I'm hiking again...

Hello all! I hope everyone is getting some warm weather like we are here in eastern PA. I’ve been taking walks in the evening and loving every minute of it. Now…I have something shocking to reveal about this Pining For You post. Are you sitting down? Good. For this post, I’ll be chatting about another location from Pining For You and it doesn’t take place in Jim Thorpe.

WHAT??? I know. It’s a shocker.

To be fair, it’s just down the road from JT.  

Last Sunday I went for a hike. The weather has finally turned nice, and I needed some alone time to clear my head. I headed up to the Lehigh Gorge State Park – Rockport Access, just outside of Weatherly, PA. A chapter in Pining For You takes place there. There are some beautiful waterfalls to see and, of course, the Lehigh River. In the pictures above, you can see one of me standing at the base of Buttermilk Falls. I met up with a nice couple who were taking selfies down at the base of the 50-foot falls, and, instinctively, I called down and asked if they wanted a picture from up top. They happily agreed, and it occurred to me that maybe I should just volunteer my time every couple of weeks to take pictures of couples there. Silly, right? I’m such a lightworker. Anyway, after I took some great shots of them, they offered to take one of me. So, there I am. There’s also a picture of Luke’s Falls, shots of the river, and more.

In Pining For You, Everett takes Nicole to this spot to see the waterfalls. It’s their second date and it doesn’t disappoint. The kiss that happens is electric and there’s something special that happens when they hold hands for the first time. Gah…my heart still pitter-patters when I think about it. Additionally, there’s a photo taken at Buttermilk Falls that becomes an important part of the book.

Now, I’d like to take some time to talk about what hiking means to me. When I was in undergrad in central Pennsylvania, I did a ton of hiking. It was how I grounded myself when I was feeling stressed about school and life. Those times inspired my first book series (Fireflies) about an outdoorsy couple who find love while hiking the Appalachians. Okay, it’s actually more about the aliens living inside the male main character, but that’s another story. Being in nature has always had a calming effect for me. I feel at peace and more myself. Two of my book series take place in rural, mountain towns where people hike regularly. I admire nature and how truly lucky I am to live near such beautiful places.

When I was on my hike on Sunday, I took some time to read. There’s nothing better than the sun warming my face, a cool breeze in my hair, and a book in my lap. This book, in particular, came into my possession in an interesting manner. A few weeks ago on my typical Friday in Jim Thorpe, I was in the library chatting with one of the librarians. All of a sudden, a book flew off a shelf on the balcony, and hit the floor with a thud, knocking its dust jacket off. At the exact same time, my phone buzzed. The librarian smiled and made a comment about a ghost. For me, it was something else. I had the strangest sensation that it was a message. The librarian went up to retrieve the book, and I decided to check it out. The book is Glittering Images by Susan Howatch. It’s not my typical read, but I’m giving it a go. It’s intriguing, and I’m sure the message I believe is meant for me will reveal itself.

Anyway…enough of my woo-woo stuff. If you want to spend some time in nature, please consider checking out the Lehigh Gorge State Park, and make sure you go to the Rockport Access. The waterfalls are so serene and beautiful. Also, if you like to bike, it’s an excellent trail too.

Until next time, be well.