Blueridge Bandit: Outdoor Recreation in Charlotte, The Carolinas and The Southeast: The Bandit is Back!!!!!

It has been a few years since I last published a post on this blog. Just about 5 years to be exact. A lot of things have changed in my life since that last post. First off, in 2014 my wife and I moved to Jefferson City, Missouri to be closer to my family. While there are not quite as many outdoor opportunities in the flat-lands of Missouri, we did manage to sneak in some outdoor-fun here and there.

Here is a picture of my wife and I kayaking on one of our favorite flat-water kayaking spots in Missouri, Fingers Lake State Park. Fingers Lake State Park is located 12 miles north of Columbia, MO. The park includes a total of 1,128 acres of land that are occupied by a very diverse group of outdoor user groups.

There is a campground with 19 regular campsites and 16 electric campsites. There are more than 5 miles of trails, specifically designed for ATV use. There is a beach with a large swimming area, perfect for families with children. There is a water trail for canoeing and kayaking that totals just under 5 miles in length. Boat rentals are available at the main entrance to the park.

Fingers Lake State Park is one of the more unique state parks I saw while living in Missouri, because of the successful way they allow many different user groups to enjoy this park. The area is big enough to spend every bit of four to five hours paddling, but what makes this park so unique is its focus on motor powered use of the trails. This is contrary to most parks within the state or national park system. Because of this, it is an excellent place for four wheeler and dirt bike enthusiasts. I spent more than one night camped right up side a group of campers who had half a dozen motorcycles in their tent group. Now that is not a site I see too frequently in Great Smoky Mountain National Park or Pisgah National Forest. None the less I found everyone got along well. After all everyone was there for the same reason, to enjoy the outdoors.

Now while we were in Missouri, we did get to enjoy a snow day or two

or three

or four

All of these snowy pictures were taken in our favorite local hiking spot Binder State Park. Binder State Park is 644 acres located just outside of Jefferson City, MO. It included approximately 13 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, an 18 hole disc golf course and a 155 acre lake. The lake was big enough to get in an enjoyable 2-3 hour kayaking session in and it was the main meeting place for the Capital City Sailing Association.

We also participated in a very unique event called the Pedalers Jamboree. It is a two day Bike Ride and Music Festival hosted every year over Memorial day weekend. The ride starts in Columbia, MO and takes place on two rail trails. The first is the MKT Trail in Columbia. This trail stands for the Missouri Kansas Texas Railroad company that used to ride through the area on the rail. This trail is about 9 miles long until it meets with the Katy Trail which is the nations longest rail trail. The event takes this trail all the way to Rocheport and on to Booneville along the Scenic Missouri River. This even brought together three of my favorite things: Cycling, Live Music and Beer. To top it off I got to enjoy this event with my favorite person and she rode more miles on a bike than she ever had in her life. She was so strong that Sunday Morning she woke up and rode the entire course back to COMO.

Katy Trail State Park

While in Missouri we enjoyed a lot of sight-seeing along both the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. This picture here was taken at a place called Coopers' Landing. Coopers' Landing is located along the Katy Trail and the banks of the Muddy Missouri River.

We also visited the Spirit of Saint Louis Gateway Arch. This is one of the most unique aspects of our National Parks System. It is a true spectacle to be seen.

Since my last post, my family has grown from two to three. A little over a year ago we had the pleasure of welcoming our bundle of joy Zoe to the world. You can expect her smiling face to be published throughout the posts of this blog moving forward. I promise I won't be one of those parents, but here are just a few pictures that include my princess.

Zoes' first 4th of July.

Zoes' first campfire in the snow.

After spending some time outside of the Carolinas, I am now back living in my adopted home of Charlotte, NC. Actually my place of residence is in South Cacilacky to be exact. Indian Land, SC is doing us the honor of being our place of residence for the time being.I am very excited to be back in the Carolinas and I am very appreciative of the wealth of outdoor opportunities that people in the Carolinas have. I never really took it for granted when I lived here previously, but I definitely will not now after spending a couple of years away from both the mountains and the beach. I can now truly say that I am a Missouri Boy and a Carolina Man. This is home.