It took us less than 24 hours from the time I arrived in Charlotte to stumble upon an absolutely gorgeous park north of the city in Cornelius, North Carolina.
Inside Jetton Park there’s a shady 1.5 mile loop that includes a bunch of different lookout points over the incredibly picturesque Lake Norman.
As we were walking, I told Ryan that my soul felt happy. I am so thrilled to be in North Carolina and discovering a stunning park like Jetton within 24 hours of my arrival just reiterated in my mind that this place simply fits us.
And Sadie is absolutely lovin’ it, so that’s an added bonus. (Although I’m pretty sure she’d thrive almost anywhere.)
Morning Run + Breakfast
I loved the views from last night’s walk so much that I drove back out to Jetton Park this morning for a five mile run with Sadie.
This was the view I took in as I went through my post-run stretches:
I can’t complain!
By the time we made it back to our hotel, I was more than ready for breakfast. Today’s morning meal was more of a snacky breakfast since we didn’t have too many options in our hotel room.
Greek Yogurt + Cashews + Granola + Dried Mango
That will have to do until I can grab something more substantial at the airport later this morning. I’m off to Vermont today for my very first Wanderlust Festival! See ya from Bondville!
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wanderlust already!! wow i cant wait to hear all about the yoga and the hikes. and the food… 😛
What a gorgeous view! It’s so exciting that you found someplace wonderful on your first day there 🙂
Love that you’re enjoying the area! We hold a 5k there every September for fundraising, always a good time 🙂 We’re thinking of doing maternity pictures up there in a month or so — it’s just so pretty! You should also check out Carrigan Farms — they have a rock quarry that is incredible. You’d love it!
Congrats on your move! Charlotte does seem like a great fit for y’all!
So funny – I’m really bored at work, so I was actually reading through some of your old posts and stumbled upon this one from more than 3 years ago. In it, you express a desire to move to North Carolina. How ’bout that??
https://www.pbfingers.com/2011/04/05/chocolate-peanut-butter-overnight-oats/
What a gorgeous park! I can definitely see how enjoyable running would be in a place like that. How is the heat/humidity compared to Ocala?
Also, I’m dying over Sadie’s face in that 3rd photo. She’s like, “Ooh, look, over there! Come on, Dad, let’s go plaaaay!” Adorable!
That’s such a nice park! How lucky.
I’m so glad that you guys are loving Charlotte already! I’ll admit, partly because I have been hoping to move there (with my best friend) after I finish grad school, and I naturally have some unsure feelings about moving out of state/away from family- it’s a great city though! Hopefully being able to see your transition will help the decision a tiny bit! 🙂
Love how quickly you seem like you’re settling into your new state!!! 🙂
I’ve never been to NC, but always wanted to travel there. Looks like you’ve found yourself a happy home!
What a great place for a run. I’ve never tried dried mango before, but I bet I would love it.
Have fun! Glad you’re enjoying Charlotte so far!
My cousins live in Cornelius and love it! They just went to the first concert of a summer concert series on the green there – it looked awesome! Definitely check it out if you get a chance 🙂
I can understand you so much! I also happen to come across a super beautiful park about 5km away from our house. I went there with my hubby and our pup on Saturday and I was so thrilled! It has a beautiful lake and hills. Oh, and cool training stations spaced out evenly through the park. They even have a climbing rope there. IMAGINE! What I really liked is that there are also little signs with suggested exercises, so you can try something new all the time. Actually that park inspired me so much that I ran there for my first ever 15 km run the following day. Have fun at the festival! <3 xoxo Olena
Beautiful photos! I love Sadie’s poses lol.
beautiful park!! we have not been there yet 😉 Oh love Sadie’s face!!
Lake Norman is so beautiful. Glad y’all are finding great places to hike already!