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
The park has many trails to hike, from easy half miles down to the falls viewing area (accessible by parking lot), to 10.8 miles through Sheltowee Trace and ending at the Laurel River. Since my brother and I hadn’t been to the park since we were young and wanted good views of the falls, we opted for the Eagle Falls trail, a fairly easy 1.5-mile trail that gives plenty of views of Cumberland Falls, takes you along the river and through lush forest, and ends in Eagle Falls.
Read MoreRock Bridge is a fairly easy 1.4-mile loop that leads to a natural rock bridge (get its name now?) and a fairly large waterfall. It is the only rock bridge in the Gorge that actually spans running water, as it stretches over Swift Camp Creek. Rock Bridge Arch is what is known as a waterfall arch, where a waterfall cut through less-resistant rock, leaving the arch behind. Rock Bridge is also unique because it is composed of limestone rather than sandstone like most of the arches in the Gorge.
Read MoreI can't believe I've been home a whole summer, and this is the first time I'm getting out to Red River Gorge! (I guess that's what happens when you work the old 8-5 Monday through Friday and spend every weekend wedding venue shopping.) Luckily, I had a day free during my last weekend in Kentucky, and what a better way to spend it than heading out to the Gorge. We decided to bring along Ryan's parent's puppy, Daisy, and try out a new trail: Pinch 'Em Tight.
Read MoreIn the end, I came up with a list of five venues that fit my vintage mansion aesthetic and don't threaten to plunge me and my family into bankruptcy. I hope this helps someone out there in the same position I was in!
Read MoreNow, I get tons of questions about having Pyrenees because one, giant white fluff balls attract a lot of attention, and two, they require a little extra work, since there's so much extra of them. I've written about what you should know about Pyrs and what life with these babies is like, and you can read those posts here. But in honor of this blisteringly hot June and July weather, I decided to give you a glimpse into specifically what my summers look like with my giant fur babies.
Read MoreThat brings us to this message that popped up on my phone last weekend: the forecast for my first Minnesota blizzard. And folks, it was a good one. As promised, it snowed bucketfuls overnight Sunday into Monday. Before I fell asleep, MSU called off classes for Monday for severe weather conditions (whiteouts are no joke). When I awoke, everything outside my window was a blindingly bright pure white. The roads were untouched, yards blanketed in smooth marshmallow fluff—that oddly satisfying vision of unblemished perfection.
Read MoreLocated in Frankfort, Kentucky, the mid-point between the much larger cities of Lexington and Louisville, Buffalo Trace Distillery looks dingy in the gray light of December. This can be attributed to the black fungus clinging to the trees and buildings—a fungus almost entirely unique to distilleries. The "angel's share," bourbon that evaporates from the barrels during the aging process, serves as a food source for the fungus and allows it to thrive.
Read MoreAnd that is how we found ourselves in the Arboretum during a humid, cloudy morning, jogging through the wet grass in our fancy clothes as my mom took pictures of us. Honestly, I can't stop looking at these gorgeous photos. Who needs a wedding photographer when you've got a mom who's been practicing for this day since your first homecoming dance?
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