>> Summer Hike

Summers in Pennsylvania are usually fairly mild.. with temps hanging out in the mid 80's most of the time. That is a little warm for me, so whenever there is a day below 80 degrees, I jump on it for a day hike. On this particular day, we hiked to the Pinnacle and back on the AT. It's a fairly easy trail to do, it's almost exactly 8 miles round-trip and has an elevation gain of about 900 ft or so. You can check out this post for more information on the Pinnacle Hike!

I used my Camelback for the first time.. I loved it! The 'bladder' holds 3L, which was plenty of water for our hike. I threw my camera in a soft case and still had plenty of room for snacks & such.

Ten-second camera timer selfies. :)

Mike's phone (Galaxy 6) takes good quality photos for a phone, I've been very impressed with it so far!

My hiking buddy and more importantly, carrier of sandwich lunches.

The flowers blooming in the woods were absolutely gorgeous. I think our hike down was considerably longer because I kept stopping to take more photos..

 

 

The pinnacle is defiantly one my favorite longer-ish day hikes in the area. My only suggestion is to start early to avoid the people and the heat. :) Enjoy your hike!

>> 5 Reasons To Try Geocaching

5 Reasons To Try Geocaching

 Geocaching is one of the coolest hobbies I've picked up on recently. It's fun endless adventure just waiting to happen! If you're wondering what on earth geocaching is, here's five reasons why you should get out and try it. All you need is a GPS (on most smartphones), a pencil, and a sense of adventure!

1. Anyone can play & try

In today's world, everyone and their brother has a smart phone or tablet. At the very least, you have a friend  or family member who does. Download the Intro to Geocaching or C:Geo app on your GPS-enabled device and you'll be ready to go in no time. My sister & I use our Mom's iPhone to geocache and we love the Intro to Geocaching app. There are quite a few options available and almost all of them are free. To check out what geocaches are nearby, just go to the Geocaching website, type in your zip, click on map this location, and you're ready to explore!

 2. It's a great reason to go outside
Geocaching is great because you can look for caches that will be a quick to find or incorporated into a longer hike. I love hiking, and adding in a geocache or two is a lot of fun. It gives you a quick break from the hike and a sense of purpose too. Geocaching is like a big treasure hunt for big (and little!) kids alike!

 3. Discover new places

One of my favorite things about geocaching is the cool new places I've discovered in my own backyard. Geocaching has brought me to old quirky schoolhouses (see above), creepy old graveyards, covered bridges, new hiking trails, abandoned air fields, and more! Suddenly I have found out there are so many more adventures within miles of my house.

 4. Cool fun with family & friends

Going on an adventure by yourself is kind of lame, so I usually grab a sibling or friend or two to share in my geocaching quests. My sister & I love to geocache together and it has become a great way of spending time with her. I have also introduced multiple friends to geocaching and they've all loved it. It is great to get outside with friends, family, kids, and have fun!

5. Find cool s.w.a.g. (stuff we all get)

 Geocaches very in size (micro to huge) but a lot of them are big enough to hold small treasures. I have found all different kinds of things that other geocachers have left, like rubber duckies, homemade crafts, geocache "trackables" (items that move from cache to cache), and more! A lot of the items are silly little things, but I've found a few really cool trinkets. Every geocache also has a log book that you can sign and you can also log it on geocaching.com!

I hope this has helped you take a peak into the wide world of geocaching and maybe even inspired you to get out and try it! 

Local Hike: Hopewell Lake

I really enjoy adventuring around Hopewell Furnace because it's fun and historical. They also have quite a few living history days, so those are always a fun day to visit too. It was sheep-shearing day, so we saw lots of naked sheep. :)

We found a geocache with lots of treasure! 

These tadpoles were hanging out in a puddle of water.

Pete the Cat went with us on our adventure. He was on loan from the local library and he wrote a journal entry about his adventures. How fun is that? 

Local Hike: Hopewell Lake, French Creek State Park

French Creek State Park is located about 25 minutes outside of the city of Reading. It is a beautiful (and huge!) area loaded with trails, lakes, camping, boating, history, and even sheep! I've only just started to explore this park, but it has lots of great places to wander and get lost. We parked and started out at Hopewell Furnace NHS. We explored the herb garden, buildings from the 1700's, and watched a sheep get sheared before heading past the old kilns to the lake. The trail hugs the lake shore for part of the hike, and takes you over wooden bridges and muddy areas for the rest. We also really enjoyed dipping our feet in the water after getting a little bit muddy. :)

Distance: between 2-3 miles

Time: 1 hour for the hike, an extra bit for exploring Hopewell

Dogs & Kids: Yes & yes! 

Rating: 3.5/5
Hopewell & French Creek are a great place for a Sunday afternoon picnic and stroll (or paddle in the lake!). We love how close it is from home, but how far-off the city seems. :)

Warblers & Summer & Such

Welcome summer! :)
PS: I don't have much to say today, other than I really love these yellow little fellows!

Sunday Spring Hike

On a nice & sunny Sunday afternoon, the five of us headed out to check out a new hiking spot and just be outside. It has been a long and cold winter, but I've found the best fix for cabin fever is time in the woods with friends and sunshine on our faces. The hills are slowly but surely starting to come alive again with spring.
It. is. wonderful.

I wore my toe shoes. I love those shoes.

These are the roots of a fallen tree.

Grace, my little buddy :)

We relaxed at the top of the hill, ate some snacks, and enjoyed the sun starting to set in the valley.

Is she not the cutest? She's my favorite little person.

This is the view from the top of the hill. The big field in the background is part of the Daniel Boone Homestead. Believe it or not, that's where Daniel Boone himself was born and lived for many years as a child. The house is still there as are many of the other historic buildings. But that's a story for another day.

Bonus: video of the salamander.

Happy hiking friends! :)