AdventureswithLily

05/30/2026

🏁🌿 One last Indiana adventure before we close this chapter — and it was absolutely perfect. 🌿🏁
We made the most of our final hiking weekend in Indiana, and we did it in true us fashion — splitting up to chase our own bucket lists. 🙌
While Cory was living his dream at the Indy 500 🏎️🏁 (yes, THAT Indy 500 — bucket list: CHECK ✅), Lily and I hit the trails. And honestly? We had the time of our lives too.
We explored THREE incredible parks, each one completely different from the last:
🌊 Falls Creek Ravine — dramatic, rugged, and absolutely breathtaking
🌳 McCloud Nature Park — a hidden gem that Lily and I claimed as our own girls’ trip stop (Cory, you missed OUT 😄)
🍃 DePauw Nature Park — stunning landscapes that were the perfect final farewell
Every single one delivered something unique. Indiana, you really don’t get enough credit for your nature parks.
We stayed close to Mom and Dad for the weekend, which made the whole thing feel even more special — the perfect mix of family, adventure, and a little racing glory. 🤍
Lily soaked up every single trail like she knew it was her last Indiana hike for a while. 🐾 She is so ready for whatever comes next — and honestly, so are we.
Thank you, Indiana. It’s been a beautiful run. 🌿
📍 Falls Creek Ravine | McCloud Nature Park | DePauw Nature Park
🏁 Also: Indy 500, obviously
Which of the three parks would YOU most want to explore? Drop it below! 👇

05/12/2026

🎉 Mother’s Day Weekend Recap — This One Had It All 🎉
What a weekend. Seriously, where do we even start? 😍
The Move 🏕️
Friday we packed up from Thousand Trails Clinton and landed at Covered Bridge Campground — and we are LOVING it here. Pickleball court, a dog park where Lily has made her new best friends (two Great Danes who show up every day ready to bark and play 😂🐾). There was a wonderful car show at the park Saturday. To top it off, it's only 5 minutes from Mom & Dad’s park who also rolled in Friday. Perfect timing!
The Family 💛
Our daughter Codi came to stay for the weekend and we had the best time with games, laughs, and quality time with Mom & Dad. Dad took the win in Ticket to Ride (he will not let us forget it 😅) and Codi snuck past Mom for the victory in Play Nine! — the drama was REAL. 🃏
The Food 🔥
The Blackstone has been working overtime this weekend turning out some seriously delicious dinners. No complaints at this campsite. Ever.
The Lake & Family Time 🎣
We had the most wonderful visit with Aunt Chris & Uncle Dave — Dave, Dad and I spent the day out on the lake. No keepers, but we were absolutely NOT shut out, and honestly? A bad day fishing still beats just about everything else. Thank you Chris and Dave — we are so grateful! ❤️
The Grand Finale 🍖
Today we drove into Speedway, Indy for lunch at Barbecue & Bourbon with Uncle Kevin and WOW. Just wow. If you have not been — GO. And the chicken livers? Excellent!. 🤤
To all the mamas out there — hope your weekend was as full of love, laughter, and good food as ours was. 💐
Happy Mother’s Day! 🌸
Who did you spend your Mother’s Day weekend with? Drop a ❤️ below!
👉 Follow along as we live, travel, and make memories full time on the road!

05/10/2026

Trails 3 & 5 at Turkey Run State Park are Lily approved.🐕

She started off a little unsure on the muddy trail and wading the creek but the moment that sealed it? Wading through the creek turned into a full-on swim. 😅 No ladders today, but plenty of stairs, stunning canyon scenery, and one very happy, very filthy pup who earned every bit of it.
The suspension bridge? Gorgeous. The creek crossing? Apparently Lily’s personal highlight reel.
She came home exhausted, muddy from nose to tail… and went straight into the bath. 🛁🤣
10/10 would hike again. Lily gives it two muddy paws up. 🐾🐾

05/10/2026

We were cruising the backroads around Rockville, IN when I mentioned it was strange we hadn’t spotted any covered bridges yet. Cory had no idea what I was even talking about — so I pulled up a photo to show him.
Not. Five. Miles. Later.
There it was. 😂
And let me tell you… Cory was NOT thrilled about driving through it. 😅 Something about a century-old wooden tunnel is a hard no for him.
What he doesn’t know yet is that Parke County, Indiana is home to more covered bridges than anywhere else in the country — over 30 of them tucked into these gorgeous backroads. We may have only just gotten started. 👀

05/03/2026

Admiral's Log:
Adventure unlocked: Shades State Park did NOT disappoint. 🌿🐾
We went chasing waterfalls — and we actually caught them. 🏞️💦
Shades State Park is an absolute hidden gem, and today it delivered everything: rugged trails, lush canyon views, and yes — ladders. Our girl Lily tackled not one, but TWO of them like the fearless trail dog she is. 🐕‍🦺⬆️ We couldn’t be more proud of her!
If you’re looking for a hike that actually feels like an adventure — not just a walk in the woods — Shades is the move. The waterfall payoff is 100% worth every muddy step.
📍 Shades State Park, Indiana
🐾 Dog-friendly (and apparently ladder-friendly too)
💧 Waterfall status: successfully chased & found
Drop a 🐾 if your dog would attempt the ladders, or a 😅 if they’d absolutely refuse. We need to know which camp your pup is in!
👇 Save this post if you’re adding Shades to your hiking bucket list!

04/30/2026

04/27/2026

We had amazing Saturday adventures. We started with a hike at Clifty Falls State park with a short detour for Amish market on the way. After the hike, we ventured to Madison to explore and wander the historic downtown area. This is now one of our favorite towns. There were a lot of cute shops, good food and drink options and a river walk along the Ohio River. It is a very dog friendly town so Lily loved it!

04/20/2026

We are all loving Batesville. It's convenient for lots of adventures and the Indiana grass is a favorite for Lily. The campground is huge and they have a golf cart parade every Saturday night. Last weekend, we found a local winery for good food, wine and views! We've enjoyed exploring Cincinnati a few times. Jungle Jim's and Findlay Market are must visits if you're in the area.

04/14/2026

Late post for our 2 weeks in Missouri. We loved Big Creek RV Park in Annapolis, MO. They had a petting zoo, great walking trail and fresh eggs 😊. We enjoyed the exploring we were able to fit in. We even hiked to Missouri's highest point. As always Lily enjoyed all of the outdoor adventures and was very curious about all of the farm animals. Pepper is living her best life with her new heated pad that sits on Cory's desk 😂

11/17/2025

LOLA- Living Our Life’s Adventures

It’s been a great couple weeks here in Mickeys back yard. We hear the fireworks every night! We can confirm our pond has a baby alligator that sits out on the sunny days.
Shasta had a great trip to see her sister but the government shutdown and weather made flying home a challenge. Lily and I were low key and eating at the local places mom can’t.

This weekend was amazing, Mike and Pat came down from Jacksonville. We had lunch at the Lazy Dog where Lily got to order off the dog menu! Fantastic time with some Play 9 and great food. Followed it up with a trip out to Lake Louisa State Park and some trail walking. We ate like royalty, Mike made his homemade gumbo, I made collard greens 🥬 on the blackstone, and Shasta made homemade apple cobbler.

Conner made the drive down as well last night and enjoyed dinner, my couch, and hung out for football Sunday. Little blackstone breakfast, football and family calls, and fried rice before sending home with leftovers.

Amazing weekend!