Winter Getaway to the Bahamas

Cable beach at Melia

Looking to escape the cold in North Carolina, Jon and I spent a week in the Carribean. Although still winter in the Bahamas, their "snow" is a rain shower. We spent our time in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas which lies on the island of New Providence. Neighboring Paradise Island (where Atlantis is) is accessible via Nassau Harbor bridges or the ferry. The biggest draw for us to visit the Bahamas was the swimming pigs, which can be found in The Exumas, an island chain about 80 miles away via boat. 

Meramec State Park Canoe Trip

I'm catching up on my blog posts and I'm super excited to share the experience I had on the Meramec River with my mom and dogs. Meramec Caverns are approximately an hour outside of St. Louis, MO, and was the location where we reserved our canoe. There were also options to kayak or raft, but with two dogs, we opted for the more reliable of the three choices! We were dropped off at Meramec State Park and finished the trip back at the Meramec Caverns.

Pere Marquette State Park Hike

Date: March 2017
Difficulty: Easy
Duration: 1 hour
Weather: 40 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny and clear skies
Photos were taken on my Samsung Galaxy S7
Shoes and raincoat: Merrell

Visitor's Center

Merrell: Meet the 2017 College Ambassadors

Merrell is an outdoor brand that specializes in hiking shoes and clothing. As a Merrell College Ambassador, I get to lead amazing trips with the Outdoor Adventure Club through the generous grant provided by Merrell and Outdoor Foundation. Some of the trips include camping and hiking at local and state parks, ice skating, horseback riding and 5K runs. I love being an ambassador and am continuously inspired by my fellow colleagues! My only qualm is that we all live so far apart :) Be sure to check out their breathtaking Instagram feeds for some serious outdoor envy!

Great Falls National Park and Riverbend State Park Hike

Date: February 2017
Difficulty: Easy
Duration: 2 hours
Weather: 45 degrees Fahrenheit, partly cloudy and rainy
Photos were taken on my Samsung Galaxy S7
Shoes and raincoat: Merrell; Waterproof joggers: Athleta

Guided dirt trails make this hike easy and enjoyable. Because we went on a rainy day, we experienced a fairly empty trail. The path follows the Potomac River until it intercepts the falls in Great Falls National Park. It is free to park at Riverbend but it is approximately a one-mile walk to Great Falls (you can park at Great Falls but will have to pay park fees). There are three overlooks and my photos of the falls were taken at overlook number one. The man-made dam is located in Riverbend. On warm days, sometimes you can watch experienced kayakers maneuver the smaller falls. There is a more challenging Billy Goat trail on the Maryland side of the falls.