Ryan and I were so excited not to have any commitments at all this weekend for the first time in months.
Neither of us can remember the last time we didn’t have one legitimate commitment on our weekend calendar, so it felt fantastic to be completely free today.
We decided to make the most of our free time and take advantage of one of the nearby hiking trails.
We loved hiking when we lived in Orlando, but had to drive a good distance to get to some quality trails like those at Weikwa Springs. Moving to horse country has its perks and a plethora of hiking trails are only a short distance from our house!
At the recommendation of a park ranger, we first completed the Swamp trail which was a two-mile loop that led out to a boardwalk overlooking Silver Springs.
The springs are absolutely gorgeous. The water is crystal clear and you can see the whole way to the bottom of the springs without a problem.
We hope to find kayaks to rent in the area to take out on the water sometime soon.
There was one little hazard lurking near the springs…
Gator!
We saw that guy from the boardwalk, so there wasn’t really a safety concern, but definitely something to be aware of should we ever kayak. Very cool to see!
When the Swamp trail merged into the Sinkhole trail, we decided to follow the trail to add another mile or so to our hike.
In total we completed just under four miles and had a blast.
The trails were gorgeous and the weather was perfect!
After hiking, we came home to grab a quick lunch.
Egg sandwiches for all!
My sandwich included two fried eggs, muenster cheese, tomato, roasted garlic hummus and arugula.
Yum!
We downed our sandwiches, quickly showered and were off again to the movies!
I talked Ryan into seeing Breaking Dawn. I thought the movie was okay. Truth be told, I don’t really love any of the Twilight movies, yet I still have the desire to see them all since I read the books. The birth scene made me feel nauseous! I don’t like seeing anything bloody and watching medical scenes in movies or television shows always make me queasy. Good luck to me during childbirth, huh?
And now I must rush off because we’re heading out to watch a Christmas parade!
Enjoy your night!
Erin @ Girl Gone Veggie says
What a fun hike! I used to live in florida and remember the swimming springs with gator warnings. So scary! Have fun at the parade!
chelsey @ clean eating chelsey says
What a fun afternoon! The Husband and I are just hanging around the house tonight, which is something we really haven’t been able to do lately!
Brooke says
I’m so happy you didn’t like Breaking Dawn! I thought it was so slow and way too dragged out. Only Harry Potter can make a two part movie! I was surprised how bad it was, and how many people still loved it! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Katie says
Sooooo, I didn’t realize that Breaking Dawn was two parts. At the end I literally turned to my friend and said “ummmm….what?”.
Sana says
I love going on hikes!
Roz @ Fit Blogging for Fun, Family & Profit says
Glad you got to the Ocala trails! I’ve only been on the Jeep trails in Ocala, which may or may not have been legal haha! We’ve been to the Wekiva trails which are nice.
I’m pretty sure if I talk about going to Ocala there will be no walking, only jeepin’ and getting muddy haha.
Elizabeth says
Oh my—lookout childbirth! e
Anna @ Acquainted With The Night says
You know, I NEVER watched any of the Twilight movies, except for this Breaking Dawn…and I liked it [surprisingly!]
Maybe it has a lot to do with Robert Pattinson…and his whole being [hair, clothes ect.] but who knows! 😀
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says
That sounds like a fun day! Today was the first weekend in months I haven’t had to fit a long run in or worry about training so I spent it decorating my house and baking cookies 🙂 It’s nice to have nothing on the agenda for once!
Janine @The Purple Giraffe says
I don’t remember the last time Aaron and I didn’t have a commitment on the weekend… maybe next weekend? That’ll likely change though. Anyway, looks like you guys had an awesome day! Perfect hike, perfect weather! We went hunting for a Christmas tree today, 4″ of snow up here!
Ellie@fitforthesoul says
oh how fun!! I’ve been dying to go hiking!! Especially today. I bet Sadie had the time of her life! 😛
Katelyn @ Chef Katelyn says
Sadie is such a freaking cutie. I miss my pup!
I am so envious that you two have beautiful, warm-weather trails nearby. The one thing I miss most about the warm months is hiking! We have a trail with a waterfall nearby where I had one of my first dates — seriously perfect.
Sabrina says
I love hiking around our state parks. My brother lives super close to Wekiva Springs, so I wander over there quite frequently.
Your egg sandwich’s always leave me wanting one too.
Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife says
I love hiking! So pretty 🙂
Have fun tonight!
Teresa says
What ever happened to the Vegas rock n roll half marathon you planned?
peanutbutterfingers says
the summit i was going out there for was canceled and since i was planning on help from them with my travel expenses, i had to pull out for financial reasons. i was really bummed!
Brittany @ GOtheXtraMile says
Hiking is so much fun! Not something I do often, but when you actually get to do it once it a while, it’s a great change of pace.
Allison says
haha! I am right there with you! I can’t even watch greys anatomy without feeling nauseous. I had to step outside during the preg scene in breaking dawn… and my friends made fun of me.
Mattie @ Comfy & Confident says
My boyfriend and I just went to see Breaking Dawn. I am a huge fan of the Twilight series, it brings out the child in me. It makes my imagination run wild and I believe in fairy-tales and true love. But, I have to say, of the three movies Breaking Dawn was my least favorite. It felt really slow and nothing was really accomplished. If I hadn’t read the books I would of been so confused. Here’s to hoping part II is better!
Kristin says
I do a double take everytime I see you in shorts! A bit colder up here in Minnesota! Have a great weekend!
Jessica @ The Process of Healing says
I agree… I love the Twilight books but the movies? Eh. Yet I still HAVE to see them!
Emily says
What a gorgeous hike!
I definitely agree on the Twilight series- the books are WAY better than the movies.
I’m glad you’re enjoying your relaxing weekend. 🙂
Kat @ Balance & Spice says
We took a hike around my partner’s neighborhood in Brisbane. It was such fun, seeing the wild birds, fauna and trees in Australia that are just a part of the suburb!
OntarioGirl says
I’m with you, I get nauseous and queasy with anything bloody and I’m so bad that if I cut myself (even a little cut) I feel like I’m going to faint and HAVE actually fainted haha oh childbirth will be looooads of fun lol
I haven’t seen Breaking Dawn yet but have heard the childbirth scene is pretty bloody and scary.
Rebecca @ Naturally Healthy and Gorgeous says
What a gorgeous hike! I wish we had more hiking around here!
Allison says
My Dear and I went for a walk yesterday, too- it was our first “big” walk since we moved into our new apartment! New surroundings are always so fun to explore 😀
Julia says
Weird question but….how much does Sadie weigh. I see you often picking her up and wondered how heavy she was. Reason I ask is because I’m looking into getting the same kind of dog….so freaking cute!
Emily @ Perfection Isn't Happy says
Eh, gators….that would scare me away from the water!
Katy Widrick says
We took our dogs on that same hike about a year ago and it was AWESOME — until we got home and found about a dozen ticks on them! Still cool, though. Makes me miss New England, where the hikes are h-i-k-e-s. Like, for realz.
Lindsay says
I LOVE how Sadie stands up for all your family pictures! She’s so cute she’s like a lil person
Sharan says
A gator!?!? Wow, that is so cool. I’m from Vancouver (bears, mountain lions, and that sort of thing) so I can’t even fathom seeing an alligator! Have you seen one before?
Amber K says
I can’t stand bloody scenes either. That’s why I don’t even try to watch them. Blech!
Rebecca says
I feel the same way about anything medical. Yuck.
jane says
don’t worry about when you give birth, you can’t see all the gooey stuff, plus you will be too busy focusing on your breathing 🙂
Monica says
I said almost exactly the same thing about seeing the Twilight movies. I read the books, so I feel compelled to see all the movies! 🙂