Why you should explore on foot!

Sometimes you will find I will tell you where a location is. Other times, like today I will not share the exact location.

Why? Well if I did then it would just increase the traffic and eventually, these lesser-known sweet spots will be crowded with people like you find in the national parks, and pretty much any cool trail people tag on Instagram.

That and if I shared the location on my blog my small group of friends who go out to find these hidden gems would quit sharing their finds with me because I'd be a whistleblower of sorts LOL.

All I will tell you is, this location is in Utah and I visited it last month.

Sometimes the best locations do not have trails to get to. However, even without trails, you still need to be careful where you are walking to keep your trace to a minimum.

Sometimes, you have to be aware of your surroundings. Like this location for instance, if I hadn't known to look around I would have missed this beautiful unique natural feature.

My pictures don't exactly do it justice. Those drip marks down the rocks, that is the black crust top dripping like paint into the nearly pure white rock below.

The swirls, swipes, and drip marks of yellows and grays were quite brilliant. My camera didn't pick up how bright that yellow really was.

Now I could give you an entire geography lesson on how it was formed, but I will spare you and just say this about this location:
It may look like a slot canyon, but believe it or not, it actually isn't.
However, it was formed by winds, rains, and floods throughout the years.

I'll tell you another funny fact about this location. Thousands of people flock to an even more popular trail near here, for one of the worlds best bucket list items. They pass by this canyon on their way to it, never realizing it is there.
Why? A couple of reasons, one is the other location has become too popular and it's on nearly every hiker's bucket list.
But also, because if it's not on the maps, and there are no trail markers, and fewer people are tagging it on social media, it can still remain a slightly hidden gem.

Happy hiking my friends!
Hope you can find lesser-known treasures like this on your journeys!

Hello Again

It's been a while, I tried really hard to keep my blog up while I was going back to school and getting my degree's. But it ended up being kinda impossible, but I did my best.
Then I graduated thinking hey, maybe I'll get the blog going fulltime again, and to be honest I didn't have it in me. Facetime around a screen was less and less a priority, instead of exploring and enjoying life seemed like a better way to spend my free time.

It was easier to keep up my blogs Instagram account, and if you follow me there, you likely saw many wonderful images and adventures. I've also periodically popped up on my Twitter feed.

However, despite my absence, I have always wanted to get my blog going again. But decided if I was going to do it, things needed to be different.
I no longer have the time I did before to dedicate to it, so it was time for a new plan.

This blog will still be the adventures of me Runaway Bridal Planner, I am still a runner and I have high hopes of getting back to my 50 states and D.C. marathon goal this year, and I hope to share much of that on this blog.

Meanwhile, hiking has become a huge part of my life. I've always been a hiker, but a once a week hike turned into once a day and sometimes 2-3 times a day 50-60 miles hiked a week...

Granted, I did take a dream job for the past 8 months, and hiking and taking tourists on hiking, kayaking, SUP or other adventures was my job. (I know, it's hard work, but someone has to do it, LOL) Yes, they actually pay people to take people on adventures and it is by far the greatest job I will have ever had.

Catching up.

I mentioned above I've been a hiking guide in southern Utah, Zion National Park, Snow Canyon State Park were just a few of my cubicles, and my office views looked a lot like this each day.

When I wasn't hiking for work, I was hiking on my own. Why? Because life is better when it's explored. Here are a few of my favorite destinations I hit up.

I also was able to do a little of my other hobby and got some backpacking in, when you're 20-30 miles on foot into area's that you already have to drive 40-100 miles down dirt 4x4 roads, and you don't have to see anyone else for miles, well life is just the best then!

Of course, I also know how to kick back and relax doing a little SUP, Kayaking, Fishing or Camping.

It wasn't all play, I made sure to take some time to enlighten the mind with some reading.

Additionally, I have been an Ambassador in the Hikerbabes Community and started up the Southern Utah Hikerbabes chapter. We had some fun times on our group hikes each month.

The biggest change is, after living in Southern Utah in the hot desert sun for the past 2 1/2 years, I am putting my coat on and moving to northern Utah.

Literally two days after I was here, my sister took me out on a birthday snowshoe hike and I had a foot fall into a hole and have a slight hairline fracture. So for the first time in years, I am forced to take a short break. I'm hoping a few weeks off will help it heal. In the meantime, I was having some insane tendon problems since September, and this force of getting off my feet may be helping that as well. Sometimes things happen for a reason!

Regardless, I'm looking forward to starting up the new Wasatch and Uinta Mtn. Hikerbabes group here in Northern Utah. If you live near or vacation near these mountain ranges, you should join our group. You can find out group events and details on this page HERE.

As for my blog changes.
If you like outdoors, you will see many pictures and posts about exploring the north southwest. Additionally, tips and information about hiking.
Between going back to school for Recreation Management and being a Hiking Guide, I realized many even experienced hikers make some major and very stupid mistakes while out on the trails, so I think it will be fun to share my 2 cents on it and offer some tips.

For now, I may leave my comments on. However, in the future, I am toying with the idea of turning comments off. I want to think about that more first.

That's probably enough for now.  Happy Adventures friends!! I look forwad to being back!

Visiting The OLD MILL in Little Rock Arkansas

TRAVEL TUESDAY

Today, I'd like to take you to a portion of Little Rock, Arkansas.  To T.R. Pugh Memorial Park, to visit and tour the Old Mill.

If you love the movie Gone With The Wind, the Old Mill was used during the opening scene in this classic film.  The Mill was designed specifically for the film, and so were the grounds around.  Tree stumps, toadstool sculptures and branch interwoven bridges.  

I actually visited in the month of March which is why the tree's are for a lack of leave.  But it was enchanting even before the place turns into full bloom.  So if you visit another time of year, you'll see lush greens, and beautiful flowers just about everywhere.
You can go inside the building and walk around all of the grounds as well.

The above picture is one of the fun log and branch bridges.  It looks smaller in the picture, but it is actually large enough you can walk right through it.  Well at least my 5 foot,4 inches could:)

It looks kind of creepy in this picture, but this is the underneath of one of the larger bridges.  I'm sure a different time of year has this creepy bridge looking quite magical covered in vines and such.

The other side of the road, there is a small lake and additional trails to explore.

Overall, it's not a place I would take a specific trip to see, but if you are in the area it's definitely worth checking out! They run the Little Rock Marathon in the spring there, which is what I was doing when I visited, so if you're a racer in the area, such a short little stop for something to do before or after the race!



IF YOU GO:

*  Little Rock Arkansas, T.R. Pugh Memorial Park is the destination.  (3800 Lakeshore Drive in North Little Rock Arkansas.) 
*  This can be used as a stop on a road trip, or a fun place to grab an afternoon picnic.
*  It's free to the public.
*  Little Rock also has a nice Marathon & Half Marathon in March if you want to add that to your trip and use the Old Mill as an afternoon excursion.