Natural Bridge — Hannah Elise Schultz

Adventures in
Serendipity

— Hannah Schultz (biographical name): a Kentuckian, traveler, PhD student, hiker, environmentalist, and Great Pyrenees enthusiast

When despair grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting for their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

— Wendell Berry, The Peace of Wild Things

Posts tagged Natural Bridge

Sandy toes and windy cliffs: Auxier Ridge Trail

By the time my brother, Alan, and I finally arrived at the trailhead parking for Auxier Ridge Trail, my car was covered in dust. And as soon as we stepped out of the car, we too were covered in dust. It was a dry, hot day—which was strange because storm clouds rolled overhead intermittently, and we were graced with a few episodes of sprinkling rain. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful day to hike, as what seemed like an innumerable number of others thought, judging by the overflowing parking lot.

HikingHannah SchultzMay 1, 2017Auxier Ridge Trail, Red River Gorge, Hiking, Nature, Natural Bridge, Kentucky, Slade, Stanton, State Park Comment

Princess Arch and Chimney Top Rock: A Cliffside View of Red River Gorge

Last weekend, two of my best friends from Asbury, Kari and Kayla, joined me on a road trip to Red River Gorge, entrusting me with the job of navigation since they'd never been there (I'll let you decide whether that was a good idea). Our church, lunch, hiking schedule promised to play out for the perfect Sunday afternoon of adventuring.

HikingHannah SchultzMarch 13, 2017Natural Bridge, Red River Gorge, Princess Arch, Chimney Top Rock, Hiking, Caves, Kentucky, Pine RidgeComment

A (Not So) Wintry Trip to Red River Gorge

As a hard-line INFJ, I find it very difficult to do anything without extensive planning. So when my brother suggested he, my boyfriend, and I spontaneously go hiking in Red River Gorge, which we are not familiar with in the slightest, instead of Natural Bridge State Park, which I could navigate in my sleep, I had to try very hard not to refuse. As I turned left, forced to choose by the sign that indicated the Gorge could be found both ways, and my boyfriend frantically tried to find a trailhead along the new road, I had to remind myself that the best adventures are usually not created while following a bullet-point list. However, a bullet-point list can be created out of said adventures.

HikingHannah SchultzFebruary 13, 2017Red River Gorge, Slade, Kentucky, Natural Bridge, State ParkComment

Dec 31, 2023

Photography and Video, Life

A Year in Pictures: 2023

It was a year of travel to new and old places, the year I started my dissertation, the year I hiked eight miles and up volcanic sands while pregnant, the year we bought a wagon to take Argos on adventures again, and most importantly, the year that I become a mom.

Oct 21, 2023

Travel With Me: Maui & Big Island, Hawai'i (Days Eight, Nine, & Ten)

Our final day on Maui was much more relaxed (at least for me) than the previous. While Ryan went on a scuba diving excursion to the Lahaina Cathedrals (which was one of his favorite parts of the whole trip), I got a prenatal massage at the spa at the neighboring hotel to ours and read a book on the balcony. We then spent the rest of the day lounging in the pool and enjoying some farmer’s market soursop (a fruit I’ve only ever had in Hawai’i and am obsessed with).

Maui, Hawai'i (Day Seven): Road to Hana & Wai’anapanapa State Park

Oct 14, 2023

Nature, Travel

Maui, Hawai'i (Day Seven): Road to Hana & Wai’anapanapa State Park

By far one of the most famous activities to do on Maui is to drive the Road to Hana, a 64-mile stretch of highway along the coast, connecting Kahului to Hana. While the drive technically only takes three hours, what’s special about it is the number of roadside stops to see waterfalls, buy fresh banana bread, and take dips in the ocean. so plan on spending much more than a few hours on this excursion. While ideally you would stay the night in Hana to maximize your time for pit stops, it is possible to hit some of the highlights in a single day.

Adventures inSerendipity

— Hannah Schultz (biographical name): a Kentuckian, traveler, PhD student, hiker, environmentalist, and Great Pyrenees enthusiast

Adventures in
Serendipity