Ohiopyle State Park

I drove about an hour and half outside of  Pittsburgh to see some nature and a Frank Lloyd Wright house, Kentuck Knob. After walking around a really cool house, I decided to pull over and check out Cucumber Falls. I was not disappointed by the experience. A easy hike from the parking lot takes you by the waterfall and all the way to the Youghiogheny River. The Ohiopyle State Park offers so many fun outside activities ranging from hiking, white water rafting, mountain biking, and everything in between. The Youghiogheny River runs through the middle of the park with tons of great fishing spots.  Worth your while to get out of the city for a day and go see this state park. Continue reading →

Monongahela National Forest

I got a couple of days off work and met up with a friend in Monongahela National Forest in West Virgina. This was my first time camping and hiking in the state, and I was not disappointed by any means. This national forest was started in the 1920’s. The park gets around 3 million visitors a year exploring 921,000 acres of hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, and camping. I hiked the Kennison Mountain Trail Loop, a  8.9 mile hike that I completed in a day and a half. The trail was great all except for a section which you walk on a service road, but even that was overshadowed by the beauty of Cranberry River.

Fall Drinks with Pumpkins

Fall Drinks with Pumpkins

I love the fall and Halloween. This time of year, I am running around with my hoodie on with a huge smile on my face. Growing up I always liked the idea of fall bringing snow and who doesn’t like candy?  As I was starting to carve my pumpkin, I decided to try a new fall drink and went to the cabinet to see what types of spirits I had on hand. Being from Kentucky, I found some Makers Mark. After a couple of google searches I found this recipe on The Delish website. It called for

2 tsp maple syrup

1 tsp water

1 dash of bitters

1 orange peel

2 oz bourbon

1 cherry

Add the maple syrup, water, and bitters in a bourbon glass, blended well. Then pour your 2 oz. of bourbon in over ice and an orange peel. If you like you can add a cherry on top. I thought at first the maple syrup and Makers Mark was going to be too sweet. I found it to be tasty, and it’s my go to drink while I’m working on my fall projects like this pumpkin.

Pittsburgh Youth Football

I got the opportunity to shoot the Lincoln Rams (age group 5-6 year-old) a couple of weekends back. I got some great action shots of the these little guys. Tons of fun and a good game to watch for me and families! The Rams will be playing this Saturday at Chadwick Park at 9:00 am for playoff games. Please come out and give some local kids your support. If you are a parent or coach and want some action shots of your games or a tournament director and need some photography for upcoming events, feel free to contact me at tayloredphotography@gmail.com.

Beechview Seldom Seen Greenway

Beechview Seldom Seen Greenway

The weather was amazing today, and I decided to enjoy it with a little hike. I found this trail right off 51 south. The Seldom Seen Greenway is a twenty-two acre green space inside Pittsburgh, PA founded July 12, 1985 by Edward E. Smuts. There is not a lot of parking, but the trail is nice, and I got to see tons of wildlife. I even got to see three bucks take a minute to get something to drink. It’s not a long distance trail, and some of the trail is over grown, but I got to find a good meditation rock by the creek.

Inside the tunnel

 

The Front of the Seldom Seen  Trail

 

Pittsburgh White Tail Deer Getting a Drink

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