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Blog
Categories
- Destinations
  - All Destinations
  - Asia
    - Japan
  - Europe
  - North America
    - Mexico
    - United States
      - Midwest
      - Northeast
      - Southeast
      - Southwest
      - West
  - Oceania
    - New Zealand
  - South America
    - Colombia
    - Peru
- Tennessee State Parks
- Nashville Local
- Books
- Personal Essay
About
- My Story
- Work with Me
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Tag: orange beach

Destinations

Santa + Sandcastles | A Holiday Weekend on Alabama’s Gulf Coast

December 21, 2024

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✌️ This week wraps up my summer break, and while i

✌️ This week wraps up my summer break, and while it feels audacious that school could start so soon, it’s my 10th week of vacation; I really can’t complain.

It has been the most low-key summer break we’ve had in years—no big trip and no major plans. We took weekend roadtrips. The kids went to camp. We spent a lot of time at home and hung around the neighborhood; we saw friends and family constantly; we swam and hiked and ate at restaurants; the girls made up a secret handshake.

I didn’t see an ocean or a foreign city, and I have no photos of faraway places to share—just a camera roll with a million snapshots of everyday moments and silly expressions.

I’m so often wishing to hop on a plane, to travel without the scheduling obligations of everyday life, but really I know that I could never be a nomad. Home is incomparable. ☺️

(Photos are decidedly NOT from home, nor from this summer, but as much as I enjoyed the last 10 weeks, I really do miss the ocean.)

🌿 This city park has attracted people to its meado

🌿 This city park has attracted people to its meadows for over 10,000 years…

In the northwestern quadrant of our city, Bells Bend Park is (IMO) an under-utilized mecca of wildlife. During our morning visit, we were the only car in the parking lot!

⏱️2.5-miles on the River Loop Trail, but the park has about 9 miles in its small trail system.
🚶‍♀️Natural, grassy surface
🏔️Very flat (all floodplain!)
🌳Mostly sunny—bring a hat!
🦋The nature center is closed on Mondays, but bathrooms and water are always available!

This park amuses me bc the trails are pretty much just a lawnmower path through meadows. So beautiful and peaceful, and we saw so much wildlife on our walk!
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#nashvilletrails #nashvilleoutdoors #hikingwithkids #natureplay #nashvillemoms

Dreaming about golden hour in Malibu…✨ . . . #disc

Dreaming about golden hour in Malibu…✨
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#discoverla #goldenhourphotography #californiatravel #fujifilmxseries #travelphotography

🌿 A crazy short hike with 10/10 views… The Narrow

🌿 A crazy short hike with 10/10 views…

The Narrows of the Harpeth is another hiking area of @harpethriverstatepark that has a lot to show off in under 2 miles of trails!

⏱️3 out-and-back trail segments, each under half a mile—the whole trip is only 1.5 miles!
🚶‍♀️Natural surface
🏔️Minor elevation changes on the Harris Street Bridge and Tunnel Trails; steep incline with steep drop-offs on the Bluff Trail (⚠️take into consideration with small children)
🌳Mostly shaded
💦Creek stomping at the end of the Tunnel Trail but signs prohibit swimming (potentially dangerous currents and wildlife!)

For the best starting point, park at the lot by the Harris Street Bridge to minimize your trek to the trailhead!

👉 SAVE this post for your next family outing, and follow along for a new trail idea each Friday this summer!
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#nashvilletrails #nashvilleoutdoors #hikingwithkids #tnstateparks #nashvillemoms

“At first the Mississippi seemed to recede from it

“At first the Mississippi seemed to recede from its banks, and its waters gathering up like a mountain… It then rising fifteen or twenty feet perpendicularly, and expanding, as it were…the banks were overflowed with a retrograde current, rapid as a torrent […] And lately it has been discovered that a lake was formed on the opposite side of the Mississippi… upwards of one hundred miles in length…”
—letter from Eliza Bryan, March 22, 1816

I had known that Reelfoot Lake is the state’s only large natural lake; what I didn’t know is how recent that happened. On December 16, 1811, an earthquake shook northeast Arkansas. Over the next two months, two more major quakes and their aftershocks hit this area of the New Madrid seismic zone, the most powerful this side of the Rocky Mountains in history.

It was the hottest week of summer so far, but a beautiful stay at @reelfootlakestatepark as we visited our 40th @tennesseestateparks!
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#tnstateparks #naturaltennessee #lakelife #optoutside #outdoorfamily

🌿 I had no idea this shaded little neighborhood oa

🌿 I had no idea this shaded little neighborhood oasis even existed…

Deerwood Arboretum in Brentwood is a small nature reserve on the Little Harpeth River. It’s hidden within winding subdivision roads and is perfectly quiet.

⏱️1-mile loop
🚶‍♀️Paved surface
🏔️No incline
🌳Mostly shaded
🚻Yes, restrooms
💦Access to the river bank for creek stomping and picnics!

We encountered people of all ages and so many dogs on our walk!Scooters and strollers are common, too. ⚠️ There is a parking lot but it only has about 12 spots.

👉 SAVE this post for your next family outing, and follow along for a new trail idea each Friday this summer!
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#nashvilletrails #nashvilleoutdoors #hikingwithkids #natureplay #outdoorfamilies

It’s just all too familiar. 🫠 @dominotracks and I

It’s just all too familiar. 🫠

@dominotracks and I cracked ourselves up personifying all the wildlife while touring the @tennesseeaquarium. I hadn’t been since I was probably a 2nd grader, and it was such fun to add a dose of humor to the trip. Nature is awesome! 🐠

Thanks for hosting us during @witsummit!

#witschatt #visitchatt #momlife #parentinghumor #exploretennessee

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