The Angels Landing Hike in Zion National Park was my favorite hike of our Southwest Vacation. (I’ll have a post about our entire trip up in the next few weeks!) I heard it was difficult, and scary, and awesome. I knew I had to hike it.
Kyle and I were a little worried about the weather. It had been raining on and off all morning. After a late breakfast, we decided to wing it and headed to the park.
The Debord Falls Trail in Frozen Head State Park is an easy hike that is just a short drive from Knoxville. Kyle and I hiked this trail a really long time ago when we started dating. This time we took the pups and hiked it with my sister-in-law, Staci, and her dog, Moose. It’s a short hike, only .6 miles from the parking lot to the waterfall, so it’s perfect for the whole family.
The Rough Ridge Trail is one of the most popular trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Kyle and I hiked this trail during our Weekend Getaway To The Tri-Cities Tennessee last month. It’s a relatively short hike, only 0.6 miles to the overlook, and the views at the top are very rewarding. The trail continues after the overlook, but we decided to stop at the overlook since we hiked the Hawksbill Mountain Trail earlier in the day.
I decided to finally bite the bullet and purchased a new MacBook Pro over tax free weekend. It’s nice to have the mobility of a laptop again. (And the comfort… it’s so much better to write this on my couch than at my desk!) One of the first things I did when I started up my new MacBook was to install Google Chrome. It’s the best web browser. Sorry, Safari. After I installed Google Chrome, I started browsing all of the Google Chrome Extensions. If you use Google Chrome then you really should utilize the Google Chrome Extensions to make your browsing experience so. much. better.
One of my favorite parts of our Weekend Getaway To The Tri-Cities Tennessee was visiting Gypsy Circus Cidery in Kingsport, TN. I first discovered Gypsy Circus Cider while having dinner and drinks at West Hills Flat and Taps in Knoxville. It’s the only local cidery near Knoxville. (Hopefully that will change soon! Someone should open up a cidery in Knoxville. Please?)
The outside of Gypsy Circus Cidery in Kingsport, TN is very unassuming. I thought, “this is it?” when we parked in a strip mall parking lot. When you walk inside, you are immediately greeted by a large bar with custom glass-tap handles and a huge board that lists all of their on tap ciders and beers.
If you read my post last week then you know that Kyle and I took a Weekend Getaway to the Tri-Cities Tennessee. I always like to take mini-vacations whenever possible. One of the main reasons I wanted to go to the Tri-Cities area was to hike the Hawksbill Mountain Trail in the Linville Gorge Wilderness. My co-worker told me about this hike and, after looking at the gorgeous pictures on Google, I knew I had to go check it out for myself. There are so many awesome hikes outside of Knoxville and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that I have yet to experience, so I’m glad I got to check this one off the list.
The Hawksbill Mountain Trailhead is about a 3 hour drive from Knoxville and is part of the Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina. You could make it a day trip if you wanted, but I prefer not to drive that much in a day. The trail is about 2 miles round trip. It is a good hike for the whole family, doggies included.
Sometimes, I need a mini-vacation to tide me over until our actual vacation takes place. So, Kyle and I took a weekend getaway to the Tri-Cities Tennessee this past weekend. If you aren’t familiar with the Tri-Cities, it includes Kingsport, Bristol, and Johnson City, Tennessee. We did not visit Bristol on this trip but it’s a great city to visit. The Tri-Cities area is about a 2 hour drive from Knoxville, so it is definitely doable in a day. I wanted a weekend to relax and destress, so we used up some free hotel points and made it a mini-vacation.
Kyle’s back on the keto diet, so I have searched the internet to find some keto friendly recipes that are delicious and easy to make. Don’t get me wrong, I love healthy eating. But I also love carbs. And, personally, I think I need carbs to survive, and to meet my own health goals/muscle gains. This Keto Friendly Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole is full of protein, healthy fats, and lots of broccoli!
And it’s pretty darn delicious. (So you don’t have to be on the keto diet to enjoy it!)
I have been a photographer for almost a decade now (which is crazy to think about!) and have found some of the best photo shoot locations in Knoxville, TN over the years. These locations are perfect for portrait sessions, landscape and nature photography, or to walk around and snap some pictures. All of the locations are free to visit, but some require professional photographers to pay to use the property. (Just a heads up to all the professional photographers out there, or those who have hired a professional photographer for their upcoming photo session.)
(Pst… I’m working on updating photos for all the locations I’ve listed!)
Kyle and I finally decided to sign up for the Global Entry Program last year. I’ve used it twice so far and it has been completely worth the investment! It has saved so much time and reduced my travel-related stress. (Here’s to looking at you, airport security.) I wanted to share my top 3 reasons to sign up for Global Entry so my fellow travelers can stop worrying about airport security and start enjoying every part of travel.
