A random adventure in South Carolina on a sunny Sunday afternoon was set in motion. No long term planning. Just a quick 1 day getaway. The weather was perfect. The timing seemed to just fit into the schedule. The spontaneity of the day was one of the highlights of the excursion. Music cranking while having an open air concert was also so much fun both in and out of the water.
Zoom zoom. The girls took off for the day on the water. Riding topless….in a convertible for those thinking otherwise. Wind in face. Sun glistening on their skin. Sunglasses required. Hair swaying back and forth as they make the trek from one state to another. One could say the ride itself could have been the day’s climax yet it was merely a starting point.
Ultimately these Chicks had other plans. The adventure consisted of trying out hydro bikes for that day’s fitness and fun. A new-to-us thrill of sorts. Upon arrival one bike had technical issues creating the option of one kayak and one hydro bike for the afternoon. Off to the water the girls went. A day of water play with no have to’s. Just what the doctor ordered. Nothing too strenuous.
The cove was simply peaceful on this a day. A short paddle or pedal to a sandy beach area to explore or dip in the water to cool off. A band was playing at the nearby marina adding a mini concert to the water play day as an added bonus. Just some good old fun and relaxation on a Sunday. A perfect time to reset for the work week ahead.
There was plenty of time to just float. Soak up not only the sun but the cloud and sky views for miles. the gentle waves. The sun reflecting off the water. Observing the local boats trying to catch a fish or two. It brings a different kind of peace to one’s mind and soul.
Days like these are encouraged for those who spend time in a busy fast-paced life or a life that has challenging days. A slower time of any day breeds success or productivity in other areas once a fresh outlook is achieved.
Such a simple idea. Grab a friend. Spend a day outside. Smell fresh cut lawns. Plant a garden. Take a walk. Feel the sun on your skin. Move freely. Inner peace comes from within. Sometimes you need to reset your mind, your environment, your outlook or even your surroundings to see the beauty of your life. The life you live each day to the fullest.
I decided to write with more pictures and less words to showcase my top ten pictures from traveling to snowy Park City, Utah. Hoping you will enjoy the refreshing photos of the outdoors and their quick captions. These photos are in no particular order.
This is a view I enjoyed from the eyes of one of my snowboarders. I didn’t take the lift to the top of the mountain thus I enjoyed this simple yet beautiful view. I smiled big knowing my people were enjoying their time on the mountain living the snowboarder life.
The best decorated and tasty sugar cookie with fabulous hot cocoa from the chocolate shop in town. A quaint little stop to snack, get warm and socialize after a day outside. This captures the sweetness of my trip.
The path through the trees when I was snow shoeing or snow walking as one of my teen travelers called it. These trees were amazing and the picture doesn’t even capture their beauty. The Aspens are the state tree and a fun fact is they have a dusty coating on them that is like a powder which can be used as a natural sunscreen. Just a fun fact I learned.
The path to nowhere as it looks. The simplicity of this photo is what I like about it. The grey skies before a snow fall.
The sunrise over the white barn. A barn we passed each day where you can see cross country skiers in the pasture at all hours during the day. A fun spot to remember.
A night picture from my balcony on a snowy weekday. The ice dagger hanging from above. The light shining on pathway illuminating the fresh powdered covered walkway. I hear the wind howling through the photo like it was today. A snowy memory.
Haynes Ranch. Founded in 1932. Pure bliss via a snowmobile. This photo shows the blue skies and the gateway to 40,000 acres of land and wildlife. Yes we saw moose.
This view was so amazing in person. A view from the ranch we snowmobiled. The blue skies were so welcoming after days of grey skies.
Fresh powder. Bright sun. Beautiful trees. That is all. Simply amazing and breathtaking.
The snow tracks. The blue skies. The sun shine. It was only 1 degree in this photo. Frigid cold yet I was still enjoying the outdoors.
It’s hard to pic just 10 photos but it’s great to have a picture post to look back on.
I’ve been snowmobiling before in Colorado a few years ago. Now it’s time to compare my experience to snowmobiling in Utah. Same time of year but obviously different states and different terrain. I couldn’t be more excited for this chilly adventure, but I am also excited to share my recap with my readers.
Vroom. Vroom. The anticipation builds. Fresh snow the ground. Grey skies from snow that fell the night before as we head to Haynes Ranch in Coalsville, Utah. The roads had fresh snow and so did the ranch. The scenery was amazing and the skies ended up blue today. The brightest of blues after a snowy 24 hours prior. The first time I saw blue skies in days. It was still a chilling 1 degree at 10am when we hit the snowmobiles. Thank goodness they had hand and feet warmers on them.
After a little trek over a stream and short climb we hit the gateway to the 40,000 acre ranch. I felt like the land I was on was one of the most beautiful places I have been to. We saw wildlife (moose) in their environment along with trails of other animals that I didn’t ever catch a glimpse of. Little and big prints in the fresh snow made me wonder as I rode along. Who was in the area for animals?
We followed a thin track of the machine in front of us. Such a fabulous view for as far as your eyes could see ahead. From mountains to rock formations, it was all spectacular. The way the sun glistened on the snow and the bright blue sky. Peaceful is the one word that comes to mind. Words can barely scratch the surface on how memorable this journey through the ranch was. Fresh snow added to the ride value.
We made a few planned stops for photos and to watch the wildlife. We had the chance to hit a large pasture with just the right amount of fresh snow to get our machine up and moving. We could go fast or round the hillside in our own style. We each made our own footprint in the snow. So much fun to free ride in the snow and make your own tracks.
As we traveled to a mountain top we had to lean in to go up the hillside to the most spectacular view. As we climbed one of the double riders in our group veered off track and sunk into the 8-9 feet of snow. This was a separate adventure in itself. The machine had to be dug out and then we had to ride down the mountain cautiously not to bury any other machines. I somehow ended up transporting an extra passenger down the mountain which was a little nerve racking.
Despite the unplanned we spent additional time at the top of this precious area. The view in the distance seemed to go on forever. This was one of my favorite spots yet the camera photos don’t seem to capture the beauty I experienced in person. The sky showed its color variations and the snow was just untouched in the distance. The tree lines were awesome.
All in all this day trip was wonderful. I would say this ranch made the snowmobile adventure that much more special and the fresh snowfall added to the ambiance. At the end of the trip, my thumb seemed frozen from using it on the throttle without a break and my quads seemed to have felt the brunt of the wind on the ride. It took some time to defrost my body.
Should I venture out again I would add another layer of clothing for the cold temps. I would also invite others to enjoy the special occasion. It’s almost impossible to reimagine the beauty I saw today. If you ever have the chance to explore Utah, check out Back Country Snowmobiles. It’s is a rare find.
As I close out this post I will be cherishing this experience memory for some time to come.
On the road again. And again. And for a third time because it’s a charm, right?
Northern tip of Florida is stop one from northern tip of Georgia. Just a couple of days for business trip #1. Off to coastal Georgia for a conference. A picturesque landscape but one you won’t enjoy as your schedule consists of inside time spread across a hotel campus for days. Stuffy dress up clothes. Limited outside time. Lack of normal routine. No time to get cozy. Time to head northwest to the land of orange, also known as Tennessee. Stop #3 for next set of business tasks not too far past the Honky Tonk of Nashville. But again not a fun trip just boring business to do’s.
Three states. Three different business obligations. Seven days on the road, again. I had settled back into my routine after my summer road show of travel. Now it’s time to hit some other spots even if all business and no pleasure. I suppose money makes the world go round; this girl is off to work to support herself.
First segment on the road was eventful. Major rain storms popped up at random limiting visibility. Minor to major accidents galore. So many cars turned the wrong way after crashes. Ambulances. Fire trucks. Police. I was complaining about delays at first then I realized the delays prevented me from being caught up in the multiple wrecks. How I came to realize I dodged some major bullets on that segment.
The drive was enough for my nerves until I was notified of a boil water advisory upon check in at the hotel. Bottled water only. I had never had this experience at a hotel. Many adjustments only to find all nearby establishments were closed for this reason. No coffee in the morning after a rough evening of travel was not on my agenda for the day. Gas station grapes and crackers for the win on this fine morning. The day didn’t get much better. Restaurants served soda from cans. No water for consumption. The frills we take for granted.
I should have made the water advisory it’s own post as there were so many situations that popped up that made for good stories. On this bright sunny morning, I am enjoying my coffee. Boiled water over 180 degrees according to the server. At this point I don’t care. I’m just happy to have my rocket fuel to start my day. The coast is calling my name at this point in time. Hoping the water is usable on stop two. Fingers crossed.
Highlight of trip two was a good meal On the coast. Snow country boil was the name. A combination of shrimp, sausage, corn, and snow crabs. A little twist on a favorite meal thanks to the add of the snow crabs. I was extra full that night but it was all delicious.
The highlight for trip three was really a lowlight. A rude awakening of sorts. A meltdown of my mind and spirit. Too much. Too fast. Too tired. All leads to emotional weakness. I caved at the end of the day on my drive. My broken spirit was obvious. That led to overall sadness. I attribute the negative emotions to the last meeting. A shit show in my mind. A train wreck from the get go.
As I rejuvenate my spirit and my mind, I am opting for some physical fitness to get my mind going. Tennis was the sport of choice. Then after a match some crumbl cookies were in order to signify my crumbling the day before. Symbolic in one way and a splurge in another. For today I have some peace as I move forward in a slightly different direction.
Thankfully a long weekend is backing up to this 3 state road trip. Eeek. There are events on the calendar. I guess it was a good thing I flipped my calendar to see what was ahead. Preparations are a must. Hoping to catch my breath on this long weekend before the fall chaos of more travel hits. A spa day would be the perfect match for that extra day off but at the same time doing nothing but watching Netflix in my pjs will probably win.
As I think about the hectic travel schedule I take a deep breath and remind my of my fortune of being able to travel. To see new places. To meet new people. These benefits far outweigh the stress involved in traveling and twisting to get everything done. Palm trees always seem to make you feel like you are on vacation and I saw lots of palm trees in stage one of this trip and two. Maybe that’s why stage three was a dud. No palm trees. Celebrate the small wins in life. Sunshine is never really far off and eat crumbl cookies when your life feels like it’s crumbling.
These days all seem busy but somehow we manage. Or maybe we aren’t managing at all. Maybe we are just surviving while others are thriving. As I wrote today, I’m sitting outside enjoying the cool breeze before a small storm sets in. The calm before the storm. As I’m reflecting I giggle a little knowing how many blogs I wrote this year about traveling adventures. Funny how life just fuels content most days.
Until next time, enjoy your day and thanks for keeping up with our blog.
The RV got a little break. It took a trip to the shop for a little sprucing up after many miles on the road. A friend joked to me about going the distance so soon while many camp closer to home to practice. Funny we didn’t entertain that thought. We seemed to add distance to each trip. I guess go big or go home was the underlying tone.
I will soon start thinking about spots for 2023 that book up far in advance. Fingers crossed we get some good ones. Maybe I’ll add a few local spots for good measure. Anyway, trip 5 takes me to the Blue Ridge Mountains of north Georgia. My home state but a climb up a mountain to get to the site. It’s a new resort that I have big hopes for.
A little overcast today but the breeze is nice. Maybe low 80s with a chance of showers this evening. It’s seems pretty quiet right now as most are tucked in their RV’s, lounging by the pool or chilling at the entertainment pavilion. I’m just sitting outside taking in the sights and sounds while unpacking my new fly fans. A game changer in keeping flies away.
I’m not at a woodsy campground this trip. I’m at a more resort-like RV escape. Nice flat paved lots. Squeaky clean bathroom suites. Amenities like drink carts passing by. Food trucks and a staffed bar. Curbside trash pickup. Dog park and dog wash area. All the conveniences of home but the fresh air of sitting outside listening to music while the burgers grill up for dinner. Chit chats with friends add to the ambiance.
As the sun sets it’s time to listen to a live band at the pavilion. With a full belly it’s time to shift gears and relax in a new way. With music to soothe the soul, I will be unwinding for a good nights sleep in a few hours just as the rain sets in. Ah I hear the pitter patter on the roof already. Another soothing sound to me. I almost forgot the camper smells amazing as candles burns to freshen up the place since my doggies are my travel buddies this weekend.
The weekend calls for food trucks, visiting the local town and their shops, sipping on wine at the local wineries, dodging the rain in the forecast, and just unplugging from day to day responsibilities. Just living my best life on the ridge in the mountains this weekend. The vineyard I visited not once but twice was Ott Vineyards in Ellijay, GA. Great views. Dog-friendly which made it a viable option. And the best part was their wine slushies. Blackberry and mango swirl was absolute heaven in a plastic cup.
In between rain drops I found time to shop in the mountain town of Blue Ridge, GA. A travel buddy wanted some local honey. I wanted to check out what was hiding in the shops. A cute sweatshirt for a souvenir. Trinkets and a sticker for my water bottle. Bigfoot of course being as in the mountains with all the tall tales about Bigfoot.
Until next time my friends. I will leave you with a pic of the ridge overlook as a storm was approaching. Lots of thunder and angry skies overnight led to area flooding but somehow we escaped the brunt of it. You never know what Mother Nature is going to have in store for you when you travel. No pool time for me this trip.
2 Chicks and a blog 