Rocky Fork State Park + Erwin Linear Trail

We spent the day at Rocky Fork State Park. We started in the morning hiking up the Whitehouse Cliffs Trail. This is a pretty short trail but also a pretty steep one. On our lunch break, Emily picked up some ‘road treasure’. Joey would call it trash (each to his own!?!). Then we headed back …

Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park + Jonesborough, TN + Elizabethton, TN

On our second day in East Tennessee, we visited Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park in Elizabethton, TN. They have an exhibit, a recreated version of Fort Watauga, and a trail along the beautiful Watauga River. While in Elizabethton we also went to see the covered bridge, Carter Mansion (oldest frame house in TN), and Sabine …

Hiking Roan Mountain – Carver’s Gap to Roan High Knob to Cloudland Mountain to Roan High Bluff

We started our week in east Tennesse by hiking Roan Mountain (the sixth highest peak in Tennessee). From Carver’s Gap we hiked on the Appalachian Trail to the Roan High Knob shelter. The summit of Roan High Knob (6285 ft.) was the highest point of our week. Then we headed to Cloudland Mountain (where an …

Overnight Backpacking Alone (My First Time)

I went solo backpacking on a 13-mile hike and camped overnight alone in the Wildcat Shelter at Montgomery Bell State Park. It was my first time overnight camping in the woods. It was also my first time doing it all alone. I survived by drinking from streams, eating with a toilet trowel, producing fire from …

Cumberland River Bicentennial Trail (Ashland City, TN) – Biking

We rode bikes on the Cumberland River Bicentennial Trail. It is just up River Road in Ashland City, TN. It is a rails to trails conversion that runs alongside the Cumberland River with an awesome bridge. Oh…and I almost lost my drone (because I didn’t check the wind conditions). That was a fun near heart …

Montgomery Bell Park State Park

We went to Montgomery Bell State Park to hike and bike. The boys joined us.  We biked on a few of the trails on the extensive mountain bike trail network.  We hiked to all three of the lakes on the 3700-acre property.  We also saw all the iron ore pits from when was mining was …