Tag: hikes

Spring Break-Staycation 2025

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This year we decided to do a few things close to home for spring break. With a 5 year old and a 2 year old traveling can be quite an adventure of its own. We didn’t want to go anywhere that would be notoriously over crowded so we opted for a few adventures in our comfort zone.

We started the week by driving up to my husband’s grandmother’s lake property on Lake Fork. The area itself is pretty quaint, which was the vibe we were going for. We just wanted to relax by the lake, do a little fishing, enjoy the outdoors and of course make s’mores. It was just what we needed to start off spring break. Bonus: we found an awesome little park in Quitman, TX that was built by the Sabine River Authority. It was perfect, I highly suggest you check it out if ever on the area!

Next on the agenda our favorite, Huntsville State Park. All the camping spots were booked of course, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the numerous trails and beautiful spring weather. (One of these days we will take the boys camping!)

We really wanted to do something new so we decided on the Ellen Trout Zoo in Lufkin, TX. I knew ahead of time that this was a much smaller zoo, however we heard great things.

It was definitely small, and honestly, a little underwhelming. A lot of the bigger animals were hiding and there were quite a few exhibits under construction. Overall it was a pretty little zoo, and we did enjoyed our visit (especially seeing all the peacocks that freely roam the grounds).

And that’s a wrap for Spring Break 2025…we’ve got plenty more adventure on the agenda for this year 🙃

Baby O’s First Adventure

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“Let’s drive 14 + hours with a 5 month old. It will be fun!”….said no sane person ever. But, that’s exactly what we did.

After packing up the entire house (mostly baby stuff) we loaded up the car and headed to Colorado for baby O’s first big adventure.

We had no idea what to expect. Would he sleep? Would he scream? How many times would we have to stop? Just like every other first time parent challenge, we jumped in head first and winged it.

I’m not going to lie, there were times in the car he was inconsolably upset, but those were few and far in between. Overall, he did pretty well, especially when I crawled in the backseat and kept him entertained.

Baby O’s loooonnnggg car ride

Other then the minimal stress of the car ride, Colorado was stunning as always.

The first few days we were there we had crazy weather. It snowed…in June. This was not just Texas slushy snow either. This was beautiful, huge snowflakes that actually stuck to the ground for a bit. We of course had to take all the mandatory snow pictures and let baby O experience his first snowfall!

Snow in June

Once the snow cleared up we were able to do what we do best, hike and enjoy the outdoors. In previous years we never really contemplated our hikes, we just lightly packed and headed to the mountain. Not this time. We thoughtfully and throughly packed for all of babies needs. We even bought a pretty neat hiking backpack for O….he lasted an hour in it…. Although we didn’t make it to the top of Hoosier Pass, we still enjoyed our time together and being able to witness baby O’s fascination with the great outdoors.

Baby’s first big vacation was a success and I can’t wait to travel the world with our little adventurer. First stop, Colorado, next stop….

Road Trip: New Mexico-Arizona-California

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Well ladies and gentlemen, we’ve covered quite some ground in the last 24 hours. We’ve seen the white sands in New Mexico, the organ pipe cacti in Arizona and we will arrive on the pacific coast of California this evening. We have been pleasantly overwhelmed by the beauty of nature on this trip and we’ve used every opportunity to stop and explore. An hour detour here, 30 minutes there, every extra minutes and mile was well worth it.

White Sands National Monument

We knew a little ahead of time we wanted to see the white sands in New Mexico and we couldn’t have picked a better day. When we arrived it was about 68 degrees and the views were stunning. While we explore all these places we always take the time to learn a little about the history. The white sands aren’t technically sand, they are white gypsum and they’ve been around for over 8,000 years. There are over 275 square miles of white gypsum dunes and a large portion of them are enjoyed by visitors from all over. I visited here as a child but I really didn’t remember much of it. As an adult, it’s completely mesmerizing and I’m still impressed by the park overall.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Our next stop was Tucson Arizona. We didn’t really do much in Tucson, except eat some bomb-ass pizza at a little place called Dry River Pizza and Beer. After that we spent the evening researching things to do in AZ. The Bearded One found Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and was determined to see these cacti. It was slightly out of the way but well worth it. The desert terrain is nothing like we’d imagined it would be. It’s full of unique vegetation, most of which we’ve never really seen before.

We’ve already seen quite a lot and can’t wait to explore California next. We will be in San Diego for the next few days and then up the coast from there!

See You Next Year Colorado

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Once again Colorado exceeded our expectations. Between the five of us on this trip we probably took a thousand photos (I’ll upload more in this post ). Honestly, pictures alone can’t capture the natural beauty Colorado has to offer. If you’ve never experienced the Rocky Mountains, put them on your list, there is something for everyone in the mountains.

From hiking, to shopping, to enjoying the small town festivities, we pretty much did it all this trip.

This time Hoosier Pass was my favorite hike, but you can’t beat the views of Kite Lake and Quandary Peak. I’m sure we will visit all three places again (maybe eventually I’ll join the 14ers club!)

Kite Lake

Kite Lake Trailhead

Hoosier Pass

My Favorite Views

Quandary Peak

Fairplay

Fairplay and Alma are still my favorite tiny towns. We went to the “TGIFairplay” free concert event and were impressed by not only the town, but the welcoming people and friendly atmosphere. If you’re in Fairplay you have to take an stroll down their streets to stop by all the little shops and admire the historical sites.

For all my adult beverage connoisseurs check out South Park Brewery in Fairplay. Grab a Cherry Blonde craft beer at 9,953 ft, you won’t be disappointed. And if you do decide to stroll down the streets of Fairplay, swing by the South Park Distilling Tasting Room and let Megan hook you up with a fabulous cocktail! Not only did she make Amanda and I great drinks, she remembered our names and made us feel welcome.

Cherry Blonde South Park Brewery

Go Visit Megan at South Park Distilling Tasting Room

Breckenridge

We also visited Breckenridge for their Sunday Market which included lots of artisan hand made goods. It was a fun event, and we were able to walk around the town, shop, and swing by the Gold Pan (a bar established in 1879 with a rich history). I know Breckenridge is famous for skiing in the winter months but it’s just as beautiful and lively during the summer.

This has once again been an amazing trip. Not once did I feel like there was nothing to do. Our trip was packed full of activities and relaxation. As long as I’m still impressed by Colorado we will continue to enjoy our Colorado Adventures! See you next year Rocky Mountains.

Next years goal:

  • Hike Wheeler Lake again
  • Visit Blue Lake by Quandary Peak
  • Zipline
  • Natural Hot Springs

Colorado: Quandary Peak

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Quandary Peak

Well today we attempted to tackle our first 14er. For those of you don’t know, a 14er is a mountain peak that reaches 14000 feet elevation. Quandary Peak is 14,265 ft elevation, which is a pretty big deal.

Trail Head Sign- We should have read it better!

Last year in Colorado we hiked Hoosier Pass and made it to 11,500 feet elevation and this year we hiked it once again and made it to about 12,400 ft. So basically, Quandary Peak seemed like the perfect challenge. After doing our research it seemed like a pretty decent 6 mile hike. It’s a pretty popular peak because the trail is well maintained and labeled. It’s known as one of the less challenging 14ers, but apparently someone lied. This hike was ridiculous.

We started off pretty early and from the get-go I knew it was going to be tough. The mountain is pretty much a straight incline. There were no places that it flattened out and the terrain was pretty rough.

We began the trail straight through the trees. The trail was laid out well, but it was rough. Lots of rocks, and roots had to be climbed over and maneuver around as we began our ascent.

After about the first uphill mile I started to lose steam and had to slow down and pace myself. The boys decided to go ahead of us which was perfectly fine with me. Slowly and surely me and Amanda made our way further and further up the mountain. We were doing pretty well until we left the tree line and encountered the rocks. There are no word to describe the challenge these rocks gave us. For over a mile we climbed and climbed the rough, ridged rocks.

The Rocky Trail

We knew the boys were way ahead of us and we were even able to see them in the distance at times. There were several times we wanted to quit but we pushed through and continued on the path.

Well, we never quite made it to the top. By the time we hit 12,800 the Bearded One was starting his descent. He made it to 13,400. Two of our other buddies Josh and Joe pushed through and eventually made it to the full 14000 (whoohoo!).

Views during our climb

We tried our hardest!

I have to say, Quandary Peak was the most challenging physical activity I have ever encountered. After 6 hours on that dang mountain, I’m exhausted. Although I’m disappointed we didn’t all make it to the top, I’m really proud that we pushed ourselves up that strenuous mountain! The views and experience alone was totally worth the struggle. It was truly a once in a life time experience (I don’t plan on attempting it again anytime soon) and I’m glad I pushed myself.

Quandary Peak : 1

Messy Bun-Bearded One: 0

The Bearded One’s Pictures

Colorado: Good for the Soul

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The drive in to Colorado was breath taking. From the plains of Texas, to the rocky hills of New Mexico, then the mountains of Colorado. It’s hard not to marvel at the mountains God created and appreciate the beauty of nature. This destination truly makes my heart happy and makes all the stressors in life seem so minuscule in comparison. There’s no one in the world I’d rather share this experience with than then the Bearded One and our best friends. I don’t even think there are word to describe the joy I feel when I travel. The pure, simple bliss of not only the adventure itself but the final destination.

Home away from home

Our first few days in Colorado have been pretty serene. No chaos, no drama, no stress. Our Air B&B is perfect, plenty of room, and a huge deck that overlooks the mountains. If you’ve never tried Air B&B for traveling, you are missing out. This property is perfect. Not only is it nestled in the trees but there are nearby hiking trails which we took full advantage of already.

Porch Views of Mount Silverheel

So far we’ve spent most of our time on the deck, hiking the neighborhood, cooking fabulous meals and catching up on our favorite novels.

We did venture out and explore the town of Fairplay. There are lots of little shops and ample photo ops in the quaint little town. We stopped by South Park Brewery which has my absolute favorite beer, a cherry blonde. We also walked around Alma, which is even smaller than Fairplay. Both are beautiful little picturesque mountain towns. Tonight, Friday night, Fairplay is having a free community concert we plan on attending, which I’m really looking forward to. We also plan on doing some mountian yoga today and hiking Mosquito Gulch, a 6 mike hike.

Beautiful flowers throughout Fairplay

So far this trip has not only been successful, it’s been rejuvenating for my body, mind, and soul.

***UPDATE: Amanda and I completed a yoga class and it was AMAZING. It was my first official yoga class and it was wonderful. My entire body was workout and I did things I didn’t know know my body was even capable of. If you’re in Fairplay stop by Open Sky Yoga for a drop in class with Jamie. She changed my whole perspective on yoga and I am bound and determined to give it a try at home ❤️

Colorado Adventures: Short but Sweet

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966 miles

14 hours and 48 minutes

2 days in the car

Our Colorado Adventure has begun.

The gloomy summer storms didn’t stop us this AM as we began our the first day of our trek to Colorado.

After several rest stops, a picnic lunch in the middle of nowhere, we made it to our first destination, Amarillo.

I’m sure we could do this trip in a solid day, we did last year on the way back, but there’s just something about a good old fashioned road trip that really makes my heart happy.

I love being able to stop when we need to, flip through the radio stations, enjoy the tiny towns we drive through and just converse with my vacation buddies and the Bearded One. ❤️

Vacation makes my soul rejoice and I can’t wait to explore Colorado!

Day 1= Success