The Liebster Award Comes Down to Georgia!

The fantastic couple behind the ultimate bucket list road trip blog, 59 National Parks, has graciously tagged me with The Liebster Award. To steal the explanation from their website, The Liebster Award is a Blogstöcken (Blogstöcken translated means Blog Stick.)  This award has been around for nearly a decade and the idea is to tag bloggers to learn more about them and their blogs.  I absolutely love the idea. Reading Don’s interview was entertaining and helped me get to know him a bit better. I hope my answers to Don’s questions will help you get to know me better. Scroll past this interview to meet my nominations for The Liebster Award.

1. What steps do you take to minimize the chances of getting lost on the trail?

Frankly, I usually just take someone smarter than me. (my partner)

2. What three things do you pack for camp to assure your safety?

First Aid Kit, Phone, and a former paramedic (my partner)

3. What is the one thing that you take camping to contribute to your comfort?

Pillows. I’ll sleep on the hard ground. But, not without a pillow.

4. What campouts do you have planned for the balance of 2014?

For July, I’ll be camping Stone Mtn Park  In August, I’ll probably stay home–get real, who wants to camp the south in August? September is our annual camp in the Chattahoochee National Forest. I’m shooting for a trip to Rhode Island, to visit my friend, in October. Hopefully, I’ll see Cumberland Island & Okefenokee, once again, in November. And, although it’s up in the air–A camp in Everglades National Park for December would be the ultimate Christmas Gift!

5. What is the funniest thing that ever happened to you or a companion at camp?

My sons, 3 & 4 at the time, used the hood of oldest’s coat to collect pine cones for throwing in the camp fire. My youngest didn’t exactly understand the concept. He picked up the hood and threw it, along with all the pine cones, into the fire. He was very pleased with the effect it had on the fire. But, my oldest was quite disappointed with the whole situation. Poor guy. Still, I laughed my butt off.

6. Describe the camp where you saw the most different types of wildlife. What did you see?

I’d have to say Cumberland Island National Seashore. We were able to view wild horses, raccoons, a variety of crabs & lizards, as well as birds of many types and other creatures. Or maybe, Everglades National Park. In the Everglades, we met American Alligators and the even creepier Crocodiles. We watched people cover their cars with tarps in a vain attempt to protect them from vultures determined to remove the tarps and eat the rubber from vehicles. There was a wide variety of birds such as herons, anhingas, ducks and more. Ieven took several photos of different types of spiders.

7. How important do you regard photography to the success of the hikes you take?

I have no idea what is meant by this. But, I enjoy photography.. One of my favorite things to do is just randomly point the camera, without looking in the viewfinder, and snapping “surprise” shots. Sometimes, they come out pretty awesome. I am, by no means, serious about photography as one of the main reasons for me to visit any location. It’s sort of just an added bonus to get cool photos.

8. Have you ever lost something while hiking or camping that you valued or that was valuable? What was it?

I had a pair of awesome Wigwam socks, a very special sentimental gift. Well, they got wet and my partner thought putting them underneath a portable firepit would help dry them out. Did it ever?! They were toasted. ;-\ Fortunately, socks are generally inexpensive and replaceable. But, it hurt to lose something with such sentimental value.

9.  Describe a typical camping snack, lunch or dinner.

For meals, I just throw stuff in a pot and cook it on the campstove. Ramen noodles mixed with tuna fish or some sort of pasta with sauce and some summer sausage. Snacks are usually clif bars, trail mix, sandwiches, bananas, anything portable.

10. Why do you blog about your hiking and camping experiences?

I suppose I would like to introduce more families to enjoying the outdoors the way we do.. I’d like to show folks what’s out there, what you can learn from it, how to get there, where to go and where to not go LOL.

11. Do you enjoy hiking and camping with children? Why or why not?

I absolutely love it. This year actually marks a decade since our first camping trip as a family. At that time, J Bear was just a baby in diapers. They see the world in such a different way and it’s fun to explore planet earth with a fresh set of eyes. Not to mention, I feel like I’m helping them develop a sense of adventure that will last their lifetime.

Thanks, Don, for this opportunity. I did have to alter the questions, substituting the word “camp” for hike,” to make them slightly easier for me to answer.

My Nominations for The Liebster Award

In a way, I’m nominating my State of Georgia for the Liebster Award! All of my nominations are Georgia Moms who love family travel and fun adventures. In no particular order, here they are! View instructions for nominated bloggers below the list. 

1.  365 Atlanta Family

2. Field Trips with Sue

3. Product Review Mom

4. Headband for Today

5. Saver in the City

6. All Things Lifestyle

7. Atlanta’s Frugal Mom

8. Stress Free Baby

9. My Mommy Reads – Liebster Award Post

10. Keystrokes by Kimberly

11. Kathy’s Cluttered Mind

Steps for nominated bloggers:
1. Copy + Answer the interview below
2. Create your own interview questions + nominate 11 bloggers for the Liebster Award
3.Post 1 & 2 to your own blog
4. Return here to share the link to your interview & I will link it up, here. 🙂 

1. Have you ever planned an entire family vacation around something your child wanted to do or learn?

2. What destination has provided your family with the most enriching experiences? Tell us why it was special.

3. What are some major contributing factors to making or breaking your family vacations?

4. Give us some details about how you discover interesting stops & attractions for your family travel? Are there specific websites or guides you love to use for this?

5. When your family gets restless in the car, express dislike of accomodations, or bickering begins; how do you nip negativity from your trip?

6. In your opinion, what constitutes an adventure? Must adventures include thrills, hints of danger, stepping out of your comfort zone or is it more about learning something new and becoming more aware?

7. Name a few of your favorite ways to connect with nature & enjoy the great outdoors as a family.

8. What’s your go-to Georgia Attraction for a day of Family Fun?

9. When you want to connect with nature, to which GA State Park do you run?

10. Do you do “staycations?” Tell about the best Georgia Staycation you’ve had with your family.

11. What do you love most about living & blogging in Georgia?

 

4 thoughts on “The Liebster Award Comes Down to Georgia!

Leave a Reply to Candy Cook Cancel reply