Are you ready for spring? Well it’s official, the ground hog says winter will be with us for only 4 more weeks!! Is that exciting or what? It’s so nice to be able to get outside and get a little fresh air and exercise!
The warmer air we had this past weekend has me thinking ahead to springtime and one of my favorite things….CAMPING!! About 8 years ago, after I read Bill Bryson’s, A Walk in the Woods, I got all fired up to walk the Appalachian Trail. (about 2,500 people every year start off on the trail in early spring) There’s no telling how many dreamers like me there are out there!
If you haven’t read the book you should check it out. It’s a funny read and offers interesting facts about the trail. I highly recommend it, even if you have no intention of ever walking the trail!
The movie was just released this past year too. I enjoyed it, even though the book was better! It is a great movie to rent at Red Box. Throw a dollar at it because it’s well worth it!
So, I am still dreaming of walking the trail even though when I first learned about it, I had never been camping a day in my life. Everyone thought…”It’s a phase….it will go away….She won’t like it…..It will be too cold”…. you name it, they thought it. Well the phase hasn’t gone away!! So in the meantime, I figured I needed to get some gear, since I owned NOTHING for camping!
… I showed up at REI one random day and it happened to be a “garage sale” day!! They usually have these sales on used equipment 2-4 times a year! I rounded up 2 must haves: a tent and a sleeping bag. I ended up with a 2 person Big Agnes tent. It had been returned since it had a one inch rip in the front screen and get this, I got it for 70% off!! What a steal!! I put a little piece of duct tape on it and it’s as good as new! I highly recommend checking out the garage sale at REI when they have them! Major deals can be had!
The Big Agnes tent has been the right fit for me. My husband (6’2″) and I squeeze into it with zero room to spare, but it will be the perfect size for me alone when I go hike the trail. I’ll have a little wiggle room, it weighs just over 2 pounds, and its is super easy to put together!! Check it out at the link here. I couldn’t be happier with it and we’ve camped through many a storm with no leaks!
I also ended up with the Big Agnes Mummy sleeping bag. I have to say I like the bag but I feel a little claustrophobic in it. I like to sleep on my side and it’s rather hard to do. You basically have to sleep on your back and lay still. Not the best nights sleep for me. My husband has the primo bag. It’s a Western Mountaineering Ponderosa bag. It’s the bomb! He has plenty of room to move around and it is super warm. If I buy another bag, that is what I’ll buy. I will watch for end of year close outs!
Living in North Georgia is really a perfect location for outdoor adventures. There is so much available to us within a few hours drive. I drove 2 1/2 hours north last weekend and it was spectacular. I went up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, but it was actually closed since they just had the 7th largest snowfall on record, 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately, they expect the parkway to be closed until spring, but the view is still worth heading up there!
We parked at the barricades where they blocked the road and just got out and hiked up the parkway. It was the coolest experience. There were no cars and it was so quiet up there. There were only a handful of other people hiking. Next time we would like to hike to Fryingpan Mountain Lookout Tower. Have you ever been there before? Please comment if so. I’d love to hear about it! Also if you have any other favorite places to hike, please comment so I can add them to my list!
It was so nice to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the work week stress and just sit and look out at how beautiful it was. It was so quiet and the air was so fresh and clean. It would be a great place to sit and meditate.
If you like meditating, I’ve included a great blend to put in your diffuser.
Meditation blend:
Also if you read my past blog on how to make your own homemade laundry detergent and are interested in making your own dryer balls, check out this blog. It is super easy. I hope you try it!
I hope you all have a fantastic week! I will be back with you soon!
Be sure to follow me on Instagram @earthygirlliving
Naturally, Lisa
