Alabama the Beautiful

Having lived most of our lives on the Gulf Coast in the Florida Panhandle, we may have not realized just how beautiful the state of Alabama truly is -- even though the two states share a border.

After moving to Alabama and finding that we love hiking, we actually began leading hiking groups. Yes, in our 60's we are still involved in these hiking "small groups" which are part of our church's small group ministry. The opportunity to hike the Point Rock to Jim Lynn Overlook trail at this historic area in Alabama called Buck's Pocket State Park offered another camping adventure with Honey the Moonlander. Add to this that we were celebrating Chris' birthday and it was a win-win!

This particular state park was once home to the Cherokee people, prior to the Trail of Tears forced migration. As we are both of mixed Native American ancestry, including Cherokee, we find visiting such sites emotional. Another interesting fact about Buck's Pocket State Park is that it is located in three northern Alabama counties (DeKalb, Jackson and Marshall).

As we reached the rim's viewing area, we discovered rock climbers were working their way up the canyon walls. Interested in climbing this area? Take a look at the Southeastern Climbers Coalition at https://www.seclimbers.org/project/buckspocket/

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Camping in our Moonlander means preparing yummy meals outdoors, packing in our own water from the cabin's well back home, and tuning in to our church service when we're away for a full weekend. We even had a little visitor to our campsite.

One of the best times at a campsite is nighttime. Wouldn't you agree Honey looks pretty inviting after a day filled with hiking trails, rock scrambling, switchbacks and invigorating conversations with friends?