Appalachian Trail (Pawling, NY, USA)

While road-tripping from NYC to Niagara Falls across NY state in the USA we found out about the Appalachian Trail which was just a little bit out of our initial route. We thought a short stop and a quick taste of this historical trail would definitely be better than nothing so we found a 2-mile-long hike in a small town called Pawling. It was a very misty rainy day with a bit of thunder and so we didn't get to see the views from the top of the trail but the atmosphere and layers of fog created an unforgettable experience for sure. (Set to HD 1080 on bottom right when watching the video)

Appalachian Trail stretches from Maine to Georgia (around 2,180 miles long) and takes months to complete. It crosses 14 states with the longest mile length across Virginia. A must-explore for me and you.

*be adventure*

Pembrokshire, S. Wales (Day 1)

I've been quiet lately as it's the busy time of the year - Summer Summer time! The good news though is that it's travelling time - action time in the outdoors. I am so so excited about what this summer has on its plate for me and when I'm excited I struggle to concentrate, sit down and put it all in words. But I'll try..

hiking in Pembrokshire

The big travels of Summer 2014 kicked off on Easter weekend with a trip to Wales - the South West part of the UK that always leaves me in awe no matter where we go. We tend to visit Wales each year and this time it was time for Pembrokshire in S. Wales which is known for its magnificent rocky beaches - ideal for hikers like myself.

It was time to start camping season as well.. we thought. And we did! The Celtic Camping and

hike to the Blue Lagoon

Bunkhouse had it all - great facilities, attentive and helpful owner, lots of space, camp fires and the most amazing views I've ever seen in my camping career. I picked a spot right in the middle of a huge green field to have the best view of the sea and the Blue Lagoon. Why do we have to follow everyone else and try to shelter our tents, I thought, when we can have the most romantic spot all to ourselves. And even having least sleep ever throughout my camping career due to cold winds blowing from all sides I still do not regret my decision (Becky, Huw, Vaida - sorry.. and thank you for your sacrifice :]). Anyway, after setting our tents up we followed the advice of Ian (the owner) and headed toward the Blue Lagoon. I wanted to capture all the beauty around us: rock formations drifting into the sea along the hiking trail, sheep fur decorating plants and fences across the whole area like cotton candy, bright yellow, orange and brown colours of the rocks at the lagoon, wet water flora and fauna revealing itself on the low tide.. it was obvious - I missed being in nature a lot.

on the way to the Blue Lagoon

the Blue Lagoon

The sun was setting down so it was time to start our camp fire and get our dinner cooking. Oh, how I love the smell of burning wood.. It was a perfectly clear night sky with gazillions of stars looking down on us and us lying on our backs just staring into space and feeling so small and yet so very special at the same time. True happiness filled my heart in that moment of having very little but everything that really matters - peace of mind, friends, family and excitement for what the future brings. It was a perfect ending to our perfect first day in Pembrokshire.