In September 2020 we decided to take a quick ‘Coronavirus Escape’ family trip to the magnificent West Baden Springs Hotel. I wanted to share our experience – (spoiler alert… it was quite nice!)
Cranberry Wilderness Backpacking – May 2020
In late May 2020, after a couple months of Coronavirus quarantine ‘lock-down’ we decided to make a jail break! The Cranberry Wilderness in West Virginia was our destination.
Adirondack High Peaks Wilderness Backpacking – June 2020
During the Covid-19 pandemic a group of us ‘escaped’ from lockdown to take a much needed backpacking trip in the Adirondack High Peaks Wilderness. It was the hardest hike I ever attempted.
Art Devlin’s Olympic Motor Inn, Lake Placid, NY – June 2020
Art Devlin’s Olympic Motor Inn in Lake Placid, New York is a special place, and a ‘must stay’ stop for the night if you ever find yourself in Lake Placid.
Yellowstone National Park Backpacking – June 2019
Iconic Yellowstone National Park was the destination for my fourth hike of the 2019 backpacking season, and it is a place I’d dreamed of getting to since I started backpacking.
Charit Creek Lodge, Jamestown, TN – May 2019
A visit to Charit Creek Lodge in the backcountry of the Big South Fork is like a journey back in time. It is a must visit destination for anyone seeking a unique, and luxurious, backcountry experience.
Glacier National Park Backpacking – September 2018
My third backpacking trip to Glacier National Park, in September 2018, proved to be one of the most mentally challenging ‘adventures’ of my life. It was a solo trip, possibly ill-advised in grizzly country and discouraged by the Glacier NPS. My original plans for the trip had already been cancelled when I decided at the last moment to ‘re-engage’. I entered into it with the least amount of confidence and mental commitment I had ever had for a significant Western backpacking trip. In the end it proved to be one of my greatest life challenges overcome, and one of the best backpacking trips of my life.
LeConte Lodge, Gatlinburg, TN – June 2017
It is extremely difficult to secure a reservation for a night at the LeConte Inn, at the top of Mount LeConte in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. And rightly so. It is a unique and magical experience in every respect. But getting to LeConte Lodge is not easy. You have to hike in the backcountry of the Smokies to get there, and the shortest trail to the top is the 5.5-mile Alum Cave Trail which ascends 2750 feet on its route to the LeConte Lodge. The effort is worth it, though, as a cherished stay at the LeConte Lodge is a ‘bucket list’-worthy experience.
Mountain Harbour Bed and Breakfast – May 2016
Anyone contemplating a hike in the Roan Highlands section of the Appalachian Trail needs to know about the Mountain Harbour Bed and Breakfast in Roan Mountain, Tennessee. It sits right at the bottom of the descent off Hump Mountain and is the perfect place to start (via parked car and shuttle) and finish a 50-mile section hike of the Roan Highlands. Mountain Harbour is also the place known as having ‘The Best Breakfast on the AT’ which, by itself, is well worth a visit.
