• about me
  • contact me
  • Toast Tuesday
  • recipes
  • Healthier at Home in 2020

Lula Harp

~ one girl's journey into cooking, crafting and self discovery

Lula Harp

Tag Archives: summer

Solo Adventures

14 Wednesday Aug 2019

Posted by Lula Harp in vacation

≈ Comments Off on Solo Adventures

Tags

breweries, Brushy Mountain, distilleries, Gatlinburg, road trip, solo, summer, Tennessee, Travel, vacation, waterfalls

I’m part of a fb group for women solo travelers. Most of what is posted is all about far off adventures and leaving their own continent. While that’s awesome, getting out in your own backyard can be just as fun and beneficial for the soul. This is just a few of the things I did, and that occurred to me, while I was tooling through the backroads of rural Tennessee.

I just got back from a road trip plus family vacation. The road trip part was just for me. Whenever I travel for family trips, I do research to see what’s in the area that I want to do. I found all sorts of things along the way to checkout. I took two days to drive the distance everyone else rushed to do in one.

I have a fun family, but we do all have different things we are interested in. This particular trip, we went to Gatlinburg, TN. Not somewhere I would have ever picked to go. I got on the google and found things I wanted to see in the area and was able to get out for a few solo adventures, as well as be the guide for a few family outings. Ultimately, as long as you come back together at the end of the day, it’s a win.

Don’t be afraid to take some time for yourself. Leave mom at home with the siblings or the baby while you get out for a hike they have no interest in. If your family is easily offended, sell it like you are doing this for their benefit. I really want to make sure you have some time with brother so y’all can talk about his recent breakup.

You can also travel solo without even leaving town. Get dressed up and dine at a restaurant you’ve been wanting to try. While dining and food is generally a communal experience, eating out alone is self esteem building and you get to try what YOU want. There’s no one to judge your choices.

Take a weekend all for yourself. Google something you are interested in, such as antiquing or thrift stores, junk yards, cemeteries, breweries, distilleries, and wineries (that’s mine), diners, public murals… you name it. Find one that is two to three hours away and go the longest, most backroad way you can. If you see something along the way that you want to stop and view, DO IT! This is your trip.

When you read an article in your local or regional magazine, save places of interest. Google has a “want to go” flag. When you are planning your trip, look for that as a starting point for your adventure.

My vacation was 8 days, 4 for me, 4 with them. I hit 4 breweries, 5 distilleries, 2 wineries, a historic prison, a bbq joint, and 2 waterfalls. I also found so many things I need to go back to checkout, including a town that was part of the Manhattan Project, countless antique shops, and more distilleries.

Traveling solo is an empowering, learning adventure. Your goal for traveling solo is your own. Just remember, you don’t have to spend thousands or fly far away to benefit from a little solo travel.

Share the love:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • WhatsApp

Like this:

Like Loading...

Gallery

Wet Whet Thursday

06 Thursday Sep 2018

Posted by Lula Harp in 365project, Memphis

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

luau, Memphis, Metal Museum, river, summer, sunset

This gallery contains 6 photos.

Our local Metal Museum does a monthly happy hour with music, beverages, and a food truck. Tonight was a luau …

Continue reading →

Gallery

Staring at sunset

07 Tuesday Aug 2018

Posted by Lula Harp in 365project

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

heron, iphone photos, summer, sunset

This gallery contains 1 photo.

A great day with a great ending.

Gallery

What ya got for me?

02 Thursday Aug 2018

Posted by Lula Harp in 365project

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

deer, dragonflies, horses, Shelby Farms, summer, sunset, walk

This gallery contains 5 photos.

I went for a walk this evening and had my own personal episode of Wild Kingdom.  The horses were hanging …

Continue reading →

A few days

31 Tuesday Jul 2018

Posted by Lula Harp in 365project

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

beer, drink adventurously, Huntsville, mint, missiles, moth, peppers, summer, tomatoes

I find that it’s easier to share things directly on Facebook after I post on the #365photo page and I forget to post them here. So for fb folks, there maybe be some duplication.

I also have a question for my fb friends. I have found in the past, when I have share a link to my blog directly on fb, it doesn’t get many views, but when it posts directly from WordPress, it does better. It is with this revelation, that I’m sad to say WP has changed how they will now post to my facebook profile.

Just as soon as you think you have one thing figured out, it all changes.

Share the love:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • WhatsApp

Like this:

Like Loading...

Evening glow

26 Thursday Jul 2018

Posted by Lula Harp in 365project

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Hyde Lake, Shelby Farms, summer, sunset

This #365photo is a slightly enhanced view from Hyde Lake tonight at Shelby Farms.

Evening glow

Share the love:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • WhatsApp

Like this:

Like Loading...

Happy Tequila Day

24 Tuesday Jul 2018

Posted by Lula Harp in 365project

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

drink adventurously, drink local, small batch, summer, tequila

Nothing better than enjoying a small batch agave spirit on a beautiful evening.

#365photo

Cheers y’all!

Happy Tequila Day

Share the love:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • WhatsApp

Like this:

Like Loading...

The photobomber

23 Monday Jul 2018

Posted by Lula Harp in 365project

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

cat, catnip, photobomb, rosemary, spider, summer

It was the most gorgeous evening.  I went out on the patio with my glass of wine and started looking at my herbs, trying to decide what would be the photo subject of today’s #365photo.  I snapped herbs from different angles, flowers, and bugs.  While texting with my sister, I snapped a quick shot.  I realized there was a common theme in all my photos.

Mama’s little helper.  Can you find the spider that was the actual subject of one of these?

Share the love:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • WhatsApp

Like this:

Like Loading...

Mushroom Monsters

22 Sunday Jul 2018

Posted by Lula Harp in 365project

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

365project, fungi, mushrooms, summer, yard

I was wandering the yard around this morning & found myself in a corner I don’t normally go to. There were quite a few of these fungi in various sizes and arrangements. Mother Nature amazes once again.

I can appreciate the beauty of mushrooms, I just wished they didn’t taste so terrible, not that this one is edible. That’s a general statement about mushrooms… blech

mushrooms all in a row
Mushroom fan
Mushroom foursome
Mushroom monster

Share the love:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • WhatsApp

Like this:

Like Loading...

The sounds of summer

11 Friday Aug 2017

Posted by Lula Harp in summer

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

cicadas, sounds of summer, south, summer

One of the reasons I moved back to the south was to experience summer. Summer in Portland was never long enough to grow beautiful tomatoes, and until recently, was never very warm. Native Oregonian’s would say otherwise, but growing up in the south, summers with 90 degrees plus and oppressive humidity is what we’re accustomed to.  As a result folks here do ridiculous things like let cars idle with the air-conditioner running. Breaks my green little heart.

Upon moving back to the south, I hadn’t realized some of the things that I had missed.  I really missed the sounds of summer, which in the south that means tree frogs, crickets, and cicadas.  It is finally getting cool enough in the evening that I can open the windows at night again.  The sounds of the southern night lulling me to sleep.  Almost like camping, but in my own comfy bed.

While cicadas are supposed to come out every 13 or 17 years, they have been out the last two.  Last summer Ginger kitty brought me several.  So far this year, thankfully, she’s only brought one into the house.  I’m knocking on wood desperately hoping I haven’t just jinxed myself for her to bring me more.  Earlier this summer when I first spotted cicadas, I found a sight that tracked the little buggers.  Now I’m finding this may be just one more effect of global warming and higher temperatures.  Check out this article from Scientific American for more information about the current brood that is hatching four years early.

In case you haven’t had the opportunity to come in contact with a cicada, they go through two distinct phases.  The first of which, they look like a mid-sized marble with a hard shell they slough off.  They emerge from their shell/skin over night and leave an empty carcass.  When they emerge they look like a huge horsefly with a bright green head.  They are also quite LOUD!  At times it’s like someone turned the radio to all static, cranked the volume full, and walked away.

Last night when Coe and I were out for a midnight stroll, we saw this guy in the middle of the sidewalk; a work in progress.  

When we got out for our walk this morning, we saw this dew covered cicada.  I wish I had gotten better pictures of the dew on his wings, but did the best I could with my phone.  Click on the image for a larger view.

36491684605_0f0d3e3d58_z
dew dropped cicada

 

I hope your summer is sounding great. Even if you have to be chained to a desk today, make it a Happy Friday!

 

Share the love:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • WhatsApp

Like this:

Like Loading...
← Older posts

365project about town bacon baking Blogging Blogging University books breakfast cocktails community cooking dating dinner garden girlfriends grilling just a thought Memphis photo challenge photography pizza Portland recipes restaurants Toast Tuesday Uncategorized vacation wordless wednesday words work

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

subscribe

  • RSS - Posts
  • RSS - Comments

Archives

A few of my favorite things

  • MAGDolls
  • New Deal Distillery
  • Pacific Pie Company
  • Shelby Farms Park
  • Take It Outside Fitness
  • The Meadow
  • The Orpheum Theatre
  • Theatre Memphis

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
%d bloggers like this: