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Vibration

James River Pipeline

Close your eyes and feel the vibration ✨ Mother Earth 🌏 is magical. There are so many places you can sit and recharge. That’s the beauty of Lazy In Nature™️. You don’t have to just hike or camp, nor do you have to wear workout gear to take a long walk. You just have to go out into nature just be.

After a long walk, I was able to sit on the narow metal walkway and watch the sunset 🌅while listening to the water rapids. Twenty-five mins later, my butt started to hurt from the vibration of the powerful train that passed overhead. Or maybe it hurt because I wore that thin [bleep] dress 👗. Hahaha!

It doesn’t matter. I just pulled myself up and continued to look up at the moving train. Man, it was LOUD!! It was so loud, I decided to yell and howl like a wolf. My friend was only a few steps away and had no clue I was being silly making wolf sounds.  Heck, that’s the beauty of nature and life. You can be free, wild, and feel the vibration on your butt 😂

James River Rapids
CSX Train Tracks James River

What was the last silly thing you did in nature? 

Embrace the journey

Hugs, 

Nature’s Girl, aka Charlene Bell

📍James River Park Pipeline, Virginia 

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Nature is a Bad Ass

The day started with a shopping spree to the Dollar Store. Man, I was balling! My green hand basket carried Sweet Tarts, Lemon Heads, two bags filled with mini boxes of Nerds candy, and a pack of Starburst. I could not forget the chocolate, so I grabbed a few bags of mini Sneaker bars, Heresy Kisses, and a Twix. I don’t even like Twix! I think I put it in the basket because 1. It felt fun to pick up so much candy without the voice of judgment. 2. Everything was a dollar! 

After I become more hyper from popping Sweet Tarts, I decided to plug the address to Natural Chimneys Park into the GPS. to see how far a drive it was. It was an hour and fifty minutes from Roanoke, VA. Done!! I put on some music to rock out to, and that made the drive pretty easy.   

Enjoying Every Moment of Nature’s Creation

Once I arrived, I was in awe.  I did not expect the towers to look so tall. You have to see it to appreciate the majestic splendor of the rock towers because my pictures cannot share the vibrations I felt onsite. The area had acres of well-manicured green grass, a medium campsite, and a few hiking and walking trails. I felt like a happy kid ready to run barefoot across the plush grass. I also wanted to hike and touch every rock in sight, so I had to decide to wear my boots from the car. I spent a few hours exploring, sitting, and journaling in my hiking journal. 

Lastly, I had the opportunity to watch the sunset. This moment was magical. As I gazed at the sky from the near top of the towers, it felt like one-on-one time with God, the Universe. I closed my eyes occasionally just to whisper the words, thank you. This place is a gem. It does not require a lot of hiking to enjoy some much-needed time in nature. “The spectacular view is a bonus“.

Life Continues on Top of This Tower

Fun fact. 

The seven Natural Chimney towers stand about 120 feet above the pastoral terrain of the Shenandoah Valley. Centuries ago, as the sea receded, the forces of nature carefully etched out a magnificent formation of solid rock. This impressive work of nature attracts people from all over to explore the breathtaking views and embrace the journey.

Nature is a badass!!

 Hugs,

Nature’s Girl, aka Charlene Bell

Location: 94 Natural Chimneys Ln, Mt. Solon, VA 22843

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Shenandoah National State Park (Part 2) – Dark Hollow Falls

Dark Hollow has a parking lot located off Skyline Dr. This parking lot is larger than the lot at Little Stony Man. We parked, got out of the car then looked at the map. We tightened our shoelaces and headed down the trailhead. 

As we hiked down the trail, we stopped. There was a sound of an old rusted door opening. We looked up and around expecting to see a car or something, but nothing but tall trees was in sight. We started walking more and noticed a beautiful stream alongside us. It was small, but the music from it was refreshing. The sound of a door squeaking appeared again. Now more profound into the forest, there is no way that sound could be coming from a car door or road. We stood there a few more moments and listened. OMG!! The trees were making noise. Some of the tall trees that swayed made squeaking sounds. It was mind-blowing. Never before have I ever notice sounds like that coming from trees. As the hike continued, we talked and laughed at the thought of comparing the sound of the trees to an old rusty door opening or closing. 

Steep Stairs Leading to Dark Hollow Fall

The trail continued to descend. We knew the hike back up would be steep and ass burning, but we did not care; we just wanted to explore the waterfall. We approach an area below a flight of stairs that appeared to be a part of the waterfall. Large rocks, trees, and a nice stream of water moving downward. It was a great spot to sit and take it all in. We stayed there for a while, just taking in the beauty and the sound. A few friendly faces passed us, and we even enjoy small talk with a beautiful soul before making our way down to the waterfall.

Once we arrived at the top of the waterfall, we notice a few guys walking across a tree log that stretched across the river. The area was scenic, but I was not interested in the top of the waterfall. I am in love with seeing waterfalls from the bottom up. The view of watching the water rush down different parts of the rocks is epic. We took the steps down to Dark Hollow Falls. The steps were natural rock with a curved handrail for safety. I remember looking to my left, noticing how large the mountain wall appeared. Most of the mountain’s walls were covered with green moss, and other areas had levels of tree roots. My heart began to race from excitement as we got closer to the waterfall. Just as I expected, the waterfall was beautiful! There were rock paths that you could jump onto to gain a forward-facing view of the fall. If the rocks appear dark-colored or wet (Do Not attempt to hop on or cross quickly). Wet rocks are very slippery, and walking on them can become dangerous.

Dark Falls had multiple levels of water tumbling down the rocks. It was magical. We had a great view of this waterfall. However, in my opinion, once the trees fill in, they may cover the view of the top layers of the fall. I sat for a long time before moving forward with my hike. Due to the temperature of the day I visited, there was frozen water on a few rocks and made it too slippery to take a risk crossing to the center lower part of the falls. Overall the hiking experience and the beauty of the waterfall is well worth visiting.

Front View of Dark Hollow Waterfall

I will post in my next blog a few safety tips. We witnessed a parent’s nightmare during this adventure that I will share with you, so stay tuned.

Embrace the journey!

Nature’s Girl, aka Charlene A. Bell

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Shenandoah National State Park

Shenandoah National Park is beautiful and HUGE!!! I am usually excellent at planning where I am going to hike. However, planning to visit Shenandoah was not planned out well at all. First off, the drive time to this national park is over five hours from Charlotte, NC. There is no way you can be in a car for over five hours and enjoy a hike afterward. Second, the temperature change was pretty dramatic from the temperature in NC. Lastly, snacks, snacks, and more snacks are a must-have for this type of adventure.

I was scrolling through Instagram when I came across an alumni picture with the caption; we’ve reached the top of Little Stony Man. The photo was cute! Within seconds I was looking at all the hashtags of Little Stony Man. Most people had either the same or a similar view of the pictures I previously viewed. I phoned a friend to see if they wanted to join me on this hike since my travel time was over five hours; I felt we could explore this adventure together. Once I received the answer yes, I packed a bag. We agreed to leave at 6:30 am. Well. We left about 9 am. Between traffic, breakfast, gas, and bathroom breaks, we arrived at Shenandoah around 4:45 pm. Right! I’m not sure where the time went either. Lol

We arrived at the gate, and the park ranger requested $30. At first, I thought $30 was a lot to enter a park, but then she explained that the fee is suitable for seven days. I still was not sold on the price because I did not plan to stay longer than one night. Well. Who was I kidding? You need serval days for this park because it is enormous! Shenandoah National Park’s scenic roadway is called Skyline Drive. This road follows the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains for 105 miles. At the southern end, it joins the Blue Ridge Parkway, which stretches 469 miles to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Well, the Instagram hashtags did not tell me that. lol

The hiking trails for the desired location may not take long to hike, but the beauty of this park continues for miles. After reviewing the map, I wanted to see Dark Hollow Waterfall. There are a few waterfalls throughout the park, but I choose Dark Hollow because it had multiple layers of water pouring down each level of the rock. To reach Dark Hollow, you have to drive 19 miles through the park, passing Little Stony Man mountain. I thought this would be great. We would hike Little Stony Man, then hike down to view Dark Hollow Fall. 

As we were approaching the opening of Mary Rock Tunnel, my eyes became wide. The stoned tunnel was beautiful. I pulled over, ready to hoop out the car and take a picture until I was interrupted by a car horn—WT heck.  Approaching the tunnel from the north gate entrance, there was no place to pull out the road safely. I was forced to navigate through the tunnel without one picture. On the other side of the tunnel, there is space to pull over to the left to enjoy the scenic view. The tension crept in a little because I started to feel we should have arrived in Virginia the evening before so that we could have woke up early and just hiked.

We were racing against the sky becoming dark, and we had another unexpected moment. It was cold as hell!!! Mind you. When I left Charlotte, NC, the weather was 70 plus degrees, and my hair was sitting pretty. Not in Shenandoah. The temperature dropped to a cold 50 degrees, and the wind was having a party! The wind slapped my hair around like paper flying through the air, and it hit my eyes, causing tears to run down my face for no reason.

My friend decided to change pants and ignore my urgent request for a picture in front of the tunnel. Boy, did that start an argument. I wanted photos taken before my hair looked like I was in a street fight, and my friend just wanted to get warm and enjoy the view. I believe we were both hungry and tired because we rarely argue in nature. After the long drive, we needed to get out of the car to stretch our legs. But, after getting hit with the wind chill, we wanted to get back in the car and blast the heat. Within seconds of being outside, the wind chill hit your bones. Our faces and hands became very cold, and we both took on a nice little attitude. 

About 30-40 mins later, we recovered from the arguments and decided to stay another day or two to tour Dark Hollow Falls and Little Stony Man Mountain. The next day we woke up early, and the weather was cold and windy. We had to purchase warmer clothes, water, and some snacks to ensure we did not become too hungry and get into another fight. Once we arrived at the entry gate, we had to show the receipt then we were on our way. We approached the tunnel, looked at each other, and laughed since we argued the day before near the tunnel. The tunnel had a new look. It had ice hanging from the top and the right side. We could not believe the temperature dropped enough to freeze water that ran down the side of the tunnel. We drove slowly down Skyline Drive with the radio turned off, taking in the beauty of our surroundings. 

Marys Rock Tunnel

Little Stony Man

Excited to see the parking area for Little Stony Man, we pulled over to a small parking area that could hold about 6 to 8 cars, including mine. We grabbed our backpacks, hiking sticks, and our face mask. It was so cold our face mask became our face warmer.

Rocky Terrain

The first scenic view is .9 miles, and the terrain is a little rocky. It has a few small natural stones you would have to step over. There is a little steepness headed to the highest point, but overall it is a beautiful easy hike. From time to time, make sure to look up. The mountain walls are beautiful. Some are covered with green moss, and others have the glow of the sun. 

We headed to the top to enjoy Little Stony Man Views & Stony Man Summit. The view was stunning! To the right, you could see the road Skyline Drive. The rest of the view was spectacular, filled with trees and mountains. The sky was blue with large gray and white clouds. The wind gust was between 14-22 mph. The wind was so strong it made it hard to get closer to the edge. We played it safe and stayed back a few feet. It was freezing cold at the top. However, my friend and I sat in different areas of the mountain and spent time with God. The experience was rewarding to our souls.

Skyline Drive View from Little Stony Man

I will catch you up on my experience hiking Dark Hollow Fall in part 2 of my blog. 

I encourage you to spend some extra time planning a trip to Shenandoah National Park. 

-DO NOT just look up Little Stony Man Mountain. 

-Go with a friend that can handle a good argument but can recover quickly and live on love.

Embrace the journey!! 

Much love,

Nature’s Girl, aka Charlene A Bell

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Natural Bridge State Park

If you are looking for a spectacular view and a place to excite your soul, Natural Bridge is the place to go! Natural Bridge State Park is a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Charlotte, NC, and it is so worth it. This location is visually beautiful, and you do not have to endure a strenuous hike to embrace this beauty. I am not a big fan of visiting a place just to take a few pictures and leave. I am all about embracing the moment and dancing in the presence of the now. Natural Bridge is beautiful; however, this 215-foot tall natural bridge is also powerful. Once I walk through the bridge, slowly taking in each level and intimate design of the stone, it felt like my charkas lit up.

Natural Bridge State Park

My pace slowed as each breath became deeper. Before I could think about it, my eyes closed, and I chanted, thank you, thank you, thank you. The feeling was energetic but calming. My heart was filled with gratitude, and there was no way I could rush through that moment. Other people were walking by taking pictures, but the moment held my gaze as if the bridge was placed there only for me to connect with it.

Nature Bridge has four trails. We took the Cedar Creek Trail. This trail is less than two-mile-long and dead-ends into a stunning view of Lace Falls. Cedar Creek Trail travels along the Lost River. You cannot help stopping to sit along this stream to just breathe.

Stillness in The Moment

Along the trail, you can stop off to enter Salt Peter Cave. This stop was beautiful and exciting. It was my first time entering an actual cave. I was blown away by the temperature change as you walk deeper into the cave towards the rear walls. There was a cool breeze that caused me to want a thin jacket. But it did not force me to spend less time exploring the cave.

Salt Peter Cave

Another thing I really enjoyed while walking the trail was the butterflies. There were so many yellow and black butterflies flying along the path overlooking the water. It appeared as if they were playing tag. 

Lace Falls

I encourage you to take a day trip or plan to stay the night near Natural Bridge so you too can embrace the journey. You will enjoy a fantastic experience that could last you a lifetime.

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Zip-Lining in Nature

Are you building memories in nature? Tuesday, it was about 80 degrees in Charlotte, NC. While driving down Wilkinson Blvd. listening to music, enjoying the warm wind blowing through my windows and the cool air from my AC, I felt a hard jerk from my stirring wheel and heard a loud sound. Within seconds my dashboard lit up, showing all four tires of my car and an alert to put air in my rear right tire. I was in a bit of shock because I could not figure out what happened. I pulled to the left lane to observe my tire. Yup! It was flat. I thought WTH just happened? Next, I noticed I was in the left turning lane and needed to pull to a safe location. Once I was safe, I looked at the clock and noticed it was after two pm. I had a four o’clock zip-lining appointment that was an hour and thirty mins from Charlotte. There was no way I would miss that appointment to wait for AAA to arrive one to two hours later, so I did what I had to do. I popped the trunk, took out the spear tire, turned on Facebook Live, and changed my tire. Eleven minutes later, I was on the road heading to Asheboro, NC, to zip-line.

I have never been zip-lining, so I was scared and excited. Once I arrived, I noticed the beautiful trees, two bright blue port potties, and a small wooden cabin. From the gravel, I could not see the zip lines. I walked into the cabin and said hello to a sweet lady who instructed me on waiver signing, gear, and rules. The staff was full of great energy. Next, it was time zip-line. My first push was a little scary, but after gliding through the air, I wanted more. We zip-lined about ten different lines and took a five-minute break at the beautiful Mendenhall Falls along the Richland Creek. The view of the large rocks covered in moss and the sound of the water was breathtaking. Lastly, we zip-lined some more in different locations and crossed about three sky bridges. The longest zip-line was over 1400 feet long! Wow, that was fun. I had a great experience, and I am grateful for the opportunity to embrace the journey of zip-lining and sitting in nature, reflecting on being safe from harm. It would have been easy to compliant, cancel my plans and be mad about my busted tire. I felt nature is healing, and spending time zip-lining and sitting by the waterfall was confirmation of nature’s greatness. 

Location:

Richland Creek Zip-lining Canopy Tour LLC, Asheboro, NC 27205