Jan 2022: New Year Goodness

Hi hi hi & happy new year! We celebrated NYE with nature, naps & these five gems…

1)     Ringing in 2022 was extra special with some Smoky Mountain magic. We’ve visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park at least 4 or 5 times now & have always found some amazing hikes. This time, Ramsey Cascades blew our socks off. This 8 mile out & back hike culminates with the tallest waterfall in the park. It’s a real leg-burner with 2000 ft elevation gain & some rock scrambling, but the WHOA view is worth it.

2) The promise of Ice Cream Fantasies at The Original Freezo caught my attention as we were driving through Old North Knoxville. It was 9am so we only got to stop for pics, but it just was one more reason I’m loving this area for eats. Also within a 1-mile radius are the drool-worthy baked goods from Wild Love Bakehouse & solid breakfast sandwiches of Paysan Breads. A perfect stop to fuel your Smokies’ hikes.

3)     Long road trips inevitably mean podcasts, as Eric eventually tires of my singing. This week we tuned into People I (Mostly) Admire, featuring John Doerr. I’m on the waitlist to get his book Speed & Scale so this podcast was a good teaser. John talks about climate change & the six big shifts needed to get us to net zero emissions by 2050. Daunting ideas for sure, but I took away a better appreciation of the issues and even some small ways I can help.

4)     More uplifting learning came from Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street. I was quickly mesmerized by this HBO documentary that talked about the origins of the show – including its unique programming to educate kids & the creative genius of Jim Henson, Frank Oz & others. Highlights included early Muppet footage, the backstory of It Isn’t Easy Being Green & re-watching Kermit and Joey sing the alphabet (Cookie Monster!) Recommended for kids of all ages.

5)     Happy accidents happened a couple of times on our trip to the Smokies, including my camera taking its own photos through the mesh of my leggings. Not sure if this was sign for the year ahead but I’ll be on the lookout for more unexpected fun in 2022.