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Gold Head Branch State Park

8/30/2015

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Gold Head Branch is a pretty little state park northeast of Gainesville. While I had visited a few times before, Ellison had never been so we decided to give it a try this past Saturday. If you haven't heard of it, you're not alone. 

Even though Gold Head Branch is one of the oldest state parks (created by the CCC in the 1930s), it's in the tiny town of Keystone Heights and you don't just "happen to be out that way" very often. Or ever. But, that being said, the park is certainly worth a visit. There are deep ravines, bubbling springs and it is part of the Florida National Scenic Trail. You can get all the details at the Florida State Parks website.  


Here are a few of the highlights from our visit. 
So Ellison was initially reluctant to go hiking at all this weekend. The heat. Bad allergies. The thought of an entire afternoon of Minecraft. But I can be pretty persuasive when I'm being a role model for all parents to follow and she finally relented after realizing the joys and wonders of a walk in the woods. 

Or I promised that she could have extra Minecraft time when we got home. And ice cream. Whatever it was, it worked.

Once on the trail, leadership duties fell to an enthusiastic Ellison and she never once led us astray. This could be because the trails are exceptionally well-marked here (like every few feet), but my money is on her navigational skills, which already surpass mine. There aren't any particularly long trails at Gold Head Branch (the longest is only a few miles), but they wind through a variety of terrain starting with hardwood hammocks, then past ravines and up to sandhills. It's the quintessential northern Florida landscape.


And - most importantly - there are skinks, millipedes, and lizards. Ellison was delighted.
The park itself is quite extensive and offers both primitive and cabin camping. The cabins have large porches that overlook clear, glassy lakes and are very well-maintained. It seems like a perfect place to spend a weekend relaxing with friends and family. 

Just maybe not one in August. 
 Luckily, it was overcast and not nearly as hot as we expected. Everyone ended up having a really good time (even Ellison's otter Ophelia) and our decision to brave the heat, and our lethargy, to get outside brought some much needed relaxation and family fun after a hectic first week of school. And that's what it's all about, right?
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Florida State Parks: Planning Fall Hikes

8/24/2015

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Picture courtesy of birdsasart.com
Did you know that there are 161 state parks in Florida?! And 10 state trails?! And that's not including the 11 national parks located within the state.

Well, I definitely didn't realize there were so many and when Ellison and I sat down to plan some fall trips close to home it was a bit overwhelming.

The craziness of school (3rd grade!) and sports leaves little time for hiking, but Ellison and I are determined to fit in at least a few visits to some of the beautiful parks we are lucky enough to have in our area. We checked out the maps, a couple of books (this guidebook was really helpful) and came up with a list of the ones we plan to check out this fall. 


1. Cedar Key Scrub State Reserve
2. Gold Head Branch State Park
3. O'Leno State Park/River Rise State Preserve
4. Paynes Prairie State Preserve

5. Rainbow Springs State Park
Cedar Key Scrub State Reserve
Gold Head Branch State Park
O'Leno State Park
Paynes Prairie State Preserve
Rainbow Springs State Park
Paynes Prairie State Preserve
* Photo Credits where known (Cedar Key courtesy of M. Thompson-Ruede; Paynes Prairie bison/horses courtesy of William Miller 21;  Paynes Prairie alligator courtesy of Florida Native Photography)

There are a few  that we would love to visit when we actually have a weekend instead of just an afternoon (and when the weather is cooler), such as 

- Florida Caverns State Park (Marianna - in the panhandle)
- Caladesi Island State Park (north of Clearwater Beach)
- Caya Costa State Park (north of Sanibel)

Do you have any recommendations or tips?  Is there a park in Florida you think should absolutely make the list? 
Florida Caverns
Caladesi Island
Cayo Costa
* Photo Credits (Florida Caverns courtesy of roadtrippers.com ;Caladesi Island courtesy of visitflorida.com; Cayo Costa courtesy of travelerslocation.com)
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The Grand Canyon: Rained Out

8/22/2015

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We went to the Grand Canyon at the end of our trip to Arizona. We were expecting to enjoy a delightful day of summer heat and crowded trails and instead got temperatures in the 50s and a hail storm. 

We didn't get a chance to hike, but it was still amazing. Because it's the Grand Canyon. And because in taking Ellison for a visit (if only for a few hours) I felt like I was meeting the call of both parental and patriotic duty. Nothing could dampen my enthusiasm because I was in it for not only for Ellison, but for the entire United States of America. 

I felt like Clark Griswold on his way to Wally World. But in the end Ellison was sufficiently impressed... with the golf-ball sized hail. Of course. And maybe even a little bit with the canyon itself.
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Summer in Sedona: Red Rock Hiking

8/21/2015

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                                                         Isn't that picture just the cutest thing ever?! 

So, when we visited Sedona a few weeks ago we had the opportunity to do a lot of hiking in the red rocks. The landscape was so different from Florida and places we'd visited lately that it made for an interesting change of pace. Even with the 110+ temps. Ridiculous.

While it was hot during the day, the nights were cool making early morning hiking conditions ideal. Ellison and I spent almost every day checking out a new trail...and talking about how much better our hair looked in the low humidity . Those of you with straight hair just don't even know the horrors o
f high humidity, I'm telling you.

This area is definitely worth a visit. And you can even get a psychic reading (or ten) while you're there. 

You can read more about hiking in Sedona here and here.

Bell Rock

You can make this hike shorter or longer, depending on the trail, but either way it offers great views of Sedona and the red rock formations. It's an easy hike and both Ellison and I really enjoyed it, despite the lack of shade.

West Fork

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This is the most popular hike in Sedona and, according to some resources, the most popular hike in Arizona. It lived up to the hype and ended up being our trip favorite. The trail takes you down into Oak Creek Canyon and crosses the creek numerous times. It's scenic, relaxing and, in the summer, very crowded. Ellison's favorite part was getting to pick apples off the trees in the orchards surrounding the trailhead and eating blackberries next to the creek. Her otter, Ophelia, seemed to have a good time, too. 

Fay Canyon

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There's a hidden arch on this trail and that alone makes it worth it. We missed it the first time, but found it on the way back after looking up a number of trail reviews until we finally got one that offered a visual marker we could use as a guide. It was a relatively steep climb up to the arch, but we're pretty tough so it was no big deal for us. It probably will be for you, though. Or maybe that should be the other way around.
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Aloha Summer!: Hiking on Hawaii's Big Island

8/20/2015

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The summer of 2015 rocked! It was awesome. Amazing. I don't want it to end.  Ever.

But as school starts again and we get back into the school/work routine, the inevitable longing for summer begins in earnest - and this time it's hitting us pretty hard.

We visited Hawaii's Big Island in June and needless to say, the island isn't short on natural wonders. There are ton of hikes ranging from full-on 14,000 foot mountain climbs (Mauna Kea) to half-mile leisurely nature strolls. Regardless of what you choose, Hawaii doesn't disappoint.

You can read about some of the top recommended hikes here. And here. Below are some of the hiking highlights from our trip. 

captain cook monument

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There are two ways to get to this spot - one is to go on a chartered snorkeling tour and the other is to hike on foot from the road down to the monument. We chose to hike and while it was pretty rough on the way back up (y'all, its tough. Or at least it was for me), the views are totally worth it. The snorkeling is some of the best in Hawaii and if you're lucky a pod of spinner dolphins will join you. We were lucky. It was life-changing.

volcanoes national park

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Volcanoes National Park is amazing because of, well, volcanoes. You can see them (from the overlook at the park museum), smell them (from the hike along the sulfur banks) and touch them (the whole island is made from lava, after all). Ellison and I have taken a variety of hikes in this park and our favorites are those located along the 11-mile Crater Rim trail and at the end of Chain of Craters Road. Along the Crater Rim trail you can walk through rain forests, across a volcanic crater and through sulfur steam vents. The hikes vary from 1.5 miles to over 10 miles, and from easy to more strenuous accordingly. At the end of Chain of Craters Road you can hike along a road covered in lava from a 1969 eruption. It used to have the signs still sticking out of the lava, but apparently the park system thought that was just too crazy, so they took them down. Too bad because it was really cool.

city of refuge (pu'uhonua o Honaunau National historical park)

The City of Refuge has a lot to offer - Hawaiian history, sea turtles, a great beach and some of the best sunsets on the island. The hikes aren't long, and our favorite one is about 3/4 mile up a clearly marked trail to a bench overlooking the park. You can continue on from here, but we usually just hang out for a bit and then go back down to the picnic area. There are tables and grills, but with the trees and configuration of coastline it still feels relatively private. 

south point

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Ellison and I are in agreement that South Point is the most beautiful place on the Big Island. It might even objectively be one of the most beautiful places in the world. It is windy (you pass giant windmills on the way down to the point), the waves break big and the landscape is stark. Its rarely crowded and it can feel like you are quite possibly all alone on the island. You can hike from here to the famous Green Sand beach or Kaalualu Bay, but we prefer to just go along the coast. If you're into cliff jumping (which Ellison and I are decidedly not), you can, when the weather is good, dive into the water right at the South Point (there are ladders to get back up). We've seen tons of people, including small children, do it and have a blast. It makes me nervous every single time. 
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    Welcome! 

    My family and I love to get outside and explore every chance we get. My daughter and I started this blog as a way to chronicle not only the places we have visited, but also as a way to preserve our time together. We hope you enjoy it and will make a little time for a hike with friends! 
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