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Great US Lake Tour 2026
  • Kristie Duffy
  • Denise Duffy
  • Kristie Duffy
  • Denise Duffy

Great US Lake Tour 2026

A 54-day adventure by Kristie & Denise Read more
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  • Great US Lake Tour 2026

    Scenic overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway

    June 1 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
  • Great US Lake Tour 2026

    Abbott Lake

    June 1 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    Still up on Peaks of Otter/ Blue Ridge

    After the strenuous Johnson’s Farm hike, we took a relaxing stroll around Abbott Lake. They have a hotel up there with all the rooms overlooking the lake area. It was really pretty. A little iffy getting to it but very pretty.Read more

  • Great US Lake Tour 2026

    Reset Day

    June 2 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    Easy day of laundry, cleaning, showers, grocery shopping, and of course - Denise cooked. It was delicious

  • Great US Lake Tour 2026
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    Natural Bridge Va

    June 3 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    This was a spectacular hike. After the 134 stairs it was an easy stroll. So much history. Once owned by Thomas Jefferson - he loved this natural wonder.

  • Great US Lake Tour 2026
    This is a blue tail salamander that we saw when we started down the trail. He was sunning himself on
    This is a blue tail salamander that we saw when we started down the trail. He was sunning himself onThis is Kris in midnight in front of Cedar Creek. Cedar Creek created natural bridge.This is Kris and midnight in front of lace Falls. The fall look like a veil of lace.This picture is a closer look at lace Falls

    Natural Bridge VA

    June 3 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    We hiked natural bridge today. We hike the cedar Creek Trail, which is about 2 miles. We saw natural bridge lace Falls, the lost river and saltpeter cave.

  • Great US Lake Tour 2026

    The lost River

    June 3 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    At natural Bridge, in this cave, you can hear a river running in the ground. Since the 1700s people have tried to figure out where it starts and where it ends.

    They started making headway in the 1990s by using dye in the water, but the entire river has not been mapped yetRead more

  • Great US Lake Tour 2026

    Story Time: the spider

    June 3 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    We were up at Natural Bridge, sitting at Bridal Veil Falls, enjoying the scenery, the sound of the water, the whole peaceful nature experience.

    I looked down.

    On the sleeve of my left arm scurried the biggest, blackest, glossiest spider I have ever seen.

    Now, maybe it only looked the size of a tarantula because it was six inches from my face. Science can debate that later.

    At first my brain just registered: SPIDER.

    My heart skipped a beat and within a fraction of a second my nervous system freaked out. (I don’t care for spiders).

    Then I saw the red marking on its backside - BLACK WIDOW - and my fear shifted into a completely different gear.

    Apparently there “are” levels beyond “terrified.”

    A falcon diving at 200 miles an hour has slower reaction times than whatever happened next.

    My survival instincts launched a full emergency response. Yay me!!!

    The problem was my coordination and reflexes never got the memo. dammit!!!!

    I flicked at monstrous Black Widow with the precision of a cannon fired from a canoe. In other words, I grazed it.

    Instead of knocking it off my sleeve, I successfully just pissed it off as I transferred it directly onto the bare skin of my forearm. (So now, rather than having a giant killer spider on my shirt, I had a mammoth black widow on my flesh.)

    At that point, my brain shut down. Although I’m sure I’ll have nightmares about it for years, I mentally blacked out from pure terror.

    The next thing I remember, I was standing there breathing hard (while Denise was trying not to laugh) and the Widow was on the gravel path posing for a pic (I took it).

    Although my imagination has felt stings and bites and things crawling on me for hours, I somehow managed to not get bitten.

    Maybe this “no shower” thing is working to my advantage.    Read more

  • Great US Lake Tour 2026

    Random Photos skyline drive

    June 4 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    All the pictures of the summits that we have shown don’t come close to what this place looks like in person.

    To be out in nature, to watch the wildlife, to see the beautiful vistas - I can see why this place is so special and has been for almost 100 yearsRead more

  • Great US Lake Tour 2026

    Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).

    June 5 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    I found it interesting that they built the roads during the great depression. Young men got paid five dollars a week and $25 a week went home to their families automatically (The young men were supervised by the military (very strict) so I almost wonder if it was like an indentured servitude type thing - since they couldn’t keep their own money – but those are my own thoughts )

    They boys were fed well… Records show that most of them gained weight. And although they worked extremely long hours, they received an education (learning how to read and write) and many of them learned a trade as well while they were there to help them with their futures.    Read more

  • Great US Lake Tour 2026

    Sugarloaf loop: Denise tried to kill me

    June 5 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F

    Check out that elevation gain… and the mileage - Dee chose the route (hence the she tried to kill me lol)
    There were some absolutely beautiful views, and a lot of woods.
    I’m still shocked No one picked up a tick. Of course, bathing, in Deet probably helped.
    We had to cross the Piney River - two out of the three of us got wet - But I’m not gonna tell on Denise.    Read more

  • Great US Lake Tour 2026

    Hershey Park

    June 6 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 72 °F

    We drove a few hours and safely, made it to Hershey Pennsylvania. Oddly enough, neither one of us has been to Hersheypark.
    We dropped midnight off at a doggy boarding facility. Although we didn’t splurge for the lavender spray tuck in, we did get her the ball play three times a day so we feel she’ll be happy.
    We spent a few hours at the park tonight. Bumper cars, a roller coaster, and Hershey world, which was a tour about Milton Hershey and the factory itself.
    I found it interesting that he failed twice before actually making it work. As much as I love Hershey chocolate bars I’m so glad he didn’t give up lol    Read more

  • Great US Lake Tour 2026
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    Roller Coaster Day

    June 7 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    It is not the roller coasters that got us…. It was the stairs getting to all the platforms lol