Nature on Vacation

Happy Earth Day! Earlier this week, I shared some ways we have fun enjoying nature in our own backyard. One of our favorite aspects of traveling is exploring the great outdoors in other's backyards. Not only is it one of my ways to save money on entertainment while on vacation, but it's also a chance to expose your kids to environments that they might not otherwise experience. Here are a few favorite photos from outdoor adventures while traveling.

Introducing the arrow to Lake Michigan during our trip to South Haven (he's tucked away in the Bjorn).

Hiking in the Red River Gorge of Kentucky.

Checking out the cacti at the Desert Botanical Garden during our trip to Phoenix.

Seashell hunting at Fort De Soto Park while on vacation in St. Petersburg, Florida.

This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

Soaring above Natural Bridge

I was recently asked what scared me most about being a mom. There are so many ways to approach a question like that. Philosophically, spiritually, emotionally.

But my biggest should-I-really-be-doing-this-with-a-baby scaredy-cat moment? Taking my squirmy 1-year-old on a skylift high above Natural Bridge State Park in Kentucky. The only thing between him and the ground 50 feet below was our arms.

Beautiful? Yes. Frightening? Absolutely. The views? Worth it.

And the only time I let go of him? To take this picture.

See Dad's death grip?
As you can see in the arrow's eyes, though, he was a little scared too,
so he barely moved a muscle the entire 10-minute ride up.

You can read more about our trip to the Red River Gorge area of Kentucky last April here and here.

This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

Beautiful vistas this side of the Mississippi

Whenever you read an article or see a piece on America's national parks, the focus tends to be out west. Ok, I get it... snow-capped mountains, natural hot springs, ancient rock formations, yadda yadda yadda. We know. It's beautiful out there. What I've been lucky enough to see of it sends chills down my spine.

But some of us reside on this side of the Mississippi. And you know what? This country really is gorgeous from sea to shining sea, and everything in between. Like the picture above, at the top of the Natural Bridge in Kentucky, found in the Daniel Boone National Forest. This sight gave me chills too, proving the West doesn't have a monopoly on breathtaking views.


Want to see it for yourself? Head to Natural Bridge State Park. Its about an hour from Lexington, KY (and a beautiful drive). To get to this view, you can either hike up 2 miles or take the sky lift. There are several hiking trails to explore once you get to the top, also.


Want to visit a national park near you? Check 'em all out here.


This post is part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby. Stop by to see other (more beautifully photographed) travel pictures.

Trip Report: Red River Gorge, Kentucky

Between our family's first trip to South Haven, Michigan in November and April, the holidays came and went, our niece/cousin arrived, and we sold our house and moved an hour away. So needless to say, while we had a few hometown adventures throughout the winter, we didn't get to do much traveling in those months.

By the time April rolled around, we were ready to resume traveling as a family. So we rented this cabin near the Natural Bridge State Park. It had two bedrooms, a full kitchen, two bathrooms, and a nice living/dining area. We loved the outdoor area--a beautiful deck and just down a gravel road from a beautiful rock formation. It also had a hot tub, which wasn't working when we visited, but we got $20 a night off our rental.

The cabin was about a 3 hour drive from our house, so we broke up the ride with a stop at the Louisville Zoo. Its not the biggest or nicest zoo I've ever been to, but it had all the typical animals you'd expect and the size of the place was just about right for a 1-year old. His favorite (and our favorite) had to be the giraffes and the carousel, so don't miss those if you visit.

When we arrived in Stanton, KY, the cabin rental staff gave us a list of nearby restaurants and attractions. Because this area is fairly remote, I had not been able to do much trip research in advance online. So their suggestions were helpful. We ate at a Mexican spot that first night and stopped at the grocery store to pick up picnic supplies for lunch the next day.

The next day we took a morning hike near the Nada Tunnel. It was gorgeous. (The trails are well marked on the map provided by the cabin rental company... you'll see a small parking lot just past the tunnel.)

That afternoon we headed into the state park. From there, we took a sky lift ride to the top of Natural Bridge, and then hiked to Balanced Rock. The views were amazing. Then the sky lift took us back down. If you have a really squirmy kid, I definitely suggest you secure them to yourself somehow before getting on the lift. Its very high off the ground. The park is free, but the lift has a reasonable charge.

That night we had a great meal at Miguels, a local pizza joint that is a hot spot for mountain climbers. The Gorge is a great area for climbing, apparently. The license plates in the parking lot ranged from Texas to Ontario. So fun! We ended the night with a trip to the playground in the state park, and we were lucky enough to be able to watch the ducks go by.

We wanted to explore the horse parks in Lexington on our way back home the last day, but it was pouring raining so we just drove straight back to Indiana. Another fabulous trip under our belts!