A Guide to Adventure

Growing up in the Southern part of the United States has definitely got its perks. Everything from spur of the moment adventures, to delicious homemade cuisines, and that sweet Southern Charm everyone talks about the South has so much more to offer than a thick accent and a camouflage hat. That is why you don't want to miss out on these Southern cities, and everything they have to offer.  Durham, North Carolina Durham is one of the most unique towns, not just in North Carolina but in the South, thanks to incredible food, a relaxed vibe, and cool warehouse buildings (this is an old tobacco city). It’s full of perfect spots to enjoy nature, listen to local bands, and taste finely brewed beer. Durham’s Brightleaf Square is a hub for restaurants and shops, housed in renovated tobacco warehouses. If you love food trucks (and Durham helped snowball the trend, with its Food Truck Rodeo ), the city has some goodies: Pie Pushers , Chirba Chirba Dumpling, and Only Burger . If...

You don’t need to be rich to travel. Today's post is all about the ways you can travel for virtually free. You don’t need a lot of money to begin. Even if you don’t earn a lot or have debt (my student loans never seem to go away), there are ways to go overseas still. If you feel that no matter what you do you will never get ahead by saving money, check out these travel hacks and see the world super cheap! Teach English Overseas : One of the best ways to make money for travel is to teach English overseas. You can make a lot of money teaching. All you need is the ability to speak English fluently and maybe a TEFL degree, depending on the country you work in. The world is yearning for teachers, and this is a job in high demand; many companies in Asia will even pay for your flight over. Always do your research thoroughly before leaving the states, and verify everything to protect yourself in a foreign country Stay with locals for free: There are many services that connect t...

Moonshine Falls Area (4 places!) Greenville, Cleveland, SC WILDCAT FALLS : You get two for the price of one here at the Wildcat Wayside State Park. Wildcat Falls are a very popular falls, largely because they are roadside on SC 11 (the Cherokee Scenic Highway). The first falls are in two sections with a 10-foot freefall upstream and the 20-foot cascade down a slab of exposed granite into a shallow pool. About 100 feet to the left of these falls are a number of steps that ascend to a quarter-mile trail to another falls. The trail crosses just above the 10-foot free-fall on a wooden bridge and snakes its way through the woods to a 130-foot waterslide. The photo below isolates the lower portion of the slide. Be prepared to do a little boulder-climbing to reach the base of the waterslide, but please don't attempt to climb the falls themselves. To get here : Stay on RT 276/11 west for about 5 miles past where RT 11 joins RT 276 and look for a pull off (unsigned) on the right (...

Just like any sport, or activity, camping has its own, and sometimes clever terms, by expanding your camping vocabulary you will gain a better, deeper understanding of camping. You will be able to communicate more clearly, and be better prepared on your next trip. You can even impress your friends with some colorful terms while in the bush!  1. Guy Lines – The cables tied to a tent and its stakes, designed to provide tension that adds to the overall stability of the tent. 2. Deadman – When the ground is too soft to stake a tent, campers often bury large rocks or sticks tied to guy lines to pitch the tent safely. Deadman is the slang term for this process. 3. Tent Pad – The tent pad refers to the ground under your tent. It’s distinct from sleeping pad, which is an actual piece of padding placed between your sleeping bag and the bottom of the tent. 4. Freestanding – A term for tents that do not need guy lines. 5. Boxing the Needle – The process of lining up a compass’s needl...

Nothing quite says summer in the south better than being on a beautiful lake, watching the sunset, with a cold drink (sweet tea for most of us will do) in hand. On a hot summer day, there is no better way to spend the day than fishing, swimming, and relaxing on the lake. Dive into this list of the Must-See Lakes in the South, and plan your holiday vacation southern style! 5. Lake Santeetlah, North Carolina  Tucked away in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, Lake Santeetlah, once known as "Lake in the Sky" has 76 miles of shoreline protected by the national forestry service. Boat rentals are available, in all varieties and sizes. Enjoy a quiet day on a canoe or paddle board, or secure an 8 person deck boat. Primitive and car camping sites are available, so there is a place for every type of camper!  4 . Lake Fontana, North  Carolina Outdoor enthusiasts and thrill seekers need seek no more. Opportunities for adventure abound along the untouched mount...

State parks in South Carolina are so underrated, as a South Carolinian I know the struggle of wondering what to do on my days off, "go to the mall, too old for the skating rink, they tore down the civic center Volcano, hmm movies are expensive, so let's go out to go eat." That thought process has gotten so old, that I 'just can't even' anymore. When you actually look to see what the state has to offer, South Carolina has state parks everywhere! From small ones like Saddlers Creek on Lake Hartwell, to Jones Gap and Table Rock in the mountains. All within an hour driving distance, from Anderson, Greenville, Clemson, and Seneca areas. You can literally go somewhere new every weekend! This brings me to my list of Top 5 State parks in beautiful South Carolina! Table Rock State Park, Pickens County, SC Table Rock is one of most commonly known state parks in South Carolina, most people have been there at least one on either a class field trip, or for a summe...

Mid-June in South Carolina is HOT , and   humid , increasing the chance of pop up showers and thunderstorms. Tuesday afternoon was no exception to this, after leaving the falls to prepare for the storm that was rolling in over the mountains, we had plenty to do at camp before it rained. I was scavenging for firewood - the sites are pretty cleared out of the easily accessible wood - I could feel raindrops starting to fall, hearing thunder in the distance I brought Derek the small amount I gathered, and just as a cool breeze blew through the trees and 3 foot tree limb falls on Derek's head! It could have been much worse if the branch had more force, or landed in a different way, he was okay, startled by his near death experience we moved the tent over a few feet, away from the towering pines.  Since our campsite was only a short walking distance from our car, we had some extra pillows, a book I really wanted to finish reading, and a few luxury items. We also ...

On Memorial day of this year, Derek and I decided to make an impromptu trip to Brasstown Falls located in the Sumter National Forest in Oconee County, SC. It is a fairly easy drive, only an hour away from Anderson, and is pretty much a straight drive down country roads. Our adventure did not go well, the place was crowded, nowhere private to camp, and we carried too much stuff for the terrain we ended up on. Needless to say we were miserable, we decided to go home before the rain started, and that was the end of our day.  Now that it has been a few weeks since our terrible experience, we decided to go back to Brasstown falls to redeem ourselves. We were not going to let this place get the best of us. So Tuesday morning rolls around, and it is time to go. We load up the car, Rocky running around with excitement he is going for a ride, and we set off down the highway once again. We arrive at the falls around 11:00 am, and were very thrilled to see there was only one site tak...

                                If you think of camping in a tent as uncomfortable, or boring then I know just what you need: A tree tent. Yes I said, Tree Tent. Instead of sleeping on the forest floor, being prey to bears and whatever the forest holds, try sleeping suspended in a tent ten to fifty feet in the air. The higher you go the more breathtaking the view, and the the more magical the experience will be. Tree tents have been increasingly popular over the past few years, but today the number of tree camping enthusiasts is astonishing. With a quick Google or Youtube search I found multiple tree tent companies, adventure planners, professional tree climbing classes, and a plethora of channels on YouTube dedicated to this very topic. Tree camping is definitely going to be something I experience in the future, first thing is learning how to safely, and comfortably climb tr...

All across the United States there is a rising trend of people quitting their nine-to-fives, moving into cozy tiny homes and vans, eliminating debt, and living freely. I am personally striving to be self-sufficient and would love to live/travel in a van. The days of the large house with a white picket fence, and the lifetime mortgage that goes along with it are becoming a thing of the past. More and more people, especially those from mid twenty-somethings to early thirties who do not want to follow in their parents footsteps; you know, working your life away for the hope of a 401 K payday after retirement. With student loan rates through the roof, and higher taxes every year, who wouldn't want to be part of something different? A different way of living that allows you complete freedom, and the choice to live, and visit anywhere your van can take you. When you arrive, you are home! By getting rid of all the excess, you have room for the important things, a cozy bed, a...

During the Colonial Era of the United States, German immigrants made up one third of the American colonies, second to English immigrants. German was fluently spoken throughout most of the colonies. Germans quickly became one the predominate immigrant groups in the nineteenth century, and their influence on American culture would soon follow.  The obvious influences of sauerkraut, hot dogs, strudels, German chocolate cake, and the love of beer are found all throughout America, some of those influences are especially loved in the Southern United States. German immigrants also opened in the first kindergarten, and it is believed they invented the modern weekend we know today. Instead of celebrating the Sabbath Sunday day of rest, they brought recreation, music, and food for everyone to take part in! What is the correlation between the South and Germany you're asking yourself right now? Well, in the South we love our weekend rendezvous', which is normally equipped wit...

So yesterday Derek and I were deciding where we wanted to spend our Memorial day off at. I posted saying that I would be going to an island on Lake Hartwell, well being that we are both so spontaneous we ended up going to Brasstown Falls in Oconee County, SC. That was our first mistake. We loaded up the car, filled up the tank, and headed down highway 24 West, and after an hour of passing huge farms, and scenic country roads we made it to highway 76. We followed that mountain road for almost 12 miles before we reached Brasstown Road. This is where the "adventure" would begin. The only directions my GPS offered was two miles down a gravel road that appeared to end. Other than that we were following the directions of another travel website that had pretty clear instructions. We start down the gravel road and pass a small road on our right, after all the GPS was still telling us to go, and our directions seemed to be aligned with that. We drove about three miles up the mount...

After recently purchasing a RealTree Seahawk 2-person raft, I have come to the realization that every summer before now has been totally lame and lackluster. For less than fifty dollars this inflatable raft can carry Derek and I down the Congaree River later this summer, and has already taken us places on Lake Hartwell I have never been. The raft comes with a simple air pump, two oars with locks, a splash pouch to put your phone, ID, etc in. It also has motor mount fittings, talk about an awesome feature!! Lightweight, durable and easy to pack, this raft is perfect for anyone!!  If you just like to relax on the lake while tanning (like me), and don't have the luxury of a large boat, or want more than a float, this raft is for you!! The only way to make this product more easy to use is to invest in an electric air pump (seriously my arms are gonna be ripped) and a small trolling motor as well. Paddling is great, but for long distances a thirty dollar motor will solve the issu...