Working for the Weekend


The summer is hands-down the best time of the year for me to get out there and really enjoy nature. As summer approaches, I am constantly planning new trips, and thinking of ways to get outside more often. As a man who works the typical 9-5, the majority of my fitness escapades take place on the weekend. It has often said by myself and my close friends, that the weekend is the shortest 2 days of the week, where the weekdays seem to drag on and on. As I get older, and the weekends get shorter, it has become more an more important to take time on the weekend to get out there and experience life.

With that being said, this past weekend was full of off the wall energy! My wife and I had the whole weekend free from family, graduation parties, reunions and everything else that seems to take over during the summer. During this time we planned to have two action packed days and see what we could accomplish. Here's how it all went:

Saturday:

We woke up pretty early, around 7 or so and hopped in the car to head down to the lake for some kayaking. I was thinking ahead and went right ahead and threw the kayaks on the rack the night before to save myself the hassle in the morning. We got down to the lake and it was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky. The water was calm and clear, and we were surprised that nobody else had the same idea. Aside from a man and his sailboat, we were the only people on the lake, and that was fine by us! After a quick paddle, we decided to head in before the sun got too unbearably hot. We headed home for a nice breakfast outside, which my wife and I prepared. Can't go wrong with eggs, fruit, toast and juice! especially after a nice paddle on the lake.

From there we decided to rest a while outside while it was nice and wait a bit before heading out on our bikes. When we did get around to the bikes, we were both feeling energized and giddy! The trail head is only a mile from our house, so after no time on the road, we were under the thick cover of the trees above the trail. All in all it was a great ride, in which we stopped on the foot bridge for a little snack.

I always feel great after a ride. My legs get that rubbery feeling for a few minutes and a shower never felt as good! All in all in was a great saturday afternoon.

Sunday:

We slept in a little bit and decided to head to a state park close by for a hike. The waterfalls this time of year are always amazing, so we hoped we might be able to swim too if the water wasn't too crazy cold.
The drive to the park took a little over an hour, but we didn't mind with the windows down and a nice country view. Once we arrived we decided to opt for the 5 mile hike instead of the 3 since we were feeling so fresh. The hike was beautiful, with several waterfall overlooks. I wish there was a longer hike because I just felt so happy to be there and didn't want it to end.

But like all things, the weekend must end, and the fun trips must come to a close. As the week approaches, you bet your boots i'll be taking little notes and asking around for great places to visit on the weekends!