Looking for a way to enjoy this fantastic Memorial Day Weekend?
You need to visit
Red Mountain Park.
On Sunday, My husband Chris and I set off for grand adventure: Zip Lining at the park (along with our
giveaway winners, the Haleys.) We dumped our kids with the grandparents at Church, and as they would be spending the night, we had an entire date day and night ahead of us.
So clearly, we skipped with giddiness, Hansel-And-Gretel-Style, down the trail.
Aside from the Zip Lining, the trails alone are a fantastic reason to visit the park. Winding along the ridges of Red Mountain, there are currently ten miles of trails with two scenic overlooks and three historic Ore Mines. There’s even a treehouse that I have yet to discover – I have a feeling that I'll come across something new on every visit to the park!
It was a perfect day for our adventures - slightly hazy, on the verge of rain but never even sprinkling, and feeling nearly temperatureless.
(At least that’s what we call it, regardless of it’s scientific incorrectness.)
We arrived, signed our waiver agreeing that we would sue not for, among other things, panic and/or hurt feelings, death, or unwelcome touching (SPOILER: none of which happened), then hiked to the zip lining location with our two guides, David and Katie. The walk was relaxing, the forest was breathtaking, and the platforms high in the trees beckoned.
I got hooked up and to the top of the first platform. I was swimming in excitement – I adore heights of all kinds.
I looked down at Chris, who isn’t quite as in love with heights as I, but fortunately, he seemed equally excited.
We zipped across the first line, and it was amazing. We went much faster than I thought we would, and landing (and staying landed) was a challenge in itself (one which, by the end of the course, I found myself to be quite the expert at. Not that I would brag.)
After the first zip was a rope bridge. And by rope, I mean a singular piece of rope.
It was somehow easier than I expected, and then we were back to zipping.
Chris managed to get one photo of me zipping, though not nearly as graceful and free-feeling as I imagined that I looked.
I promise. I really looked like this on every other zip.
Three of the zip lines were very long, and let us coast at up to sixty feet in the air. It was indescribably exhilarating to fly through.
The course (which consisted of seven zip lines, the rope bridge, and one rope swing) ended at the
Hugh Kaul Beanstalk Forest, the other adventure available at Red Mountain Park. Seeing the course got me excited to try it, as well.
We rappelled off of the last platform breathless, excited, and more than a little shiny.
I am so excited that Birmingham now has the wealth that is Red Mountain Park, and I plan to spend many days there this summer exploring their fantastic trails and adventures. I hope you join us!
Disclosure: I was given two passes to try the zip lines, as well as two to give away on my blog. But I’ve been itching to try it for a while anyway, and will definitely be zipping again. All opinions are my own.
