We are a family of five that decided to leave our normal lives behind and travel around the world for 180 days. Joey and I are both physicians back home in Lexington, KY and our kids are Wilson (a smart, funny, pragmatic 14 year old who approaches life with the wisdom of an 80 year old and the mischievous grin of someone who gets the inside joke), Bailey (an opinionated, strong-willed, compassionate 12 year old who never misses anything and may rule the world someday), and Gus (an energetic, passionate 9 year old who lives every second of his waking life with everything he has and would give the shirt off his back to ease the suffering of an earthworm). We love traveling, trying new things, meeting awesome people, eating good food, and adventure sports. In this blog, we will be sharing the stories of the places we experience along the way. We will share our successes and our failures in hopes that this is inspiring, helpful, and entertaining to our friends, family, and anyone else who happens to discover us. For more on why we decided to do this, see our blog post on “Traveling is my favorite thing”. Read More About Our Philosophy.
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The best hike for kids in the Red River Gorge: Rock Bridge and Creation Falls
If you are hiking with small children, the Rock bridge/creation falls loop trail is the ideal introductory hike in the Gorge. It has a unique arch (the only arch in the gorge that spans a body of water) and is long enough to feel like you are really in nature, but is still nice and easy. It follows Swift Camp Creek for most of the trail, providing ample opportunities for young ones to play in the water, look for crawdads, and skip some rocks. It is a great trail for all four seasons and is one of the only enjoyable hikes in the gorge when it is hot outside. We like to hike this one in our bathing suits and take a dip in the pool below Creation falls on hot summer days.
How Tyler Childers helped me remember how much I love Appalachia
Every time I read an article about Tyler Childers, and I have read several since he has been neck and neck with Taylor Swift as my favorite artist over the last seven years, I think “I could do better.” Shockingly, since I have absolutely no authority as a music critic, no one has asked me to write one. After listening to his new single “In your love” on repeat for two hours yesterday, I have decided it is time to put these feelings into words. So here is my attempt at explaining why I love his music so much, why he sold out two nights at Rupp Arena in a matter of minutes, and why going to his concert where every single person around you knows all the words too feels like going to church
On Mushroom Hunting: “The Art of Stillness” and the Morel
If you aren't from Eastern Kentucky, you might think that mushroom hunting involves some sort of weapon, such as a bow and arrow, but you would be wrong. Mushroom hunting is what we call foraging for morels. Morels are a wrinkly, rare and delicious fungi that only pop up for a few weeks in the spring, when conditions are just right. Technically, the morel is the fruiting body of a much larger mycelium that lives underground in a symbiotic relationship with tree roots. One of my most clear and fond memories of my childhood is searching the hillside with my Mamaw Mary in the spring looking for morels.
Hiking the Pinnacles in Berea, KY
What are The Pinnacles?
The Pinnacles are rock outcroppings located on the Eastern and Western portions of Indian Fort Mountain just outside of Berea, KY. They are a part of the Knobs region of Kentucky that forms a horseshoe around the more low lying Bluegrass Region. The Knobs are composed predominantly of sandstone which is more resistant to erosion than the nearby limestone of the Bluegrass Region. Beyond the Knobs region to the south and east lies the Cumberland Plateau. The hiking trails to the Pinnacles are located within The Berea College Forest, owned and managed by the college forestry department.
Hiking to Copperas Creek Falls with Kids
This is an unofficial and unmarked trail in the Red River Gorge Geologic area. I don’t usually recommend trying unmarked trails with kids, but this one is hard to get lost on because you are following the creek bed for the entire route. It is also a moderately popular hike and well-worn. The giant rock house with Copperas fall spilling 42 feet over its roof into a cool pool below is a great payout for kids. In the summer, the water, which comes mostly from underground springs, is still surprisingly…
Hiking to Gray’s Arch with kids: the out and back and loop trail options.
Why this is one of my favorite hikes in the RRG:
With a span of 79 feet, Gray’s Arch is the largest arch in the RRG Geologic Area. It is actually 1 foot longer than the Natural Bridge arch but doesn’t get as much credit. I love this hike for several reasons. First of all, I love how Gray’s arch is tucked into the forest and hidden until you are right beside it. Secondly, the rock amphitheater that you pass as you approach the arch is just as cool as the arch itself. Finally, the trail is long enough to feel like you got some exercise, but not as hard as the trails to the Natural Bridge. If you want to do the shortest possible hike, you can hike to Gray’s Arch as an out and back trail. I prefer to...
General Info for Hiking in the Red River Gorge: All of the areas explained
The first thing to know is that the Red River Gorge is a geological feature and the area lovingly referred to as “The Gorge” or the “Red River Gorge” includes the actual gorge formed by the Red River as well as a surrounding amalgamation of public and private lands available for recreational use. It is quite complicated really. While it isn’t important to understand the history and complexity of the many areas that make up the RRG, it is important to know where you will be hiking, climbing, or camping because each entity has its own unique set of rules and regulations. Below are some quick and dirty guides and links for more information on each.
Visiting Kentucky's Red River Gorge with kids: Tips from a mother who has spent over 200 days there
Why visit the Red River Gorge?
With towering sandstone cliffs, over 150 named sandstone arches, unique and lush flora, hiking trails for all ability levels, over 3,000 bolted sport climbing routes, and rushing mountain streams all around, the Red River Gorge (RRG) is a nature lover's paradise. If you have ever visited Gatlinburg, TN and wished you could have seen it before it became so crowded and over-developed, the Red River Gorge is the place for you.
The Sun Rising over Kauai from Poipu Beach. January 23rd, 2022