Chickamauga Creek Gorge

Go out and explore the world around you. Take the kids along because you never know what beauty lies in wait.

We recently moved back to Georgia. This is the second hike we’ve been on since the move. Both hikes were beautiful in their own way, but this one was just awesome.

The trail has different things to see along the way, but we hardly made it past the rapids at the beginning. If you go to Our Hiking Pictures Blog, you can see why. The blue-green tint to the water is just amazing. We’ve never seen anything like it before, and we’ve seen a lot of small rapids like this.

Just goes to show what you can find if you explore your surroundings. We plan to do a lot more exploring soon, of this trail especially, but of others close by as well.

Chattanooga Zoo

A great outdoor recreation activity you can do with your children in the Chattanooga area is visit the zoo. My son and I recently went to the Chattanooga Zoo and it was very nice.

My son was around 5 years old the last time we visited the zoo, and a lot has changed since then. They have added quite a few exhibits and fancied up the place. It was a nice way to spend a couple hours and get in some walking.

There is a dinosaur show going on now, 2011, that kids seem to love. They even have masks in the gift shop all the kids were going crazy over.

A trip to the Chattanooga Zoo would be a wonderful outdoor activity for the upcoming weekend. Get walking and commune with wildlife.

Heart Problems and Outdoor Activities

Me and my mom

It's not easy to do outdoor recreation activities when you have a heart problem, but I've managed to do some. I've been doing walks, although they have been pretty short, they've been fun and are only getting better now that fall is here.



This weekend we hiked/walked the Bald Rock Trail on Mt. Cheaha. It was the first hike I've done in a long time. We went really slow, and it's all level, so I didn't get too out of breath and had no chest pain.



As long as you take it easy, please don't give up on favorite pasttimes becasue of health problems unless you absolutely have to! It's not worth it.

Noccalula Falls Park

One great outdoor recreation activity for families in Alabama is the Noccalula Falls Park in Gadsden. We went for the first time this past weekend and really enjoyed it.

The waterfall at the park is really nice and big, the biggest we've seen in AL so far. What's nice, is you can go down the gorge path and see it from the bottom as well. The path is a little steep and rocky though, so be careful.

Noccalula Falls Park has a petting zoo, old village set up, train to ride around the park, the falls, and a flower garden. It costs 6.00 a person, but we believe it was worth it.

We did ride the train, but then got off and walked the whole thing anyway for exercise and to get closer so I could take pictures. Check out ourhikingpictures.blogspot.com for some more photos.

Washington, D.C.

An educational and fun outdoor recreation activity for families is a trip to Washington, D.C. We went there last week, and let me tell you, there is alot of walking involved in seeing everything! You'll need a good pair of walking shoes and plenty of time, but it's well worth it.

Everyone should visit at least once to see history in the flesh so to speak. There is no end to what you can teach your children while strolling the Mall or visiting museums so for your next vacation, think about D.C.

Lawn Darts

Do any of y'all play lawn darts? We got a Wii game that has it on there and I think it'd be a neat game to play for real in the backyard. I haven't seen it at any stores recently though. I believe it would be a great outdoor recreation activity for families to play together. If anybody has the game, please let me know how you like it.

Playing in the Snow

We recently enjoyed some outdoor recreation that people in the south rarely have the opportunity to. It snowed around 3 inches in Alabama last week. I made a snow woman. It was only a small one, but some of my neighbors made full sized snow people. The kids in the neighborhood sure enjoyed throwing snowballs and running around in the fluffy white stuff!

Any outdoor activity that is fun is always a winner!

Walk 500 Miles

I made a pledge to walk 500 miles by June 30, 2010. I am asking for everyone else to pledge to donate one penny to St. Jude for every mile I actually walk. This would be a great outdoor activity the whole family could partake in. Set a family goal and ask people you know to donate a certain amount for every mile your whole family completes. What better than doing something as a family and helping those in need in the process!

You can keep up with my progress and donate to St. Jude by visiting my St. Jude Heroes page and my walking blog.

Walking For Charity as a Family

Have you ever thought of doing a family walk for charity? This is a great outdoor recreation activity the whole family can participate in that will help others as well. You can talk about the need for helping those less fortunate while you train for the walk, visit websites provided for the various charities and explain the reason behind helping those in need. Showing your children that getting in shape, doing something together and helping others is possible is a great life lesson.

I, my son and husband recently did a 10k walk together and it was a lot of fun. We are walking for St. Jude. I am currently training for a half marathon for the same charity. Pick a charity you really believe in and get the family involved in helping them. You’ll feel good on so many levels!

If you would like to donate to my St. Jude walks you can go to this website: Angel Walks

Adams Gap: Skyway Loop Trail in Anniston Alabama

The skyway loop trail in Alabama is located in the Talladega National Forest on the Adams Gap Trailhead. A small, free parking area is provided at the beginning of the trailhead. A trail marker to the right of the parking area designates the beginning of the trail.

Do not be discouraged with the overgrowth and rocky start. After two-tenths of a mile, you will reach the section where the trail splits, offering paths to the Pinhoti and Skyway Loop trails, and the path will smooth out. I do recommend hiking poles for the Skyway loop trail...

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