Camping Therapy
When I have a couple consecutive days off work, I hit the road! Camping really is therapy for me! This trip took me to Eastern Kentucky on my quest to visit every KY state park. Todd LOVED Kentucky! I feel close to him as I experience the beauty of Kentucky, travel the backroads that he loved so much, and allow myself to just be still. Being still in the moment and being motionless on the journey (as mentioned in my first post) are two totally different things. My journey takes me to places where I can be comfortably still!
Grayson Lake State Park, September 2020
I set up quick so I could begin my search for a kayak rental. I spent about three hours exploring the water. The rocks and waterfalls are absolutely beautiful on this lake. Evidently, there is a special waterfall on the path I took but I was too chicken to paddle into the crevice by myself so that will need to be a "next time" event. I did enjoy the peace (and the Hostess Ho-Ho I brought along) as I glided through the water. I saw a few other kayakers but other than that, it was like riding on a piece of glass.
Upon returning to the campsite, once the kayak was returned, I had an opportunity to catch up on some writing.
I often end up talking to my dog Obi, especially when there is no cell service in the area. Pretty sure he wishes I would talk to my family more often on the trips because he gets tired of me talking to him.
On the menu the first night was chicken fajitas camping style! I didn't eat too much though because my neighbors back home shared a little secret with me called Biscuit World which I happened to see on my way into the campground. So, the next morning, I had my first biscuit from Tudor's Biscuit World and it certainly won't be my last. Thanks for the tip Melissa and Greg!
Obi and I spent the morning hiking about 7 miles at Grayson Lake then packed up and headed to our next stop, Carter Caves State Park. We set up camp and took off for another 3.5 mile hike to view Smoky Bridge.
Carter Caves State Park, September 2020.
My fire making skills still need some work, especially given the amount of rain that came my way on this trip! Todd was the one that usually started the fire so I could toss in some sticks later and feel like I was making fire. No need to worry though because the family next to me could see I needed help. ( Maybe they just got tired of the heavy smoke blowing their way.) They brought me a larger fire starter and one dry log which helped tremendously.
Thanks to the staff at both state parks! They were wonderful with information about kayaks, trails, and general information about the area.
On my journey, I am always looking for ways to learn, and while I did learn many things as listed above, two bigger lessons are:
Always screw and lock the plastic screws on the fridge vent cover located on the outside of the camper unless you want to see it fly across the highway. This was my attempt at preventing rain from entering the camper while allowing air flow after losing the cover.
When arriving home, make sure the fridge sticking out the side of the camper clears your mailbox.
All in all, it was a great trip and I look forward to many more as the nature and stillness ground me in so many ways. Camping is my therapy!