Labor Day

The Pinnacles, Berea, Kentucky

For Labor Day, I was in the mood to labor, or in other words, go on a family hike, since our days left with Aubrey were numbered.  

Plus, I wanted to explore Kentucky the way I explored Utah and Idaho during our summer trip. So Aubrey suggested we hike The Pinnacles in Berea. A hike that she did a few months earlier with the YSA's.

I thought that sounded like an excellent idea, especially since I loved the quaint little artisan town of Berea, nestled in the rolling hills of southern Kentucky.

 The Pinnacles were everything I hoped they would be. After a little cloud burst, and getting some water and food into Aubrey, it was a lovely hike.

Breck couldn't help but attempt the Tarzan yell, as he stood on the rocky edge of a cliff. 

  

Then he just had to get a little closer to the edge of the rocky cliff.

I suddenly had flashbacks of taking him hiking when he was little. I moved further away so he wouldn't stress me out, or think I didn't trust him (even though he was now 17 years old!).

 

But like all good mamma's, I kept an eye on him from afar. 

Merinda then decided she wanted to venture out to the edge of a cliff.

 

But at least she was a little more cautious.

Aubrey joined her,

as the two of them soaked in the view below.

Ahhh, bonding as a family as we bask in nature. It just doesn't get any better than this! 

 It was then time for me to muster up enough courage to sit next to the girls, so we could all bond together.

Merinda became so comfortable with her surroundings, that she decided to curl up and take a nap, right on the edge of the cliff. That's about the time I decided to it was time to move on.

   

  

 

 Luckily, most of the trail was well marked, shaded, and not too steep (depending on the way you go).

 

We stared on the East Pinnacle trail first, because I read (I'm such a nerd) that was the least difficult way to go. 

Either way there was plenty to see under the forest's foliage umbrella, 

and along the jetting cliffs overlooking green farmlands of Berea.

Even the clouds added to every perfectly landscaped canvas.

We decided to eat lunch at the next picturesque vantage point, which wasn't far.

This was as close as I dared get to the edge.

 

The kids just sat in silence as they ate, and took it all in.

 

Until I ruined things by sitting next to them with my camera still in my hands. Breck was a little tired of the "eating action pictures".  

But I was really spying on the people sitting on the rock adjacent to us.

So we just all had to turn and stare.

And sure enough, I was right. We knew those people! They were friends of ours and Aubrey from the YSA Branch. It was fun bumping into Shayanne atop the Pinnacles. What a small world!

They had a great set-up, and it looked like they might be there for awhile, so we decided to move on.

 

 Each viewing point was more beautiful than the one before it. 

 Every solitary tree making its way through the rock, seemed to have a story to tell.

We had become one with our surroundings, and it was glorious indeed.

 

  Even Aubrey, who had been there before, right at sunset no less, couldn't help but take more pictures.

It had been a long day (we went to the movies earlier in the day),

 

  and the kids were getting a little punchy, so we decided to hurry to the trail that would take us to the West Pinnacle.

  It didn't seem too far away...

 

unless you get lost, and wander around in circles, on obscure trails (the West side was definitely not as well marked as the East).  

I tried to talk the kids into going with me to find the right trail to the West Pinnacle, 

 

but I was out numbered!

 

Even bribing them with a Blizzard from Dairy Queen...

could not convince them to finish the hike! 

 Aghhhhh, I'm so soft!!!!

It was the kid's perfect ending to Mom's (my) almost perfect day!