Showing posts with label Adirondacks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adirondacks. Show all posts
May we be people who speak with a love so luminous and freely we can’t help but walk out of darkness into a world of light.
The top of Poke-O-Moonshine... before the fall on the way down. Thank you for all of the sweet messages, thoughts, and prayers. It was a pretty bad fall into rocks and I am still recovering... never taken a fall like that in hiking and grateful that it wasn't worse. Lots of questions if I am still going to France next week to speak and yes that is still the plan as I plan to be fully recovered (appreciate the prayers - specifically for my head)... although wearing heels to speak with my ankle is now looking like it might not happen and I hopefully will not scare away the crowd with all the bruises and scrapes. Haha.
Poke-O-Moonshine | Adirondack Mountains | Caravan Sonnet
Happy Tuesday friends! Today I am so excited to share that I shared an instagram reel over on IG early this morning all about a beautiful winter ferry ride on Lake Champlain!! You can watch it by clicking HERE!
On Saturday (before the snowstorm hit) we headed over to Burlington to do a bit of shopping and had the most delightful picnic lunch in our car. It was sweet and simple and the beauty of Lake Champlain and the lightly snow dusted mountains was simply stunning.
As the ferry cut through the ice I was reminded again how much beauty surrounds our area. What a beautiful gift that this is and one I do not take for granted. You can see a beautiful glimpse of this area of the world over on IG early by clicking HERE!
Happy Tuesday friends- I hope you enjoy the beauty of our area in our upstate New York world.
Happy Tuesday friends! Today I am so excited to share that I shared an instagram reel over on IG yesterday all about a beautiful fall ferry ride on Lake Champlain!! You can watch it by clicking HERE!
You may wonder why I mention the instagram reels that I create and why it matters about watching, liking, saving, commenting, and sharing my reels. I wouldn't know about this either if social media wasn't part of my job, but each time that you watch one of my reels, like them, comment on them share them or save them I make a small commission which adds up to help me. It doesn't cost you anything, but it does help me. THANK YOU! Just watching a reel and liking it are huge helps!! Thank you again for everything friends!
Happy Fall- I hope you enjoy the beauty of our area in upstate New York world.
a visit to the ausable marsh wildlife management area and tender reflections from this area // peru, new york
October 23, 2024
This past weekend we headed out for a brief adventure outside. As some of you know, I haven't been able to do all of the fall hiking and adventuring that I love to do at this time of year, because I seriously hurt my back a couple of weeks ago. And while I was still in a lot of pain the day was absolutely beautiful and I was so thankful to see that beauty up close.
We headed back to a place that holds special significance for me as some of you who have been around the blog for a longtime will know. Our trip to the Ausabale Marsh Wildlife Management Area in 2013 was... tender. By this point in my health journey I was struggling to walk more than a few feet alone and my precious dad was holding me up. The pictures have some laughter in them, but behind the scenes there was a lot of fear as I had just been diagnosed with Advanced Late Stage Lyme Disease and we knew that something was seriously wrong. I had absolutely no idea the journey that was in front of me to walk but what I do remember that day most of all is that my precious father kept speaking words of life and truth and hope into my situation (which he did for my whole life and throughout the years of being sick in the darkest of moments).
As I held onto my dad tightly struggling to have the effort to walk even a few feet, but dad kept whispering words of encouragement saying things like, "The Lord is going to Heal You", "You are going to run and not faint", "You have good things in front of you"... and so much more.
Seven years later, when healing was in full force, in the Spring of 2020 and when the world was in lockdown, my mom and I headed back to this area to get outside nearly everyday. We would walk the sandy beaches and quietly breathe in the fresh air outside with no one around. It was during these visits that we prayerfully considered what we should do and knew that the Lord was leading to go back to Tennessee. On a very specific walk there my mom said, "You should apply for teaching jobs" which was of course a dream, but I felt an impossible one after so many years of being outside the classroom. I looked at her skeptically and she said, "Go for it"... and sure enough ... my beautiful mom was right and the Lord opened the door to the most incredible opportunity.
Announcing and going back into teaching was one of the most beautiful full circle moments here on Caravan Sonnet and I still have tears at the Lord's goodness. That year... still leaves me speechless.
So whenever we head back to this area... it is always a tender spot filled with lots of precious memories that are deep treasures in my heart. There are of course new things that we are praying about, and new adventures in front and being back in this area was a tender reminder of how the Lord has answered miraculously in the past and will answer again.
I hope that you are having a wonderful Wednesday friends! The beauty that surrounded us was peaceful and I hope that these pictures bring a sense of beauty to your day!
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.jpg "point of view: all adirondack fall drives should end at lake champlain")
Happy Thursday friends! Today I am so excited to share that I shared an instagram reel over on IG yesterday all about beautiful fall drives in the adirondacks over to Lake Champlain!! You can watch it by clicking HERE!
I created a poll that takes two seconds to answer as a fun addition. I would love to hear your thoughts!
.jpg "point of view: all adirondack fall drives should end at lake champlain")
You may wonder why I mention the instagram reels that I create and why it matters about watching, liking, saving, commenting, and sharing my reels. I wouldn't know about this either if social media wasn't part of my job, but each time that you watch one of my reels, like them, comment on them share them or save them I make a small commission which adds up to help me. It doesn't cost you anything, but it does help me. THANK YOU! Just watching a reel and liking it are huge helps!! Thank you again for everything friends! Happy Fall- I hope you enjoy the small clips into our upstate new york world.
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.jpg "canadian pacific holiday train 2023// adirondacks, upstate new york")
Happy Tuesday friends! Last year we started a new fun new holiday tradition...seeing the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train! If it is in your area go and see it! It was a fun way to celebrate the holidays and free to experience! If you visit a "stopping" point there is a concert and an opportunity to donate food items to help those in your community!
.jpg "canadian pacific holiday train 2023// adirondacks, upstate new york")
Last year we had a fun night "chasing the train" in different locations and enjoying the fun with tons of laughter! This year we decided that we would go see the train go along the lake and it was absolutely stunning. We arrived early, brought a fun snack to wait out our time like a fun picnic in the car, and admired the beauty that we were witnessing in the dark.
It was freezing this year (*smiles*) but it didn't diminish the fun as we jumped out of the car and watched the entire span that we could. It truly didn't diminish the joy of seeing this and we were bundled up smiling and just admiring the beauty. It was definitely a favorite way of seeing it and we have already decided that we will go back to see it somewhere along the lake again!
.jpg "canadian pacific holiday train 2023// adirondacks, upstate new york")
Have you been to see the holiday train in your area? Want to see a video of the train? Check out the reel on Instagram from last year HERE and stay tuned for a fun reel from this year coming soon!
Happy Tuesday friends! I hope that you are having a wonderful week! I am so excited to share my Tuesday travel post today and highlight the incredible experience that we had on our winter sleigh ride at Lake Clear Lodge in December! If you missed it, check out the fun reel that I posted on Instagram HERE!
We have been talking about doing a sleigh ride for over a decade. Honestly, there were a lot of reasons that it just didn't happen, but this year we decided that we wanted to do this- and it held a lot of emotions as I know some of you can well understand.
As the day of the sleigh ride approached though we truly were looking forward to it and it brought such joy to anticipate this.
And to make it even more magical, the day before the sleigh ride occurred, we received our first full snowstorm of the year... it truly added to the beauty and the holiday spirit beyond anything we could have imagined.
The sleigh rides take place at Lake Clear Lodge in Lake Clear, New York. It is always amazing to me to discover a new spot of the Adirondacks that I am not familiar with. I love the reminder that there is so much adventure to be had right in our own backyards!
The sleigh rides are hosted at Lake Clear Lodge and are run by Lucky Clover Sleighs which hosts year round horse drawn rides.
It was a beautiful ride y'all. It was so quiet in the woods and the beauty was absolutely stunning.
The ride lasted for approximately 20 minutes and included beautiful views, delightful adventure, and even some galloping with the horses! It was so fun and we are still talking about it weeks later.
We technically did the lantern sleigh ride. The times available run from 3:15-9:00pm. We chose an available slot at 3:55 which turned out to be perfect. The sun was setting and we got to truly appreciate all of the beauty that surrounded us. With the first snowfall, this time was perfect but honestly I think the evening hours in the dark would be magical too. We will just have to check them all out!
We had such a great time! It was so full of joy! If you would like to see more pictures check out my reel that I mentioned earlier in this post! Have you gone on a sleigh ride? Any suggestions for your favorite place to go?
Happy Tuesday friends!
Happy Tuesday friends! I hope that you are having a wonderful week!
Today I am excited to share with y'all a bit more about the #ADK50falls challenge and specifically about Rainbow Falls, a waterfall that we recently visited in the early spring just as winter was ending.
Simply put there are 50 waterfalls that you hike and visit (5 require proof with photo that you were there) to complete the challenge. For those of you who love hiking and being outdoors this can show you unique parts of the Adirondacks that you may have never discovered. I definitely have been feeling that with the waterfalls that we have visited and explored the last several weeks and look forward to sharing more! Recently the challenge has added different easier (and more difficult) waterfalls to be more inclusive to those who may not have been able to receive a patch before.
If you would like to know just basic facts about the falls please just scroll down to the bottom of the post where I will be sharing basic information to help those who want to know more specifics about each of the falls in the challenge.
If you have the opportunity it just shows a bit of a different angle and allows you to take a small trail through the woods.
Rainbow Falls, located in Ausable Chasm, New York, is a beautiful 90+ foot waterfall located in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains that is made up of several different segmented falls. Depending on the time of year, the falls are incredibly beautiful and are visible from the road and the bridge with parking provided.
After parking, we went and walked across the bridge to see the falls. I mentioned above that it depends on the time of the year how vast the falls are. This is because the falls are controlled by regulation by the hydro facility.
I have read that some people feel it is a disappointment to arrive and now see the falls flowing as much. What a lot of visitors are not aware of is that you can always contact Ausable Chasm or look on the website to read about the status of the falls.
To be honest I have seen these falls so many times since I was a young child and am still always amazed at their beauty. I had never been there in the late winter/early spring before so it was neat to see them so early in the season.
Because the area was closed for the season we were also able to drive around and park and do a short walk from the back and see additional spaces we hadn't seen prior to that time. 
Walking around the "back" of the falls was truly a different experience and one that I would recommend.
If you are interested in reading more about each of the waterfalls - I recommend reading Adirondack Fifty Falls (click HERE to purchase) which lays out all of the falls in a concise and easy manner. It also groups the falls in the challenge by area so that you do not have to do that research!
When I was extremely sick I used to grieve not being able to be outside in nature as much as I wanted to be and if this is where you are at due to health reasons I hope that the information I provide about each of the falls in this challenge will encourage you to explore as you are able.
.
......RAINBOW FALLS INFORMATION......
......RAINBOW FALLS INFORMATION......
LOCATION:
Ausable Chasm
(approx. 35 minutes south of Plattsburgh // 50 minutes northeast of Lake Placid)
TYPE OF FALLS:
90+ foot falls + additional drops and ledges
KEY LANDMARKS:
KEY LANDMARKS:
Ausable Chasm which also offers multiple outdoor adventure experiences
COST:
Free (to see the waterfalls from the bridge)
*Ausable Chasm offers multiple different hikes, rafting, outdoor adventures, etc.and these all have varying costs*
PARKING:
Roadside parking where you can park and walk across the bridge to see the falls
CROWDED?:
Yes and No. When we went (in the early spring/late winter) there was absolutely noone there, but during the summer it can get incredibly crowded with visitors and tours so you will want to plan accordingly.
DISTANCE TO FALLS FROM PARKING AREA:
It is a very short walk to the bridge.
DISABILITY FRIENDY?:
Absolutely Yes (to see the falls from the bridge). If you want to take a hike that is easy it is not paved, but there is a hike that goes down to the bottom and allows you to see the falls with benches for stops along the way. To get to the bottom and back up may be difficult depending on your condition.
Thank you so much for reading today friends! Please let me know if you have any questions about the challenge or Rainbow Falls! I am happy to answer and can't wait to hear about your waterfall adventures! And again, if you would like to read about other #adk50falls that I have written about on the blog click HERE or click on the links below:
// Split Rock Falls (New Russia, New York) //
// Upper LaChute Falls (Ticonderoga, New York) //
// The Falls of Carillon (Ticonderoga, New York) //
// Anderson Falls (Keeseville, New York) //
// Upper LaChute Falls (Ticonderoga, New York) //
// The Falls of Carillon (Ticonderoga, New York) //
// Anderson Falls (Keeseville, New York) //
Have a wonderful day!
Happy Tuesday friends! I hope that you are having a wonderful week!
Today I am excited to share with y'all a bit more about the #ADK50falls challenge and specifically about the Blue Ridge Falls, a waterfall that we recently visited.
If you are doing the challenge, coming from the north, and wanting to see a few of the same falls in the same area then I would highly suggest planning to see both Split Rock Falls (you can read about it HERE)and Rice's Falls (you can read about it HERE) at the same time as they were all located somewhat close together. If you aren't familiar with the #ADK50falls challenge, you can read about the places that I have been going as part of the challenge HERE (I started in 2019) or read about the entire challenge HERE.
Simply put there are 50 waterfalls that you hike and visit (5 require proof with photo that you were there) to complete the challenge. For those of you who love hiking and being outdoors this can show you unique parts of the Adirondacks that you may have never discovered. I definitely have been feeling that with the waterfalls that we have visited and explored the last several weeks and look forward to sharing more!
If you would like to know just basic facts about the falls please just scroll down to the bottom of the post where I will be sharing basic information to help those who want to know more specifics about each of the falls in the challenge.
It was a beautiful and easy hike (less than a 1/2 of a mile) to get down to the bottom and there was no one else around at this time of the year so we had the place to ourselves.
Blue Ridge Falls, located in North Hudson, New York, is a beautiful 20 foot waterfall located in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains that is made up of several small drops and ledges. Formed on the Branch, fed partly by Elk Lake, the falls are incredibly beautiful and are visible from the road with a pull-off with parking provided.
After parking, I went and explored around the top of the falls. If you park and walk up the road there is a dirt road that you will see. This is not for driving, but you can walk the very short distance and you will come out above the falls. The area splits and you will have the option to follow the path down to the falls if you would like, which I did. It was a bit muddy (because of the Spring time so be careful if you go during this time of the year), but easy to get to the falls and see them from that angle to.
It was absolutely beautiful! It was definitely one of my favorite waterfalls that I have visited in the challenge!
If you are interested in reading more about each of the waterfalls - I recommend reading Adirondack Fifty Falls (click HERE to purchase) which lays out all of the falls in a concise and easy manner. It also groups the falls in the challenge by area so that you do not have to do that research!
When I was extremely sick I used to grieve not being able to be outside in nature as much as I wanted to be and if this is where you are at due to health reasons I hope that the information I provide about each of the falls in this challenge will encourage you to explore as you are able.
.
......BLUE RIDGE FALLS INFORMATION......
......BLUE RIDGE FALLS INFORMATION......
LOCATION:
North Hudson
(approx. 35 minutes north of Lake George // 1 hour southeast of Lake Placid)
TYPE OF FALLS:
20 foot fall + additional drops and ledges
KEY LANDMARKS:
KEY LANDMARKS:
Several High Peaks trails and Elk Lake Lodge which is a short distance from the falls
COST:
Free
PARKING:
Roadside parking where you could see the falls without getting out of the car.
CROWDED?:
No. Rumor is that during the summer it can get crowded with locals who are wanting to wade in the bottom of the falls, but during the late winter/early Spring when we went there was no one.
DISTANCE TO FALLS FROM PARKING AREA:
None to see from road or a short, steep hike if you want to go down to the falls.
DISABILITY FRIENDY?:
Absolutely Yes. You could even see the falls from the car if you did not want to get out. If you are just getting into hiking the trail splits into two different ways where you could take a higher trail to see more or a lower, steeper trail which will take you directly to the falls. If you are able to walk short distances then this could be a "yes" from the top. To get to the bottom and back up may be difficult depending on your condition.
Thank you so much for reading today friends! Please let me know if you have any questions about the challenge or the Blue Ridge Falls! I am happy to answer and can't wait to hear about your waterfall adventures! And again, if you would like to read about other #adk50falls that I have written about on the blog click HERE or click on the links below:
// Split Rock Falls (New Russia, New York) //
// Upper LaChute Falls (Ticonderoga, New York) //
// The Falls of Carillon (Ticonderoga, New York) //
// Anderson Falls (Keeseville, New York) //
// Upper LaChute Falls (Ticonderoga, New York) //
// The Falls of Carillon (Ticonderoga, New York) //
// Anderson Falls (Keeseville, New York) //
Have a wonderful day!
Happy Monday friends! I hope that you had a wonderful weekend!
Today I am excited to share with y'all a bit more about the #ADK50falls challenge and specifically about the Split Rock Falls, a waterfall that we visited several weeks ago.
If you are doing the challenge then I would highly suggest planning to see both Split Rock Falls and Rice's Falls (you can read about it HERE) at the same time as they were located somewhat close together. If you aren't familiar with the #ADK50falls challenge, you can read about the places that I have been going as part of the challenge HERE (I started last year) or read about the entire challenge HERE.
Simply put there are 50 waterfalls that you hike and visit (5 require proof with photo that you were there) to complete the challenge. For those of you who love hiking and being outdoors this can be a great suggestion during this time with the COVID restrictions of hiking certain mountain trails. It also can show you unique parts of the Adirondacks that you may have never discovered. I definitely have been feeling that with the waterfalls that we have visited and explored the last several weeks and look forward to sharing more!
If you would like to know just basic facts about the falls please just scroll down to the bottom of the post where I will be sharing basic information to help those who want to know more specifics about each of the falls in the challenge.
It was a beautiful and easy hike to get down to the bottom and there was no one else around at this time of the year so we had the place to ourselves.
All throughout the hike down there were "baby" little waterfalls and it just made the adventure a little bit more beautiful!
Split Rock Falls, located in New Russia (Essex County) New York, is a beautiful waterfall located in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains that flows from the Boquet River.
The waterfalls are aptly named as this is a two-tiered, 30ft waterfall that is "split" by rock formations that are at the top of the waterfall.
The waterfalls (after they split) then flow into a single large pool of water and then spill over combined, creating a beautiful and magnificent waterfall.
Split Rock Falls is a popular place for locals to visit in the warmer months of the summer for swimming and even those who are daring enough to jump off into the pools of water. One of the beautiful things about Split Rock Falls is that the water is incredibly clear and you can see the bottom, even at some of the deepest parts of the River.
After exploring around the top of the falls, we hiked around and made our way to the bottom of the falls.
It was a beautiful and easy hike to get down to the bottom and there was no one else around at this time of the year so we had the place to ourselves.
All throughout the hike down there were "baby" little waterfalls and it just made the adventure a little bit more beautiful!
Near the bottom of the falls there is a smaller set of waterfalls that can also be referred to as "Lower Split Rock Falls".
It was absolutely beautiful! It was definitely one of my favorite waterfalls that I have visited in the challenge!
If you are interested in reading more about each of the waterfalls - I recommend reading Adirondack Fifty Falls (click HERE to purchase) which lays out all of the falls in a concise and easy manner. It also groups the falls in the challenge by area so that you do not have to do that research!
When I was extremely sick I used to grieve not being able to be outside in nature as much as I wanted to be and if this is where you are at due to health reasons I hope that the information I provide about each of the falls in this challenge will encourage you to explore as you are able.
.
......SPLIT ROCK FALLS INFORMATION......
......SPLIT ROCK FALLS INFORMATION......
LOCATION:
6335 US 9, New Russia, NY 12964
Approximately 1 hour north of Lake George // 40 minutes east of Lake Placid
TYPE OF FALLS:
TYPE OF FALLS:
30 foot falls // tiered set
KEY LANDMARKS:
KEY LANDMARKS:
none
COST:
Free
PARKING:
Dirt Pull off from Road
CROWDED?:
We spent about 2 hours at Split Rock exploring and hiking around the entire area and in that time there was about 10 people total that joined us.
DISTANCE TO FALLS FROM PARKING AREA:
To see the top of the falls it is a short 20 feet from the pull-off parking area to a place to look out from the top... if you want to see from the middle (where the top picture was taken) or from the bottom of the falls you will hike down approximately 350 steps from the parking lot.
DISABILITY FRIENDY?:
Yes- No. The parking for this waterfall is a dirt pull off and is not wheelchair friendly... and the ground is very unstable. If you are able to walk short distances then this could be a "yes" from the top. To get to the bottom and back up may be difficult depending on your condition.
Thank you so much for reading today friends! Please let me know if you have any questions about the challenge or the Split Rock Falls! I am happy to answer and can't wait to hear about your waterfall adventures! And again, if you would like to read about other #adk50falls that I have written about on the blog click HERE!
Have a wonderful day!
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