Natural Bridge

School and life are crazy as usual, but I wanted to make another blog post because it's been a week or two since my last one!

So, about a month ago, I was sitting at home and decided it was about time for another adventure. I texted my friend Ashley and told her we needed to go exploring, asked if she would like to go to Natural Bridge in Slade, Kentucky, and told her to be ready by 10:00 am sharp the next day.

Luckily, the day we chose just happened to be one of those randomly gorgeous sunny and warm enough to wear a sweatshirt as long as you keep moving and don't sit for too long type of days...

And after what felt like weeks of the sun hiding behind clouds, this day felt like a little slice of spring in the middle of winter.

BUT! Anyway, Natural Bridge State Resort Park offers lots of different hiking trails ranging in length from a quarter of a mile to 7.5 miles, and in difficulty from easy to strenuous. According to their website, this state park contains at least 12 different hiking trails.

Because we wanted to get back before dark and Natural Bridge is about an hour east of Lexington (in Slade, KY), we chose to do The Original Trail (.75 miles) on the way up to the bridge, and The Balanced Rock Trail (.75 miles) on the way down. It probably took us about half an hour to climb up to the top, and another half an hour to get back to where we'd parked the car.

Depending on your level of experience/fitness these trails could take more or less time, just as a warning. However, I also have a knack for stopping every 20 feet to take a picture with my fancy camera when I hike, so that adds a bit of time as well...

Although sometimes you get some lovely pictures like this if you're lucky, so the extra time is totally worth it! (I was loving the light and my little camera remote on this trip!)



The top of the bridge offers one of the best views you can get while hiking in Kentucky... We went in the middle of winter, so obviously the trees were fairly bare, but the lookout was still very pretty!

One of these days I want to come back here again because I've heard of a place called the Froggy Bottom Diner that I'd like to try, so hopefully that'll happen soon! (And another blog post will ensue, of course.)


Also, Natural Bridge is surrounded by Red River Gorge, which I've also heard is great hiking and even rock climbing... Unfortunately I haven't managed to actually hike or climb in the gorge yet, but I hope to over the summer!

So, if you're looking for a great place to enjoy the outdoors in Kentucky, the city of Slade offers some great trails that lead to great views!

Thanks for reading! More to come soon...

25 Winter Date Ideas for Couples in Lexington, KY

The countdown to Christmas has begun and there's nothing I love more than the holidays. With just one week left in the semester, I'm ready to really get into the swing of things and have fun this winter break. This year I've been trying to plan out some fun things to do while I'm in town to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year... So, I came up with this list of 25 winter themed things to do in Lexington during the break. No boyfriend/girlfriend? No problem. Just grab your best friend and have some holiday fun. Enjoy!

1. Ice Skating in Triangle Park From early November until mid January, Triangle Park in downtown Lexington offers an outdoor ice skating rink perfect for a wintry date. Admission and skate rental costs only $10  per person for 90 minutes of gliding fun. Hours of operation listed here: http://www.lexingtoncenter.com/events/detail/unified-trust-company-ice-rink.

2. Southern Lights Listen to some holiday tunes while driving through over four miles of light displays at the Kentucky Horse Park. Cost is $15 per car Sun-Thurs and $20 per car Fri-Sat. More info here: http://khpfoundation.org/programs/featured-events/southern-lights-holiday-festival

3. Volunteer Together Each year, the Catholic Action Center/God’s Net hosts a Christmas Store where those who would not otherwise be able to purchase gifts for their children can come “shop” for free. Volunteers are always needed for this event and for the other services offered by this organization, so why not pay it forward together and tap into the true spirit of Christmas? CAC Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CAClexky or website: godsnet.info

4. Build a Snowman After a particularly good snow, create your own Frosty complete with a hat and a carrot nose. Totally free and very fun.

5. Go Skiing Technically, this one’s not in Lexington, but I decided to include it anyhow. If you’re up for the hour and a half drive, Perfect North Slopes in Lawrenceburg, IN is a great place for a fun winter date.  Plus, in January and February they offer College Nights, where skiing, tubing, and snowboarding is discounted with a student ID. More info here: http://perfectnorth.com/calendar.

6. Paint Mugs Visit The Mad Potter and design your own holiday-themed mugs together for future hot cocoa sipping. Website for more information: http://www.themadpotter.biz.

7. Make a Gingerbread House Grab a kit from just about any major grocery store and build a home together using nothing but sweets.

8. Run a 5k For an active couple, The Reindeer Ramble hosted by the YMCA of Lexington or one of two John’s Run/Walk Shop Holiday Fun Runs are perfect opportunities to run (or at least slowly jog) off a few of those holiday calories together.

9. Winter Hike at Raven Run Bundle up and take a snowy walk together through this nature sanctuary in the heart of Lexington.

10. Buy a Christmas Tree Or at least walk around one of the local Christmas tree farms to get into the holiday spirit. Support Lexington farmers by visiting Barker, Nieman, Christmas Memories, or other tree farms listed here: http://www.kychristmastreefarms.com

11. Decorate a Tree Whether it’s real or fake, big or small, decorate a tree together with lights, garland, and all of the usual holiday jazz.

12. Make Homemade Ornaments Even if you’re not the craftiest, something like these: http://www.katyelliott.com/blog/2011/12/cinnamon-applesauce-heart-ornaments.html simple ornaments are a fun way to spend time together while making gifts for others or for your very own tree.

13. See a movie at the Kentucky Theater With weather turning nasty and cold, winter is prime movie time. The historic Kentucky Theater is the perfect place to enjoy an evening and catch a movie. Plus, the theater’s within walking distance of many great downtown restaurants. Movie times available on their website: http://www.kentuckytheater.com/special-events/

14. Carriage Ride Although it’s a little pricey ($100 for 1 hr), I can’t imagine a more picturesque winter date idea than packing a thermos full of hot chocolate and riding around downtown in a horse drawn carriage. For information on carriage rides in Lexington visit http://www.lexingtonlivery.com.

 

15. See a Holiday Play Get a little dressed up and watch one of the many Christmas-themed plays and musicals that the Lexington Opera House offers each year. Full listing here: http://www.lexingtonoperahouse.com/events. Or, visit the theater at the UK Fine Arts Center for "The Smack-Off: A Christmas Reality Show," a funny holiday performance that's a sequel to the awesome "Smackdown for the Christmas Crown" that I saw a few years ago (which is where I took this lovely picture). Tickets available here: www.scfatickets.com.

16. Have a Snowball Fight I don’t just mean pack one little snowball and toss it at your significant other. I’m talking about a full out wintry war. Build snow forts and prep snowballs ahead of time, or surprise your significant other by pelting him/her unexpectedly.

17. Go Sledding Like many of the other date ideas, this one requires a good amount of snow. Still, getting all bundled up and going sledding together can be a lot of fun. There’s nothing wrong with embracing your inner child, especially not around the holidays.

18. Christmas Parade Every December, Lexington offers a Christmas Parade downtown on Main Street. Why not wear your favorite holiday sweater and join in the festivities by watching it with your favorite person?

19. Ugly Christmas Sweater Party Search Goodwill, rob your grandma’s closet, or create your own tacky Christmas sweaters, then get together with others to enjoy the ridiculousness.

20. Christmas Cookies Whether it’s grandma’s secret recipe or straight from a box, bake up some sugar cookies or gingerbread men and spend a little time decorating them to holiday perfection with red and green icing and sprinkles.

21. Christmas Shopping Love it or hate it, during the holidays at least one shopping trip is practically inescapable. So, rather than trudge through the mall alone, bring your significant other along and get more accomplished while hopefully having a little more fun with it!

22. Reindeer Games Also known as Game Night. Pull out the good ol’ board and card games and take part in some friendly competition. My personal favorites are Apples to Apples and UNO.

23. Attend a Hockey Game The UK hockey team has many games during the holiday season. Games start around midnight at the Lexington Ice Center, and I’ve heard they’re a blast.

24. Christmas Movie Marathon Elf, A Christmas Story, The Grinch, Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Holiday Inn, White Christmas (my personal favorite!) … the possibilities are endless. Just pop some popcorn, start a fire, and grab some fuzzy socks and you’re all set!

25. Christmas Dinner Depending on the nature of your relationship, you may or may not have an actual Christmas dinner with your significant other, but this idea is of the faux-Christmas dinner variety. If you happen to love cooking like I do, pull out all the stops and fix a delicious holiday meal regardless of the day. 

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