Birth-Aversary Adventure

“Nature is always lovely, invincible, glad, whatever is done and suffered by her creatures. All scars she heals, whether in rocks or water or sky or heart.” ~ John Muir

Sam and I rang in 2016 in New York City, and boy was that a fast paced adventure!! When we were deciding how to celebrate my 35th birthday, our First Anniversary, and his birthday (three milestones, three days in a row…which hopefully means he’ll never forget!) we decided to take a much different speed of an adventure.  Together, Sam and I are happiest in the mountains, and Pennsylvania is home to numerous beautiful State Parks.  We decided to spend our birth-aversary weekend at Ricketts Glen State Park, an absolutely breathtaking park in North Eastern Pennsylvania with 24 must see waterfalls along a gorgeous hiking trail.

We chose to stay in one of the lakefront cottages at the park, complete with refrigerator, stove-top, microwave and electric heat (thank goodness because it was COLD!).   Originally we planned to cook all of our meals except for a celebration dinner in a nearby town, but…ultimately we nixed that idea, while camping can be relaxing, it’s also a lot of work, and really, who wants to “work” on a relaxing getaway?!

Friday morning rolled around (cold and rainy), the boys went off to school, the dog to the kennel, loaded the car and we were off on our weekend adventure. I love traveling with Sam, there is always endless conversation, dreaming out loud, and singing along with the radio. We had to make a few stops for forgotten items like firewood, a lighter, oh, and a hatchet! I have never felt more like a “city slicker” than putting firewood in the backseat of my car and then having to stop and buy a hatchet!! It was a comical adventure from the get-go.  After settling in to our sweet little cottage, we ventured to a winery that we saw a sign for along the road.  I never say no to wine tasting…but this time…I should have said heck no!!  It was quite possibly the scariest looking winery (inside and out) that I have ever seen…with wine to match!

Saturday morning, we set off on our hike along the Falls Trail. It was cold and foggy, but the rain had finally stopped! We saw 21 of the 24 waterfalls, and they were worth every ache and pain that was endured along the way (and for a few days after)!  No matter how slow I needed to go, it felt amazing to be hiking, taking in the beauty that was surrounding us with every step.  We laughed…a lot (we try not to take life too seriously)!  We talked about things that moved us.  I could not have asked for a better way to spend my birthday. I could not have asked for a better or more encouraging hiking partner. It helped that there was a promise of a romantic dinner to follow!

All in all, we had a wonderful birth-aversary adventure.  Many, many memories were made. Even though it was only in the 40’s, my world felt pretty darn warm and full of love! Here’s to the rest of our happily-ever-after being full of adventures!