Hiking Review: Cumberland Falls, Yahoo Falls, Natural Arch

I am a huge fan of waterfalls. As the main family planner of vacation, I booked a few days at the Cumberland Falls State Resort Park in southern Kentucky or so I thought. I actually booked our 2 night stay at Lake Cumberland, but did not know that until they could not find our reservation at the Cumberland Falls park. Not the way you want to start your family vacation after a 3 hour drive. Fortunately, the staff was super helpful and had a cabin available so we were able to stay and not have to drive an extra 70 or so miles to Lake Cumberland.

Once we unloaded the van, we set off on our first hike to Cumberland Falls which is known as Little Niagara. One of the trailheads was in our cabin area that led to the falls. It was just under a two mile hike roundtrip and fairly easy hike. My 6 and 4 year olds had no issues. Once we reached the falls, we could walk out on the rock bed near the top of the falls - similar to Falls over the Ohio, but much smaller scale. Hiking a bit more, there were several overlooks, sandy beach, and some rocks to climb.

 Day 2 we headed south to Natural Arch, Yahoo Falls, and Yahoo Arch near Whitley City which is about 15-19 miles from Cumberland Falls. The parking area for Natural Arch is $3 which has an envelop right at the entrance. The overlook of Natural Arch was beautiful with the fall colors. The arch is one of the largest in Kentucky - 60 feet high and 100 feet long as compared to Natural Bridge - which is 78 feet long, 65 feet high.  The hike to the actual arch was another easy one for my kids - 2 mile round trip again. There are picnic tables, swings and bathrooms in the parking lot area.

Our next stop was the Yahoo Falls - the tallest waterfall in Kentucky - and the Yahoo Arch which took us on a gravel road to reach the parking lot. We ate lunch in the parking lot there which had also had bathrooms and picnic tables. These two hikes were about 3 miles. We hiked on top of the falls first and followed the trail to the arch where we could walk on top of this one. This arch was 17 feet tall by 70 feet long. Heading back, we took the Yahoo Falls loop to go down to the 113 foot waterfall.  On the way home, we stopped by the Dairy Bar on Main Street in Whitley City that is a 50s diner which was a fun treat after a day of hiking.  We pretty much had all these hikes to ourselves, just seeing one other group at each of the hikes.

Day 3 we explored the Eagle Falls Trail (1.5miles) at Cumberland Falls. We got there right after breakfast so we were first in the parking lot which overflows as the day goes on. This trail was the most rugged of all the trails we hiked and kept our kids close since it follows a cliffline. The views of the Cumberland Falls were gorgeous from this side of the river. Right before reaching the falls, it looks like the trail ends, but just climb over the tree debris. The Eagle Falls offered boulders for climbing, ability to go behind the falls, and a sandy beach to play. Needless to say, we stayed for a long time once we reached the falls. This was the kids' favorite.

This was a great mini hiking fall break. The hikes were short enough for our kids to hike on their own. We packed flashlights so they could check out all the rock crevices and cut throughs along the hikes. I look forward to going back to the Daniel Boone National Forest to explore even more.

Tasty Tuesday: Slow Cooker Honey Parmesan Pork

With cooler weather nearby and busy evenings, it is nice to come home to the main dish cooked and the house smelling like dinner. This week's recipe is an easy one and the cheese can be eliminated if you need it to be dairy free. It is from one of my favorite recipe sites - Six Sisters Stuff.
Hope you like it too!

Slow Cooker Parmesan Honey Pork Roast

Ingredients:

1 (2-3 pound) boneless pork roast
 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (omitted to make dairy free)
1/2 cup honey
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp dried basil
2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place roast in slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the cheese, honey, soy sauce, basil, garlic, oil and salt; pour over pork. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160°.
Remove meat to a serving platter; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking juices; transfer to a small saucepan. Bring liquid to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice roast; serve with gravy. Gravy is good with rice or mash potatoes too.

 Also wanted to share a great chart to show you what's in season to help pick out in season fruit and vegetables at the grocery store from Familius.

 Have a great week getting your fit in!

Fit In for the Weekend: October 17, 18, 19

 It is hard to believe October is already halfway over - and a dry weekend is predicted! A perfect weekend to enjoy the outdoors with the beautiful fall colors! Hope you find some fun ways to get your fit in this weekend!

Here are some suggestions for the weekend:

Friday, October 17
Free Yoga Fridays at the Kentucky Center.  Just bring a mat and water and arrive by 11:50 a.m.
Rhythm Cycle at Get Fit 24/7 - Try a one of its kind in the area - full body workout


Saturday, October 18
Mayor's Hike - Climb and hike - FREE
Re-Quest - Louisville Quest

Sunday, October 19
Free Yoga for runners - Blue Mile at the Paddock

Fall Food: Pumpkin Cookies!

What says October more than pumpkins cookies? If you need a sweet treat, homemade are the best!

This recipe I got from a friend and was published a few years ago on LouFamFun.

Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup margarine or butter softened
1 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Toppings (optional)
peanut butter
colored frosting (orange and green)
M&M's
Reese's pieces
colored sugar crystals (green and orange)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350
In one bowl combine: flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt
In another bowl combine: cream margarine with mixer and gradually add sugar
Add egg and vanilla with the butter and sugar and mix well
alternate adding all dry ingredients, choc chips and pumpkin to the margarine mixture and mix all together
Drop 1/4 cup dough on lightly greased cookie sheets, shape them in to pumpkins with a stem up top
Bake 20-25 minutes

Halloween/Fall Themed Races: Louisville, Indianapolis, Cincinnati

Holidays can be a hard time to get your fit in. By participating in some themed races around your  parties and the Trick or Treating, you can still get cardio.  Bonus? Your friends and family may join you too!

Here are some Halloween/Fall themed races in Louisville, Indianapolis, Cincinnati area

Louisville:
Oct 12 - OCEA Skeleton 5K Run/Walk
Oct 18 - Four De Lis Series - Fall Trail Run
Oct 18 - Mayor's Fall Hike 
Oct 24 - Run Like Hell 5K 
Oct 26 - Storm Eva Bandman Halloween Cross
Walktober month

Frankfort:
Oct 24 - Black Cat Chase 5K

Indianapolis:
Oct 11 - 5K Run Dead 
Oct 11 - The Great Pumpkin Run
Oct 11 - The Children's Museum Guild's Black Hat Dash
Oct 12 - Haunted Hustle 5K
Oct 18 - Haunted Dash 5K


Cincinnati:
Oct 11 - Running Scared 5K 
Oct 24 - Run Like Hell 5K 


Let me know what others I missed!

fitinlou@gmail.com

Fit In Weekend Picks: October 10, 11, 12

Don't let the rain predicted for the weekend put a damper into you getting your fit in this weekend!
There's plenty of ways indoor to get your sweat on - don't be the part of the crowd and quit. Friends and family will see you being persistent and dedicated. Maybe someday soon, they will be joining you because they saw you making the time to get your fit in!

Here are some ideas:

Friday, October 10

• Free Yoga at Muhammad Ali Center from 12-1pm

Saturday, October 11

• Hopefully the rain will hold off in the morning to enjoy some Free Yoga at Belknap Festival led by 502 Power Yoga from 9-10am

Sunday, October 12

• CycLOUvia - Highlands -  Great way to spend an afternoon on biking with the family

• Bike 'n Brew at Resurfaced - Main Street - Fundraiser for Bicycling For Louisville

Looking ahead:

• Friday's the last day to register for Get Fit 24/7's self defense class 
• Oct 18- Free - Mayor's Healthy Hike
• Oct 25 - Bluegrass Bioneers Urban Homesteading Tour

Tasty Tuesday: Sausage-Stuffed Acorn Squash

What says fall more than having squash for dinner? I grew up eating all the varieties of squash. However,  it was typically brown sugar, butter, and baked in the oven. I found this recipe a few years ago while trying to find more recipes to use squash. It was a winner with my husband and I. However, my kids are not quite fans of it yet. I am still working on them.

Sausage-Stuffed Acorn Squash from Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 2 medium acorn squash

• 1 pound bulk spicy pork sausage

• 1/2 cup chopped onion

• 1 egg

• 2 tablespoons milk

• 1 cup fresh baby spinach, finely chopped

• 1-1/2 cups soft bread crumbs

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Nutritional Facts

1 serving (1 each) equals 485 calories, 23 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 133 mg cholesterol, 843 mg sodium, 49 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 25 g protein.

Directions

1. Cut squash in half; remove and discard seeds. Place squash cut side down in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 10-12 minutes or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, crumble sausage into a large skillet; add onion. Cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. In a large bowl, beat egg and milk; stir in the spinach, bread crumbs, cranberries and sausage mixture.
3. Turn squash cut side up. Stuff with sausage mixture. Cover and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°. Yield: 4 servings.

Race Report - Mill Race 5K

We had a family gathering recently at the Mill Race Marathon, Half-Marathon, and 5K in Columbus, IN. My dad, brother, sister-in-law, nephew (11 years old!), and cousin (going to grad school in Illinois) ran the 2nd annual half marathon. It was my cousin's and nephew's first half marathon. Also, my husband, oldest son, niece, and myself ran the 5K while they were running the 13.1miles. With that being said, there were 9 of us ranging from 6-68 years old for our family running that day. My mom and 2 other kids were our support crew and cheering us on, so definitely a family affair!

pre-race

My immediate family and I registered the day before the race at the expo in downtown Columbus. I was holding out for the weather since kids were running. The weather turned out to be beautiful! There were no lines for packet pick-up or sign-ups which was simple to follow. The only thing we missed was the parking pass booth. There are several parking garages and lots downtown, so they were passing out the free passes to ease parking in the morning. We thought they were going to be in our packets and did not check until we got home. There were several vendors there at the expo to browse as well.

Race day: Street closures were going to start at 6:45am with the half marathon starting at 7:30am followed by the 5K starting at 8:15am. We parked at my parents' church parking lot near downtown since we did not pick up a parking pass. It was an easy walk to the festivities. We were able to cheer on our family members running the half before starting the 5K race. My husband ran with my son and I ran with my niece. We ran through the park across the bridges and back to downtown. It was relatively flat with one water stop. Fortunately, we did not get stop by the train like some of the marathon runners did!

post-race

Overall, the race was well run and we all had a great time. My niece was able to run her first 5K without walking! Besides the finishers' medal for each of the race, if you finished the 13.1 or 26.2 race you were put into a drawing to win a free truck and if you finished the 5K you had a chance to win one of four bicycles.

They already have the registration open for next year. The location downtown Columbus, IN is a great place for the race - plenty of restaurants and entertainment for all ages - definitely recommend checking them out.

Friday Favorites - My favorite fall hikes

I. Love. Fall. I love the colors, the smell, the weather - everything about it. It is a great time to enjoy the last few moments of outside weather before the winter weather strikes.
I also love to hike in the fall! We pack the family and food up and off we go for a short, day, or a weekend trip. Hikes are a great way to soak in the fresh air, get unplugged, and spend time with family and friends. Bonus - it can make you happier! Add some geocaching or check out an orienteering meet from OLOU for even more exploring and you won't even feel like you are getting exercise!

Garden of the Gods in Illinois

Here are a few of my favorite places to hike:

Half day Hikes
1. The Parklands - a great place to spend a few hours hiking on the trails along the creek
2. EP Tom Sawyer - a few trails with geocaching or check out their permanent orienteering course

Day Hikes
1. Jefferson Memorial Forest - get away from the city without traveling too far. The trails vary in difficulty and have some great views
2. Bernheim - just south of Louisville a great place to enjoy the colors of the season especially walking out on the tree canopy
4. Clifty Falls - in Southern Indiana a great day trip to explore with friends and family 

Weekend Hikes
1. Natural Bridge - trails of varying difficult with beautiful views to make it worth the climb
2. Shawnee National Forest - a favorite weekend getaway for us - great hiking, rocks for kids to climb - Garden of the gods is breathtaking. 



Honorable Mention- Of course, I have to mention Brown County State Park in Indiana - I practically grew up there. Having said that, I do avoid it in the fall because of the crowds. Happy Hiking!

Fit In for the Weekend: October 3, 4, 5

A new month is upon us and the last quarter to finish up your goals for 2014. What is on your fitness plan for the rest of the year? Pacers and Racers have a great calendar of upcoming races if you need some races. Fall is also a great time to explore a new place to hike (Parklands has Fall Foliage hike on Sunday) and enjoy the colors of the season.

Weekend Picks:

Check out a class on Friday or Saturday at Be Well Fitness and Rehab - that has free childcare! They are offering TRX, Jaya, and PiYo Barre

Try Zumba at FitMe Studio on Saturday or Sunday for just $5!

Canoeing on Saturday at Riverview Park

Yoga with Art on Sunday for $5 at 21C Hotel


Lots more options on the calendar. Also looking ahead, Tour de Lou just opened for registration. It is only $35 until the end of the year.