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Christmas at the Biltmore Estate

11/21/2016

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It's the weekend after Thanksgiving, the official start of the holiday season! And what better way to kick things off than a tour of one of the nation's most amazing homes all done up for Christmas. On our trip to Tennessee two weeks ago, we decided to take a break from hiking to enjoy a visit to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Ellison and I had the absolute best time (because as you know, we are just as much into house tours as we are into hiking - and for one of us, maybe even a little more so)! While I am sure that the Biltmore is stunning any time of the year, the holiday decorations added a special touch and certainly helped us all feel more festive. The awesome weather didn't hurt, either.
So we started with a plan - get there early (10 am), pick up our tickets (we ordered them online because the wait can be really long the day of) and then start with the house tour and make our way to Antler Hill Village for a visit to the petting zoo, a late lunch and some wine tasting at the winery. I know you're thinking that this doesn't seem very kid-friendly and you're probably right. Other than a handful of sleeping infants, there wasn't one other child to be seen. In truth, there wasn't anyone under the age of 50 to be seen. But Ellison isn't your average kid and this was totally her kind of day. Mine too. We were psyched about the whole thing.
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Let's start with the actual Biltmore House. While you can drive right up, we decided to park further away and ride the shuttle. At this point Ellison was getting frustrated because we had already been in the car for two hours and she just wanted to get out and run around, but her enthusiasm was fully rejuvenated when got her first glimpse of the dramatic front entrance. With her love of all things European and castle-related, this was pretty much as close as she was going to get stateside.

​The line to start the tour was short (thankfully) and we started with the Winter Garden area and made our way through the dining hall (love the fireplace!), the sitting areas (also love the fireplace!), library and bedrooms. Ellison's favorite was the sitting area with the giant Christmas trees because it had such a fantastic view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. You can see why George Vanderbilt picked this spot (which was out in the middle of nowhere at the time) to build his architectural masterpiece.
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Biltmore was built to maximize the mountain views and from every balcony and window you can look out over the 8,000 acres of forest that surround the main house. It took six years of constant construction to finish Vanderbilt's 250-room "country home" and there is an exhibit along the tour that shows the progress from start to finish. It honestly was so interesting and the attention to detail shown by Vanderbilt and his architects is to be marveled, particularly given the challenges they faced during construction. You can read more about the history of the Biltmore Estate here and here.
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​​Below is the library of my dreams. Ellison's too. Done. That's all we can say about it. Somebody build this for us and we will pledge our eternal loyalty. Well, maybe with a little less red velvet and brocade, but let's not get picky. The billiard room isn't too shabby, either. I could live with it. Or in it. I'm pretty sure it's bigger than my house.

There was also a bowling alley, indoor swimming pool and a gym. I am not sure why I surprised at how modern the house seemed, but I was. It is less than 150 years old and many elements have been added since it was built in 1895, so there is no real reason that it wouldn't have what we now consider necessities, like indoor plumbing and electricity. I think because the house seems so "historic" and "European" that it messes with my sense of antiquity.
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​On to the gardens. The formal gardens were designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, who designed Central Park. They're amazing, of course, and I can only imagine how beautiful they would be in the spring when all of the flowers are in bloom. This is where we wanted to spend most of the day. The weather was perfect (thank goodness since there was so much to do outside!) - breezy and sunny, though it got a little cold in the shade. Ellison had a great time racing around, but then became real serious as she stopped to smell each of the different type of roses along the way. There are 2.5 miles of paths that wind through the forest, along the French Broad River and within the gardens. The conservatory, located within the formal gardens, was one of our favorites places on the estate. I love plants. I love to be warm. Put those two things together and a conservatory becomes my dream hideout. Ellison is pretty insistent that we begin construction on one right away.

​Oh, if you happen to be in to the history of landscape architecture, the life of Frederick Law Olmstead  or just American History in general, I highly recommend both A Clearing in the Distance: Frederick Law Olmstead and America in the 19th Century by Witold Rybczynski and Genius of Place: The Life of Frederick Law Olmstead  by Justin Martin. It will change the way you look at city parks forever.
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After we toured the house and gardens (and after getting a hot chocolate and pastry), we moved on to Antler Hill Village. About a mile or a so away from the main house, Antler Hill Village was created around the Biltmore Dairy. It was designed from the beginning to be a working farm with the intent of making Biltmore self-sufficient in all ways. It was functioning as such before the main house was constructed and, once the mansion was built, served to provide food for the residents. Ellison and I were so impressed with the efforts by the George Vanderbilt and subsequent family members to ensure the sustainability of the estate. This seems to be something that is still a focus of the Biltmore even as it has expanded to include hotels, shops and the winery.

The petting zoo was kind of a letdown for Ellison because she was really looking forward to seeing some horses, but they were all out to pasture when we got there. She settled for some goats and a braying, bucking donkey with a serious attitude problem. You take what you can get when it comes to petting zoos. We also visited the blacksmith shop and a broom maker. That sounds beyond boring, but it wasn't, I swear! It was so interesting and the workers were very informed and engaging! Ellison and I both loved it and could have stayed there all day learning about how to make horseshoes and brooms.
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​After the petting zoo, we had lunch at Cedric's Tavern, which is the more casual of the restaurants in the village. It was so delicious. No, for real, it was just so good. I'm sure the other restaurants are fantastic, as well. All of the ingredients are local and most come from the estate itself. We sat outside (next to an adorable Newfoundland puppy, which was an unexpected and totally welcome addition to our meal) and spent time discussing the upcoming Thanksgiving (which we just hosted for the first time and it was absolutely my favorite Thanksgiving in recent memory) and Christmas holidays. It was leisurely, I was with good company and I sampled all of the local craft beer. How could you go wrong? It was one of my favorite meals in a long, long time.  

​From lunch we went to the winery and sampled five different selections while Ellison kept track of which ones Trevor and I preferred on a score card (is that bad parenting? She learned a lot about wine so I'm calling it educational). There were some that were outstanding, some that were palatable and one that was horrid (I'm not going say which one, but Cardinal Crest, I'm looking at you).  At this point the sun had set and we wanted to see the Christmas lights so we walked around the village, took the shuttle past the main house so we could see it all lit up and then headed home. Ellison and I, as tired as both of us were at this point, were so sad to leave not only the estate, but the magical holiday bubble that we'd been in for the past ten hours. We wanted to stay forever. Or at least until the next day.
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So I think the one thing we would have done differently (but couldn't because we had Waylon waiting for us back at the cabin in Tennessee) would have been to stay overnight. The area is so extensive that there were a number of things we didn't have time to see - like the hiking trails, for example. The estate has 22 miles of trails that wind all through the wooded areas surrounding Biltmore House and the three lodging areas (hotel, inn or cottages). Ellison was also dying to go horseback riding and I am sure that a ride anywhere on the grounds would be beautiful so I can't say I would have objected to that, either. But, this gives us a reason to go back next year. That being said, it really was so fun for us as a family and even if you don't tour the house, just visiting the grounds and gardens would keep you occupied for days. Ellison and I enthusiastically recommend a trip to the Biltmore and, other than not being able to pet the horses, loved every minute of our visit.
​See you back here soon!
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Girls in the Park Turned One!

8/13/2016

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Happy Birthday to us! We've officially been around for an entire year.
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​* Photo courtesy of Popsugar.com
Ellison and I decided we needed a cake to celebrate our blog-birthday. Not a real one, of course,  because that would only add to the chaos otherwise known as the first week of school. But a beautiful fantasy online one that looks like it just magically appeared in the woods. Of course. So after we found the perfect layered woodland wonder (which was, for real, almost as fun as getting an actual cake), we went back through old posts, reliving memories we've made since last August 20, and put together a little numerical highlight reel. While we get out and hike more often than we blog about, this count only includes things we have posted on Girls in the Park. Enjoy it with a piece of pretend cake. ​

States: 5

  • ​Arizona
  • Florida
  • Hawaii
  • North Carolina
  • Tennessee

national parks: 3

  • Volcanoes National Park
  • Grand Canyon National Park
  • Smoky Mountain National Park

State parks: 15

  • Anastasia State Park
  • Big Talbot Island State Park
  • Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park
  • Gold Head Branch State Park
  • Hapuna Beach State Park
  • Kealakekua Bay Historical State Park
  • Lovers Key State Park
  • ​Manatee Springs State Park
  •  O'Leno State Park
  • Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
  • Rainbow River State Park
  • Red Rock State Park
  • River Rise Preserve State Park
  • San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park
  • Washington Oaks Gardens State Park

national/state historical sites: 5

  •  ​Pu'uhonua a Honaunau Historical Park
  • Captain Cook National Monument
  • Montezuma Castle National Monument
  • Fort Matanzas National Monument
  • Castillo de San Marcos

botanical gardens: 4

  • ​Bok Tower        
  • Washington Oaks                     
  • Kanapaha
  • Edison and Ford

rivers canoed: 2

  • Rainbow River
  • Matanzas River

oceans visited: 2

  • Atlantic
  • ​Pacific

trips to zoos/theme parks: 2

  • Sea World
  • Central Florida Zoological Park

Most popular post:

  • ​Summer in Sedona: Red Rock Hiking

Least Popular post:

  •  April Birthdays

My Favorite Post:

  • Bok Tower Gardens

Ellison's favorite post:

  • Girls on the Run 5K

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Such positive things have come from doing this blog and I can only say that we hope it's around to celebrate many more birthdays. ​There has been so much support and encouragement from so many people, both those we know in real life and online readers. While I don't want to formally commit by putting our travel plans out there, we do have some really cool trips in the works (state, national and international) for this year and I can only say that when we go, you can be sure we'll be posting about our outdoor adventures when we return. Thank you for continuing to read 'Girls in the Park'!
See you back here soon!
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It's National Park Week!

4/16/2016

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So, National Park Week starts today and in celebration the National Park Service is offering free admission to any of our country's 58 amazing national parks throughout the week. Since Ellison and I have some wonderful memories of times spent exploring these places, we thought we'd share some of our favorite national park memories.

First, we took a tally of how many national parks we had been to in our home state. There are 3 parks in Florida and we haven't been any! None. Trevor and I have been to 2, but it has been years so I'm not counting it unless Ellison and I have been there together. So, we really need a trip to South Florida to check out Key Biscayne, Everglades and Dry Tortugas. 


Next, we counted how many we have been to nationwide. There are 58 overall and together we have only been to 3. That's it. Only 3 of the 58 incredible and iconic natural areas. But, those 3 are unforgettable. So diverse and unique, but so representative of our country as a whole. I have written previously about our trips to each of these three here on 'Girls in the Park' - Great Smoky Mountains, Hawaii Volcanoes and Grand Canyon. 

Then we tried to decide what our favorite memory was from each of the parks, and from there we tried to decide which of the three parks was our favorite. We laughed while reliving some of the hikes we took and the misadventures involving bad weather and poor navigational skills, and it was fun to look through the pictures from these trips and try to remember the day when they were taken. It seems like it was just yesterday that we were driving through Hawaii and Arizona and making plans for our annual trip to Tennessee. I guess Gretchen Rubin was right when she said "the days are long, but the years are short."

So as far as favorites go Ellison said hers was Great Smoky Mountains because "it's her favorite place in the entire world. You know that." and I said mine was Hawaii Volcanoes because it has a little bit of everything - mountains, deserts, tropical rain forest. But, there are 55 parks left to visit so who knows. What I do know is that it is important to do all we can to preserve these areas and protect them for future generations. Our history is deeply connected to the physical landscape of our nation and our future is dependent on its preservation!

​Hawaii Volcanoes (June 2015)
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Grand Canyon (August 2015) * We don't really have any decent pictures of the two of us actually at the Grand Canyon. It was kind of a crazy trip. So you'll just have to imagine we're in the picture:) It went from super sunny amazing weather (see the first picture) to what you see below in like 20 minutes. 
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Great Smoky Mountains (November 2015)
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Here are some more links if you want some more details on National Park Week - head over to the National Park Foundation's website or go to the National Park Service site to find a park near you. It is also the 100 anniversary of the national park service so there are all sorts of cool things coming up to help celebrate the centennial. And remember, all week you get in free! 

Oh, and here is an organized checklist of the 58 national parks that is kind of cool to use if you're a list maker like me:)
​See you back here soon!
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Smoky Mountain Hikes: Part 2 (Rich Mountain Loop Trail)

11/24/2015

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Cades Cove, in addition to being one of the most beautiful parts of the Smoky Mountains, is one of the best places to see deer. We never fail to get at least one special picture. 
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This is one of those places that no matter how many times you visit, you are still struck by its natural presence. Each season, and even each time of day, has something unique to offer. Cades Cove is one of our absolute favorite parts of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and no trip would be complete without at least a quick hike through its woods. But this year Ellison and I decided to try something a little longer and opted to take the Rich Mountain Loop. 

Rich Mountain loop trail
(8.5 miles, 1736 elevation gain)

The Rich Mountain Loop trail in Cades Cove is one of the few loop hikes in the park and, while it starts off with a rather laborious climb, it offers a fantastic view of Cades Cove, a chance to explore an early settler cabin and a small, but very pretty, waterfall. 

As this was our first time on this trail we weren't sure what to expect.The first two miles are uphill (if you start on the Crooked Arm Ridge trail) and it is very slow and steady climbing (we saw a bear cub! - but not its mom, so we moved quickly out of the area). I'm not going to lie - Ellison and I were not initially thrilled with this as we huffed and puffed our way up. But, by our logic, this allows you to end downhill with the John Oliver cabin, as well as pretty much guarantee that you'll have the trail to yourself since this is technically going 'backward'. If you're anything like Ellison or myself (and, of course, we suspect you are) it is better to get the hard part out of the way first when you have more energy and enthusiasm. This means you'll end on a high note and everyone will have forgotten the incessant complaining that occured five miles earlier. 

This is a rather woody hike (as are most in the Smoky Mountains), and because of this it seems like it's one best taken in the winter when the trees are bare in order to maximize the views. As you walk along the ridgeline, the overlook opens up and you can see Townsend on your right and Cades Cove on your left. The view goes on for miles if the weather is clear. We were lucky and the skies were cloudless for the majority of our hike, though the fog was dense by late afternoon.
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​The route we took (Crooked Arm Branch to Indian Grave Gap to Rich Mountain Loop) had us ending with the John Oliver cabin and an easy walk about a mile from there to the parking area. As we were finishing up this last stretch, Ellison spotted an eight-point buck eating mushrooms alongside the trail. We watched it from a distance and then, after a few minutes, I moved closer to try and get a picture. He didn't seem to mind and continued eating for at least another 10 minutes - I was able to get close enough to take some great shots. It was the closest either one of us had been to a buck of this size and we were both so excited to just sit and watch him go about his business. Ellison is still talking about it!
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The Rich Mountain Loop trail was a departure from our usual visit to Cades Cove and was a welcome respite from the crowds. Ellison and I enjoyed it (though I am not sure I would say it was my favorite of the trip) and, now that she is able to hike more substantial daily distances, we would love to check out other long trails in the area. Honestly, I can't imagine that there would be one in Cades Cove that would disappoint, so it's pretty much a sure bet. 

Have you hiked Cades Cove? Do you have any recommendations? Ellison and I would love your advice as we make a list of trails we want to check out on our next trip.
See you back here next weekend!
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Smoky Mountain Hikes: Part One (Laurel Falls and Silers Bald)

11/15/2015

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The Smoky Mountain trails treated us well on our recent visit and we're ready to share all the details. But, first, I have to say CONGRATULATIONS!! to Ellison for completing her first double-digit hike during this trip (almost 11 miles!) and doing it with more energy and enthusiasm than I thought possible considering it was pretty much uphill both ways. She killed it on the Silers Bald trail and proved once again why she is my favorite hiking partner! 
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So you take your chances with the weather in the Smoky Mountains in November - some years it has been snowing so hard that trails closed early for the winter and then other years it has been 75 degrees and sunny. On this trip we had moderate temperatures and a lot of rain, which really cut into our hiking time.  With 2 full days spent inside, we were forced to be more selective and opted for a few new experiences over some of our favorites.

Laurel Falls (2.6 miles,
320' elevation change)

No trip would be complete without a visit to Laurel Falls. This is the most popular hike in the park, but is worth it because the falls are so pretty. The 1.3 mile trail is paved to prevent erosion and it definitely not strenuous, but it is narrow with steep drop-offs so you do have to be somewhat attentive if you're hiking with small children. The waterfall is one of the biggest in the area (you can hear it long before you see it) and is the end destination of the vast majority of hikers on this trail. 

Because everyone had to squeeze their hiking into the two-hour window of good weather available that day, the trail was particularly crowded, which meant so was the area around the waterfall. A million families were attempting to take the perfect picture for their holiday cards and the place was packed with crying kids and testy adults. And selfie sticks. Oh my lord, y'all, the selfie sticks. It was ridiculous. But normally if you wait a few minutes the crowd clears and you can enjoy the spot in relative peace. 

The trail continues another 2.7 miles to the summit of Cove Mountain after Laurel Falls. We didn't go any further than the falls this time because the weather was getting bad, but I highly recommend making a day of it and hiking the longer route if you get the chance - you'll walk through some of the most beautiful forests in GSMNP. 
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silers bald (10.6 miles,
​2300' elevation change)

So Ellison and I decided on Silers Bald because we wanted something longer and more strenuous than what we had attempted in the past, and we heard that the views from the top of the ridge were beautiful. This is one of the trails we mentioned in a previous post about the Smoky Mountains.

The hike to Silers Bald is 10.6 miles roundtrip when leaving from the Clingman's Dome parking lot (Forney Ridge trailhead). The initial ascent takes you through a fir forest (which smelled like Christmas trees, much to our delight) and then offers glimpses of mountain views on both sides of the trail as you reach the ridgeline, which forms a partial border between Tennessee and North Carolina. While there are places where it opens up, for the most part this route takes you through wooded, forested areas (like most Smoky Mountain trails) with an elevation change of around 2300'. Ellison and I didn't find this to be too challenging until the last mile or so back to Clingman's Dome. It's all uphill and we were tired from hours of walking and had to stop a few times to catch our breath. (Actually I was the only one stopping - Ellison wasn't tired at all. Youth. And her dad wasn't either. Ego.)

A good portion of this hike is along the Appalachian Trail and about the halfway point you'll come across a shelter for AT thru-hikers. It offers a place to rest, either for a few minutes or overnight, and access to fresh water. From there the trail continues for another few miles until you reach an area known as "the Narrows", where the trail becomes no more than a few feet wide for the rest of the trip to Silers Bald. Apparently Silers Bald used to be an actual bald, but is now overgrown and is simply a small clearing with a large rock painted with white arrows marking the direction of the Appalachian Trail.

After hiking for about 2.5 hours, Ellison was super excited to make it to the bald, but then quickly realized she had to hike the same route back to the trailhead. While she has hiked 5-6 miles many times before, it's never been much more than that. But, Ellison is amazing and was completely undaunted by another 2.5-3 hours of walking, much of which was uphill. She loved it and was in a great mood the entire time! We were really proud of her and, more importantly, she was really proud of herself. I think this hike served as the turning point for her willingness to take on longer routes and longer camping trips, which are both things we have really been wanting to do as a family. 
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While we're happy to be back home and looking forward to the next trip, Ellison and I will both miss being out on the Tennessee trails enjoying the mountain views and fall weather (minus the rain). If you would like to see more pictures from our trip and follow along as we venture to new places, check out Girls in the Park on Instagram (@girlsinthepark). We're excited about it and would love for you to join us!
See you back here next weekend!
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The Countdown to the Mountains

9/14/2015

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Ellison and I are counting down to our annual trip to the Smoky Mountains!
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Ellison and Waylon in 2009.
Each November for the past 8 years we have spent a week visiting the area around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I know this park can be seen as overly touristy, but I can't even begin tell you how excited we get about this trip. 

Not only does it mean cooler weather and great hiking, but it also signals the beginning of the holiday season. We listen to Christmas music and watch Hallmark movies nonstop until January. It's ridiculous and we love it. 

However, fall in the Smokies means crowds. Like lines of cars miles long on the parkway and standstill traffic in popular places like Cades Cove. This is rough and can sap even the most enthusiastic of hot-chocolate-and-holiday-music fueled spirits. 

 A crowded trail is something you want to avoid, if possible, and easy enough to do with a little planning. Some research into the best times of day to start out and a search for off-the-beaten path hikes will help. 
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Being from Florida, any hike with snow is a big deal.
After 8 years of visits with an infant, then toddler, we have hiked most of the shorter, easier trails in and around GSMNP (Chimney Tops, Hen Wallow, and Andrews Bald are among our favorites).This year Ellison and I agreed that it's time to step up our hiking game and try out some of the longer, more difficult trails. 

While it doesn't mean we are giving up on our tried-and-trues, we do want to see what else the park has to offer in the way of strenuous day hikes. 

Here's what we're thinking...
1. Rich Mountain Loop  (8.5 miles) - I've heard this trail is a great way to escape the crowds and to enjoy the beauty of Cades Cove in a more quiet, natural way.
2. Silers Bald (9.3 miles) - this is an ambitious one for us, but Ellison claims to be up to it. Honestly, it depends on the weather. If we go, we are planning on taking the Clingman's Dome route.  
3. Baxter Creek Trail (Mount Sterling) (12.2 miles) - this is definitely something my husband and I would do, but I'm not sure that Ellison is quite up to it. This is one we may be saving for future trips. It is considered one of the most strenuous hikes in the Smokies - which is a large part of its appeal.

I know there are others that could make this list, but these are the ones that stood out to us.

And for sake of reminiscing, here are a few pictures from past trips.  
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Ellison's first glimpse of the elk at Cataloochee in 2007.
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Having Waylon on the trail helped keep things moving in 2008.
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It was all about short hikes and outdoor exploration in 2009.
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The hikes got a little longer in 2010.
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Freezing at Clingman's Dome in 2011.
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On our way to Chimney Tops in 2012.
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It snowed in 2013!
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By 2014, Ellison was ready for all-day adventures.
 Ellison and I both are really looking forward to these new-to-us hikes and to pushing ourselves a little harder than we have in years past. We also are excited about being able to share an experience that we both love through Girls in the Park! We will have tons of pictures and stories from the trails, so be sure to check us out in November.

Do you have any suggestions for our trip? Any trails we missed that you think should be on the list? We'd love to hear from you as we plan our visit! 
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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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*All photos original to Girls in the Park unless otherwise noted