Red River Reunion

This past labor day weekend my Celina friends and I had a reunion at Red River Gorge. It was the perfect group for an adventure weekend, and adventure is precisely what we did. We started the weekend rock climbing. (Yes, this has become a favorite hobby of mine) It was the most difficult and challenging climbing I have done thus far. We all made it to the top on the first route. Unfortunately, only one of us made it to the top of the second -- Congratulations, Travis (said between clenched teeth) hehe. We had a great time together and were completely exhausted afterward. We felt we earned the right to "eat up" so we headed to Lexington that evening for dinner. Atomic Cafe, a wonderful downtown Caribbean restaurant, was the dining choice. If you are a sweet potato fan, the sweet potato chips are a must. Afterward we spent a bit of time exploring Lexington, posed in the fountains at Triangle Park, and found another of Lexington's treasures -- Sauls Good Restaurant. No one shared dessert that night. Thank you, Kirsten, for the referral. Taking a "photo moment" before route #2.

Ashley and I before climbing.

Ashley and I after climbing.

Travis on climb #1.

Ben, Ashely, Travis, and I in Triangle Park

No, we did not plan to wear matching dresses!

The next day we headed back to the gorge for some serious hiking. We climbed atop an arch, cooled off in Creation Falls, and then started the rugged hiking. Seven miles later, we ended our hike and hitched a ride to the bottom of the road. Ironically enough, the people that picked us up were our campsite neighbors. We had experienced some irritation with our "unknown" neighbors the night before because of the huge amount of trash that had been left out and the use of our fire pit so we found it amusing they were the ones that helped us. They turned out to be very social and full of information. One tip they gave us was to try out the "jumping rock", and that we did. I must say, it was my favorite thing we did all weekend.

Travis, Ben, and Ashley in "Hell's Kitchen" along the hike.

The "jumping rock."

Free falling

Ben, Ashley, and I cooling down in Creation Falls.

Posing on the arch.

The next day we did a bit more hiking to another arch and a scenic viewpoint. Both were breathtaking. We were a bit hungry afterward so we opted for the dive we had eaten at the night before -- Miguels. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a big pizza fan. It was my favorite pizza ever, and I opted to eat there twice. (Are you surprised, DJ?) Although my pizza was not typical. It was a Mexican pizza. Corn, black beans, avocado, and tomatoes on whole wheat crust! MMMMmmm. If traveling in the Slade/Red River area, Miguels is a must. We chowed down there two days in a row, and both times the food met our tastebud's expectations.

Angel Arch

Girl power Miguel's Mexican Pizza! This one is for you, Kirsten.Chowing down!

Red River Gorge has become a favorite destination place of mine, and I hope to spend more time there. I think it is funny that I spent many years of my life living in Kentucky and am only now discovering some of its beauty. Thanks, you guys, for going. I loved every minute of our weekend and hope another one is in the making soon.