Cheesequake State Park Family Hike

With Sunday looking like a nice day for a hike, we ventured out to Matawan, NJ, a little less than an hour away from Princeton to Cheesequake State Park. You read it right, Cheesequake, not cheese steak or cheese cake. :p I was curious about the name and according to Wikipedia, the name was derived from the Lenape Native American word Cheseh-oh-ke, meaning "upland" or "upland village". We chose the hike as it was another one on the list of best fall foliage hikes in NJ on njhiking.com. 

My Top 5 Healthy Living Tools

It's Tuesday and I am linking up with Nicole and Jessica Joy for their The Fit Dish Link-Up every Tuesday. 

This week's topic is "What are your Top Healthy Living Tools?".

Last Week's Workouts 10/6-10/12

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Monday 10/6: Rest day
Tuesday 10/7: 2 mile walk

2 Races for 2015 set!

After such a good run in Corning, NY for the Wineglass Half Marathon. It got me thinking about races for next year. I've still got 3 more races to run this year, but I know that it's good to start looking at runs for 2015 to get the early registration fee. 

Watkins Glen Gorge Trail Family Hike

While in Corning for the Half Marathon, we planned on going to Watkins Glen State Park to hike. Hubby had heard great things about this park. I knew we were going to see waterfalls, but was not expecting much. We had been on the Ricketts Glen Falls Trail in Benton, PA and that hike was all about waterfalls. I thought I'd be seeing something similar to that but I was wrong. From the State Park website they say:"Watkins Glen State Park is the most famous of the Finger Lakes State Parks, with a reputation for leaving visitors spellbound." Let's just say I was definitely spellbound. :)

TBT Hiking Post From Hubby - Ptarmigan Ridge Trail

It's Thursday and that means another Throwback Thursday post from Hubby. This week's post is our hike on the Ptarmigan Ridge Trail. I loved this trail because you see views of Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan from the very start, and as you hiked further the views got even more amazing.

Ptarmigan Ridge Trail, September 1, 2007

Sharon and I camped the night before not too far from Artist Point, so we were able to hit the trail early. The trail starts from the Artist Point parking area and we follow the Chain Lakes trail west toward Mt. Baker. Below is the view you get from the parking lot.

Wineglass Half Marathon Race Recap 10/5/14

DAY BEFORE THE RACE:

We got to the cute town of Corning, NY Saturday morning. It's a 4 hour drive from Princeton so it was a long but scenic drive for all. Driving through the Allegheny Plateau was so nice! We saw mountains and some fall colors showing on the trees. I loved seeing the oranges and reds. The kids were more than ready to get out of the car when we arrived. Our first stop was the expo at Corning's Museum of Glass. 

Last Week's Half Marathon Training Week 12 Up to the Wineglass Half: 9/29-10/5

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Monday 9/29 - 4 mile run. Did it on the treadmill and since all the treadmills I usually use were occupied at the gym, I went in the Cinema room and it was actually not so bad. Watched an entertaining movie while I ran. 

Hacklebarney State Park Family Hike

On Saturday we headed out to Hacklebarney State park for a hike. It was listed as one of the best fall foliage hikes in NJ on njhiking.com. On the drive there, we were seeing lots of fall colors here and there but when we got to the park, not so much (still a bit early). 

We got to the park about 10am and they have a huge parking lot. There weren't many cars so we had no problems parking. There are bathrooms at the start and maps available to take. The park is a good size. It is 465 acre of natural area.

TBT Hiking Post from Hubby - Mt. Elbert

It's Thursday!! That means another Throwback Thursday post from Hubby. Today's hike is when we met up with Hubby's parents in Colorado. While there we hiked one of the fourteeners (mountain that is or above 14,000 feet) Mt. Elbert. It is 14,440 feet high and is the second highest mountain in the contiguous United States after Mt. Whitney in California. Mt. Rainier is at 14,417 feet, however a technical climb. Mt. Elbert was not technical, just a long hike. This hike is also special as it will always be a great memory of my Father-in-Law. He passed a couple years ago and I will always remember how fun it was hiking with him. 

Mt. Elbert, August 18, 2007

Sharon and I visited my parents in Colorado a couple weekends ago and spent one of the days hiking up Mt. Elbert.  My Dad had suggested the idea as a suitable challenge for him given that he is in his 60s and rarely does hikes that don't start and end at their house.  Plus, he'd have bragging rights with his friends.  My Mom came along as well, but she has more of a journey rather than destination attitude than my Dad, so she was content to just go as far up as she could make it.  Mt. Elbert is the tallest peak in Colorado and second tallest in the lower 48, but it is a very straightforward hike with a well-maintained trail the whole way.  Also, roads lead to within 4500 ft of the summit.  The two main challenges are dealing with altitude-induced fatigue and getting down before any afternoon thunderstorms hit. 

Mt. Elbert from the road.