As many people would agree, part of the fun of hiking is being outside and taking in the elements of nature. Being in outside for any stretch of time is a complete change in senses. It smells wonderful (usually), it is beautiful, etc. Whether it's time alone or time with family and friends, it offers a unique adventure. This sounds cheesy, but stay with me, it's going to get funny. Another element to good hiking is the location. I'm always looking for good hikes and location is always a consideration of mine.
I recently went with the kids, my father-in-law, and our visiting French family to one of our favorite places, Fall Creek Falls. We hiked the rim of the gorge from the tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi river and ended by the cascades. The trail takes us through section of woods where the forest floor is pretty clear. It's just flat ground with towering trees. I love these sections, because the contrast is very dramatic.
As we were hiking, I asked about hiking in France and what the landscaped looked like. She responded with something like this, "yes, we have woods like this in my town with a few trails, but we like to go on holiday in the Alps for hiking. They are so high that the trees don't grow there." Basically, it's like hiking in the closing scene of Sound Of Music. Sounds nice. Kind of trumps "tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi." Bless us.
After our hike we ate fried chicken at a buffet because America. It was a great day indeed!
