormsloe State historic site. Wormsloe begins with a mile of 400 live oaks that Wormsloe planted in honor of the birth of his son. There are 3.2 miles of hiking trails on the park including a section of the William Bartram trail. When in Savannah Ga, Wormsloe State historic site is a must see!
Pikes peak was one of the most beautiful drives we have ever done! It was 19 miles to the top which was 14,115 feet above sea level. We originally thought that Pike’s Peak is the highest peak in Colorado—we were mistaken. Apparently it is the highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in North America and 37th highest peak in Colorado. You can drive it when weather permits but there is also a cog railway you can ride to the top if you want to spare your brakes (and your nerves). If you are in exceptional shape and I would recommend acclimated to the altitude, you can hike 12.7 miles to the top. Smalls and I felt the altitude sickness at the top and didn’t spend as much time at the visitor’s center as we probably would have if we weren’t so dizzy. The views the entire way are incredible! The drive was quite an experience. On the way back down, they have a place to check your brakes to make sure they are not overheating. Ours were so we stopped at another shop to give the brakes a chance to cool down.
Garden of the Gods is a spectacular conglomeration of red sandstone rock formations located in Colorado Springs. There are over 21 miles of hiking trails that ranging from easy to expert. Some trails are paved while others are dirt. When we arrived the first day, it was overcast and getting late. We decided to come back and explore more the next day. We were pleasantly surprised by the bright blue skies and views of Pike’s Peak in the back drop when we returned the next day.
On our last full day of our vacation we woke up in page Arizona. Page was absolutely beautiful. Today we decided to stay in page and hit the new wave trail. Mediums requested to do the Wave Trail but when we started looking into it, it was too far to drive, too far for Snack Pack to hike, and you had to get a permit. We learned the permit was sold out and it was down to lottery selection. Smalls found this trail as a good substitute. This is a 0.8 mile loop that has the same wave pattern. This trail was absolutely gorgeous! We were uncertain where to go at first and then realized the trail has the path marked with rocks all along. Unfortunately, many of my pictures on my DSLR camera from this hike seemed to have been lost and the pictures I have don’t really do it justice. This is a beautiful and fun hike for most abilities!
We chose to go to the Grand Canyon via the Grand Canyon Railway to avoid some traffic and make it easier to get in/out of the park. This was a lot of fun and the kids loved it. The Grand Canyon Railway had a lot of entertainment on the way there and a special surprise on the way back. I must say, coming with the kids, I think this was a good option. If it had just been Smalls and I, I would not do this. The train ride is 2 hours each way and leaves only 3 hours of actual time at the Grand Canyon to sight see. Plus, you arrive at the South Rim. We didn’t feel like we had time to take a trolley to any other areas. I think the kids were satisfied with the time, but I would have liked to spend some time hiking. Also, we went just before the busy season, so the train had snacks for sale, but not a meal. All of the restaurants at the Grand Canyon were packed and we didn’t have time to stand in line. We were able to come back another day to drive around and sight see and another day we took air plane tour, so I don’t feel that we were cheated out of the experience, but I wish I had planned and researched better for this excursion. My number 1 recommendation if you choose to go this way would be to bring your own lunch and familiarize yourself with the what area/attraction you plan to see when you arrive.
Smalls and Talls Outdoors