So this past weekend my husband and I had planned to go hiking up in Cloudland Canyon, Georgia. Unfortunately due to a late morning start and the threat of oncoming rain we decided maybe this weekend wasn’t the best option. However I still wanted to get outside, so we decided to explore our own backyard!
One of my favorite things about living in Georgia is our proximity to some great hiking. Multiple hikes along Appalachian trail are only about a two hour drive away, but we actually have some pretty good options a bit closer to home as well. I have lived in Kennesaw for almost half a year now and as I had yet to hike Kennesaw Mountain, I decided this seemed like a pretty good opportunity! So after some homemade pancakes, we changed and headed out to drive (all of 10 minutes) to the park. The sun was still on it’s way up so it created some beautiful lens flare opportunities. I am a sucker for some good lens flare.
Kennesaw Mountain is pretty quick hike, only about 2 miles round trip. However it offers some great views of Atlanta in the far off mist and the untouched nature in the middle of a suburban area always takes me back to how we lived way before cell phones were attached to our hands. Actually, on that note I make a point to always hike with my DSLR or point-and-shoot and leave the cell phone behind. It’s good practice to give ourselves a chance to wind down and reconnect with God’s beautiful creation.
The other part I enjoyed about this hike was the history. Kennesaw Mountain is part of Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield National Park. The mountain figured into a few clashes during the Civil Warm, so throughout the trails their are signposts marking historic locations or events and even a few cannons. They even have some re-enactments at certain times of the year. It may not have been my main plan for the day, but it was definitely a nice change of pace and a great opportunity to check out something that I usually just take for granted as I drive by it on a daily basis. Always find the silver linings in your rain delays!
