Climbing Rocks and Camping Fun

For Labor Day weekend I met up with my good friend Amanda from Celina. When she left Celina at the beginning of August she headed to Kentucky for an acting job in a theatre down there. We had talked about adventures the entire time she lived in Celina ( we have a very similar love for adventure and the outdoors) and decided it was time to make a trip. So, I picked up Travis, another friend from Celina, and Ben down in Dayton and we headed down to Red River Gorge just East of Lexington, Kentucky. I had been here jus a few months ago for a quick little hiking trip and it is truly a beautiful area full of tons of things to do. We camped at this little campground, went rock climbing in Red River Gorge, had a nice dinner and desert in downtown Lexington, hiked a pretty rugged trail, walked in waterfalls and streams, did a rock jump that was around 30 feet high right into the river, had a campfire, made new friends, ate at this incredible pizza place / rock climbers hangout called Miguels (it was so good we ate there twice!), laid out looking at the stars, and hiked some more before heading home! It was such a fun group of people and such a great adventure. It's always good to be with friends but its even better to be with friends in new and exciting places! Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the trip:


"Tent City" behind Miguel's where all the rock climbers camp!

This place was right up my alley-delicious pizza, rock climbing people and gear everywhere, and a completely relaxed environment!

A black and white of Miguel's. I loved this place!

My favorite climbing picture of the weekend. That's Ben almost to the top!

Me all ready for some rock climbing!

The whole group out to dinner in Lexington!
Me on top of Chimney Rock in Red River Gorge...it was BEAUTIFUL there!

Amanda and I being muscle girls at Chimney Rock.

For those of you who don't know; I love the outdoors! Hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, cliff jumping, camping,...the list is endless. I truly love experiencing nature for all its beauty and adventure. In the wilderness is life in its purest form and while you are there you become yourself in your purest form as well. When distractions of the busy world are stripped away you are free to be who you are embrace the world around you. You can hear the sound of water splashing quickly over rocks and riverbeds as it winds through hills and valleys. You can see the stars millions of miles away from you as they fill the night sky and dimly light the landscape around you. Out in nature, under the night sky filled with stars, among the trees and flowing rivers, you are completley and utterly free. There is no schedule-you wake when the tent is too hot or too light for sleeping. You hike as long or as little as you like. There is no internet or speedy highways and no television to distract you from the people that surround you. With those distractions gone you talk. And you learn about each others lives. Right there, in the middle of "nowhere" is where people are found.

Maybe that is why I love the outdoors so much: I love to "find" people. To hear them. To talk to them. To learn about them. No holding back, no insecurities. Just people. At their simplest. In the simplest ways. Out in the simplest places on earth: Under the stars. On top of a cliff. In the middle of the woods. Down by the stream...

August is Over?!

I'm not quite sure where the time goes these days!The last few weeks of August were quite busy...there were hydroplane boat races, demolition derbys, visits from a college roomate, a trip home for Gavin's heart surgery, water balloon fights, and lots and lots of work. What follows are photos to better sum up the end of my "summer vacation" (as if such a thing exists now that I am in the working world!)







Patty and I out in Celina!







Patty's remedy for hiccups: drinking water through a napkin...i swear it works!

a SUPER fast boat at the Hydroplane races!

All smiles hanging out with Gavin!

Ben with a goat at a county fair here in Ohio

The demolition derby!