I'd Rather Walk

Great Smoky Mountains National Park – 5 Great Hikes in 4 Great Days

Most recently updated October 15th, 2024

Estimated Reading Time: 35 minutes

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is right on the edge of the areas of North Carolina and Tennessee that were hardest hit by Hurricane Helene.

That said, the Park is open and many of the surrounding communities are open for business and could really use your tourist dollars to help rebuild!

Go to my Hurricane Helene page to get the latest updates on the latest Park, Trail and road repairs.

Mists rise from the mountains after a summer rain. — Smoky Mountains get their name from the mist that settles in the valleys.

For years, I’ve been driving from my home near Raleigh, NC past the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) in Tennessee for work, but never had a chance to stop and explore.

It was very frustrating… 🙁

The Pulpit rock cairn marks the end of the Bullhead Trail.

But finally, last summer, I was able to spend a few days hiking in the GSMNP.

It was everything I hoped it would be!

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) was the most visited national park in 2019, with over 12.5 million visitors.

That’s nearly twice as many tourists as the Grand Canyon had that same year!

The Park covers 522,419 acres in North Carolina and Tennessee, making it one of the largest protected areas in the eastern United States.

It also straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain.

And as if that’s not enough to warrant a visit, the Appalachian Trail also passes through the center of the park on its route from Georgia to Maine.

Read on to learn about the park layout, history and the amazing trails that I hiked during my visit… and how you could hike them, too!

Continue reading Great Smoky Mountains National Park – 5 Great Hikes in 4 Great Days

Hikes and Wild Ponies at Grayson Highlands State Park

Most recently updated October 15th, 2024

The Grayson Highlands Park is right on the edge of the areas of North Carolina and Virginia that were hardest hit by Hurricane Helene.

That said, the Park is open (with some restrictions) and many of the surrounding communities are open for business and could really use your Fall vacation dollars to help rebuild!

Go to my Hurricane Helene page to get the latest updates on the latest Park, Trail and road repairs.

Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia is a great place to go hiking and look for wild ponies!

I was lucky enough to spend a few days there this past September.

The Park covers 4800-acres, and is adjacent to Virginia’s highest peak at an elevation of 5,729 feet, Mount Rogers.

You’ll find camping, picnicking, overnight horse stables, a visitor center, hiking trails, and access to the Appalachian Trail at Grayson Highlands.

But the ponies were the REAL attraction for me 🙂

A young pony being friendly.

The mountain balds are inhabited by a herd of ~120 ponies that run wild within the confines of the Park.

They’re not at all shy, so you get a lot of chances to see them.

These cattle were blocking the trailhead, and also adorable :) — A young pony being friendly.

The mountain balds are inhabited by a herd of ~120 ponies that run wild within the confines of the Park.

They’re not at all shy, so you get a lot of chances to see them.

Continue reading Hikes and Wild Ponies at Grayson Highlands State Park

Myrtle Beach – 5 Days of Walks and Outdoor Fun!

Most recently updated October 15th, 2024

Estimated Reading Time: 18 minutes

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is a favorite Summer family vacation spot!

Located in the center of the 60-mile long stretch of beach known as “The Grand Strand”, it’s one of the major tourist destinations in the entire country, attracting over 20M visitors each year.

Myrtle Beach Spring Break

Spring Break reveler at Myrtle Beach :-) — Spring Break reveler at Myrtle Beach 🙂

Myrtle Beach is also a notorious Spring Break destination, but it’s not what you think!

The Spring Break crowd in Myrtle typically has adult supervision and isn’t the crazy College break scene like you get in Fort Lauderdale.

So Myrtle Beach is a good choice for both adult travelers and families with school-aged children on Easter break.

Winter at the Beach

I usually go to Myrtle in the off-season, because it’s both less crowded and less expensive then.

And I like the beach in the Winter, because you can walk by the water for miles without suffering heat stroke 😉

That said, more things are open in the Summer season, when more people are around.

Read on to learn about fun activities I’ve found in every season – including the beach – that work for adult travelers and families, too.

Continue reading Myrtle Beach – 5 Days of Walks and Outdoor Fun!

How Your Asthma and Allergies Change Over Time

Most recently updated July 7th, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 18 minutes

If you live in the South, you know all about the annual yellow haze that hangs in the air and the yellow dust that covers every surface in the Spring.

This year we’ve had an especially prolonged pine pollen season. It started in February, and was still going strong in early April.

If you’re lucky, it’s just annoying.

Author, out standing in a field - full of bees! — Author, out standing in a field – full of bees!

Other people spend weeks this time every year wheezing and sneezing and taking LOTS of allergy meds.

Still another group of people (who never used to wheeze or sneeze in the Spring) find that they suddenly HAVE become allergic to the pervasive yellow dust….or something else, like, say bee stings.

How can that be? What happened?

The truth is that allergies and asthma, including what your triggers are, can change over time and strike without warning.

Bee Legends, Folklore, and Mythology — A busy bee doing it’s thing.

I experienced an unexpected new allergy earlier this year, with frightening and nearly deadly results!

Read on to learn more about my death-defying experience, plus how allergies change, and what you can do about it.

Continue reading How Your Asthma and Allergies Change Over Time

Hike the Great Channels on Brumley Mountain

Most recently updated October 15th, 2024

Estimated Reading Time: 14 minutes

The Great Channels are right on the edge of the areas of North Carolina and Virginia that were hardest hit by Hurricane Helene.

That said, the Park is open (with some restrictions) and many of the surrounding communities are open for business and could really use your Fall vacation dollars to help rebuild!

Go to my Hurricane Helene page to get the latest updates on the latest Park, Trail and road repairs.

I finally got to explore the Great Channels on Brumley Mountain, Virginia earlier this Fall after obsessing over it for nearly a year!

On the Navajo Trail in Bryce Canyon, Utah

The Great Channels sit at the summit of a mountain, and features a maze of slot canyons similar to those you might find in the parks in Utah or Arizona.

But the Great Channels formation is a surprise geologic gem hidden in southwest Virginia!

Anyway, last year, while planning a hiking trip to Grayson Highlands State Park (more on that later), I stumbled across an article about the Great Channels.

“Stumbled” is probably not the best word for a hiker to use, but you know what I mean 😉

I made some new friends at Grayson Highlands State Park.

The Channels are a series of deep crevices worn into prehistoric sandstone outcrops, where you can walk down into the maze-like network of crevices and explore.

You can also climb up on top of the Channels to get a stunning 360 view of the surrounding mountains!

Read on to learn how you can hike to the Great Channels, too.

Continue reading Hike the Great Channels on Brumley Mountain

Tour Apple Hill Farm near Grandfather Mountain!

Most recently updated October 15th, 2024

Estimated Reading Time: 13 minutes

Apple Hill Farm is very close to Grandfather Mountain and other areas of North Carolina and Virginia that were hardest hit by Hurricane Helene.

Grandfather Mountain State Park, along with many other NC State Parks are closed. That said, many of the surrounding communities are open for business and could really use your Fall vacation dollars to help rebuild! So please check with Apple Hill Farm directly.

Go to my Hurricane Helene page to get the latest updates on the latest area Park, Trail and road repairs.

I found Apple Hill Farm – a working Alpaca textile farm – when I was hiking out in the Grandfather Mountain area few weeks ago.

I was looking for an activity to take a break from hiking (uphill!) in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, but was still outdoors.

Apple Hill Farm was the perfect find! It’s a working textile farm on the site of an old apple orchard that offers farm tours, and even has a fiber gift shop on site.

The farm was started in 2002 by a single Mom (and cancer survivor) with just 2 pregnant female alpacas and one young male.

Today Apple Hill Farm is home to 9 kinds of animals: alpacas, llamas, angora goats, zebu cattle, horses, pigs, donkeys, chickens, and livestock guardian dogs.

The farm site includes 15 fields, 4 barns, and a farm store on 43 acres of land.

They’re still a working textile farm, and lucky for us, they now also give visitors educational tours of the farm all year round.

Read on to learn about my tour, and how you can visit too.

Continue reading Tour Apple Hill Farm near Grandfather Mountain!

Hike to the Flat Top Observation Tower on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Most recently updated October 15th, 2024

Estimated Reading Time: 16 minutes

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs through or very near areas of North Carolina and Virginia that were hardest hit by Hurricane Helene.

The North Carolina section of the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed, along with many other NC State Parks. That said, the Virginia side of the BRP and many surrounding communities are open for business and could really use your Fall vacation dollars to help rebuild!

Go to my Hurricane Helene page to get the latest updates on the latest area Park, Trail and road repairs.

I’ve been driving the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) in North Carolina and Virginia to get between places for more than 25 years.

But, I have to admit – until the last couple of years – I have completely neglected Blue Ridge Parkway hikes!

Then last year, a hiking friend introduced me to the Rock Castle Gorge trail near Rocky Knob on the BRP. Ever since then I’ve kept an eye peeled for new Parkway hikes I could try.

Tunnel beneath the BRP on a carriage road at Moses Cone Memorial Park.

And this summer… I found some! 🙂

This past season, I hiked some trails in and around Grandfather Mountain State Park (more on that later) and found myself driving the Parkway more than once to get from my lodgings in Banner Elk, NC to nearby trailheads and attractions.

One afternoon I finished a hike earlier than planned, and spotted Moses Cone Memorial Park on the way back.

It was a beautiful day, and I still had a couple of hours until sundown so I stopped to check it out.

Hike the carriage roads to the Flat Top Observation Tower.

I found beautiful grounds with 25 miles of hikes along old carriage roads, including a 5-mile RT hike to the Flat Rock Observation Tower!

Read on to learn more about the Flat Top Tower hike in Moses Cone Memorial Park and all of the other beautiful bridle and hiking trails you can experience there, too.

Continue reading Hike to the Flat Top Observation Tower on the Blue Ridge Parkway

New River Gorge National Park – 5-Day Hike Guide

Most recently updated October 19th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 18 minutes

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia is our nation’s 63rd – and newest – National Park.

Rock wall along the Rend Trail in the Thurmond area.

The park encompasses over 70,000 acres of land along 53 miles of the New River from Bluestone Dam to Hawk’s Nest Lake.

In spite of it’s name, the New River is one of the oldest rivers on Earth, and has carved the deepest and longest river gorge in the Appalachian Mountains – dropping 750 feet over 50 miles!

More than a million people visit the gorge each year to kayak, canoe, and fish in the river or hike, bike, and camp on the land.

For the past two years, I’ve been one of them!

Each Summer, my family has a reunion in Indiana over the July 4th holiday.

One of the smaller Falls and Sandstone Falls in the Park. — One of the smaller Falls at Sandstone Falls in the Park.

It’s a long drive, so on the return trip I’ve stopped at New River Gorge National Park to break up the drive and check it out.

The first year, I only had a day at the Park, but this time I scheduled 4 whole days! I was NOT disappointed 🙂

Read on to find out about the hikes I found there, and how you can go, too! Continue reading New River Gorge National Park – 5-Day Hike Guide

Hike Old Rag in Shenandoah National Park

Most recently updated October 15th, 2024

Estimated Reading Time: 16 minutes

The Shenandoah National Park is right on the edge of the areas of North Carolina and Virginia that were hardest hit by Hurricane Helene.

That said, the Park is open and many of the surrounding communities are open for business and could really use your Fall vacation dollars to help rebuild!

Go to my Hurricane Helene page to get the latest updates on the latest Park, Trail and road repairs.

I made the journey to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia again last Spring, specifically to (finally!) hike the iconic Old Rag summit hike.

Old Rag was my Moby Hike - the one that got away! — Until this year, Old Rag was my Moby Hike – the one that got away!

It was the hike that got away – my Moby Hike!

I’ve had plans to hike Old Rag for the past three years – but each attempt was thwarted by weather or logistics.

So I went back to try again – and I’m so glad I did!

It was a perfect-weather weekday in May before all of the families started their Summer vacations, so there were other hikers on the trail, but the place wasn’t over-run.

There’s a long rock scramble to the mountain’s summit that works better with some teamwork – especially if you’re a little bit vertically challenged, like I am 🙂

I conquered Old Rag, then I found a couple of other rock-scrambly hikes in Shenandoah that were a little less daunting to do the next day.

Read on to learn how you can hike Old Rag, and those other hikes too!

Continue reading Hike Old Rag in Shenandoah National Park

Explore the Rolesville Batholith at Mitchell Mill State Natural Area

Most recently updated July 23rd, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 13 minutes

I’ve been exploring and hiking on trails in North Carolina for more than 20 years, but one thing I’ve neglected – partly because they don’t have many long hiking trails – are the State Natural Areas.

Though not great for hiking North Carolina State Natural Areas are good for exploring nature and different habitats in a fairly small space.

This kind of place can be an exciting outdoor adventure for small children, like your kids or grandkids.

Mitchell Mill State Natural Area in Northern Wake County is one such very unique spot to explore.

The 93-acre site is a Registered Heritage Area, and sits atop one of the largest granite domes on the east coast, called the Rolesville Batholith.

Plant life from lichens to full grown trees sit atop the Rolesville Batholith.

Mitchell Mill State Natural area protects this Paleozoic-era granite, and also houses a fragile and rare ecosystem, including native plant communities that can only grow in such a “granitic flatrock” environment.

Read more to learn how you can visit and explore this unique State Natural Area!

Continue reading Explore the Rolesville Batholith at Mitchell Mill State Natural Area

Hike the Mountains to Sea Trail at Rolling View in Falls Lake

Most recently updated October 15th, 2024

Estimated Reading Time: 11.5 minutes

The Mountains to Sea Trail (MST) runs through or very near areas of North Carolina that were hardest hit by Hurricane Helene.

The Falls Lake section of the MST is open, along with many other NC State Parks and trails in the Eastern part of the State. That said, Parks and the MST on the Western side of the State have been damaged and may be inaccessible.

Go to my Hurricane Helene page to get the latest updates on the latest area Park, Trail and road repairs before you travel.

The Mountains-to-Sea-Trail (MST) is a simple hiking trail that spans almost 1200 miles across North Carolina, from the Great Smoky Mountains in the West to the Outer Banks on the East Coast.

Even though I’ve known about the MST for a good while, I didn’t really start hiking it on purpose until this past year.

Lately more and more people have been moving to my local area, and the easy-to-get-to hiking trails have become really crowded – especially on the weekends.

So I’ve had to look a little bit farther away for new trails – and that’s how I started paying more attention to the MST.

As of January 2019, 669 miles of the trail were completed, and even more have been done since then.

That’s just over half of the planned MST miles that are now completed in multiple segments across the state!

With temporary routes (for the unfinished parts of the MST) on backroads and bicycle paths, hikers can now follow the MST all the way across North Carolina.

One of the longest finished segments goes ~60 miles along the Southern shore of Falls Lake, just to the North of Raleigh near Wake Forest.

Even 60 miles (out of 1200) is an epic hike to most of us – but never fear!

You can hike smaller sections of the MST to make it an overnight backpacking trip, a day trip, or even just a few hours on the trail.

Today, I’ll tell you about the MST, and how you can hike my favorite local MST section (so far): MST Day Hike #22 at Rolling View in Falls Lake Recreation Area.

Continue reading Hike the Mountains to Sea Trail at Rolling View in Falls Lake