Lucky in Kentucky!

Today, we adventured for hours through the Kentucky wilderness. After a good night's rest, for some, we drove to Cumberland Gap National Park for a day of bonding and strenuous activity. To a wonderful surprise, the visitor's center had souvenirs! The majority of the group bought dad hats while some bought, T-shirts, a patch or a mini silver spoon. After hiking up a never ending mountain, we finally arrived at the Tri-State Peak. The view was breathtaking and the best part was being in three states at once without the drive. During our hike, we saw and walked over a waterfall. We all took a lunch break and ate our sandwiches next to the waterfall.

Our team at the visitor's center!

Our next destination was the Pinnacle overlook. However, this mission was easier said than done because unfortunately we got lost. But don't worry because we ended up finding  a very underwhelming cave, also known as the Gap cave. It was still cool, though. After our little detour, we ended up driving to the Pinnacle overlook. After a very short hike up the trail, we arrived at the Pinnacle. We witnessed the panoramic view of both Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia; we could see lakes, towns, and even people walking (they looked like ants)!

Cole took a stellar selfie with our whole group on the overlook!

After hiking for about 9.5 miles, or 22,000 steps, we deserved a break. We all drove to the town of Cumberland Gap, TN, where we stopped at a coffee shop. Many of us bought coffee or ice cream, which was sooo good! We still had time to spend, so we walked around the town and stumbled upon a blacksmith's shop. The blacksmith showed us his work while generously talking about casting iron and how he adopted the trade. It was a very peaceful town. Every person we encountered was sweet and welcoming; some of us are even considering moving to Kentucky one day! Needless to say, we had an amazing, yet exhausting day bonding in rural Appalachia.

The quaint Gap Creek Coffee House and Cafe.

Relaxing by the creek.