what you need if you’re going hiking

water

water, water, water. most important thing to bring. our favorites to bring are peppermint water, and water with Emergen-C vitamin powder.

a snack

if you are going hiking, you will be active for a couple hours, so take a granola bar, P B & J sandwich, fruit, or some other healthy carbs to replenish your energy.

hiking map

you can usually get these at visitor centers where ever you go hiking. they seriously helpful, and you never know how easy it can be to get lost… which would not be fun.

clothing layers

get some super cute work out clothes in layers. when you’re hiking, you will likely travel through different temperatures… sometimes you’ll be super hot when you’re out in the sun, and you can get chilly when you go through shadows or are deep in the trees.

sports and fitness apparel »

hiking shoes

for sure get some good hiking boots or running shoes with good traction. you’ll be on your feet all day, so you want to be comfy!

hiking boots, running shoes, trail shoes »

camera

you never know what amazing pic ops you may come across on a hike. if you are a photographer, for sure take your fav camera, but if you are worried about a camera getting lost or damaged on a major hike – take a disposal camera that wont cause you heartache if anything happens to it.

some of our favorite hiking adventures so far

we have been lucky enough to get to go hiking in some pretty awesome places. of course there are a million more places we want to go, but here are some of our favorite hikes so far…

The Redwood Forest, Northern California

it’s where they filmed the scenes for the Ewok Village in ‘Return of The Jedi’, so it’s for sure awesome. it’s got some of the biggest trees you’ll ever see, and it’s got some amazing greenery, so it’s like a real life enchanted forest.

redwood forest hiking »

Crater Lake, Oregon

this hike is so unique because you start at the tippy top of the crater, looking down from way above the lake. then you hike down over 2 miles of switchbacks to get to the lake shore. yes you have to hike back up haha, but it’s totally worth it.

crater lake hiking »

Grand Canyon, Arizona

this is obviously too massive for words, and too much hiking to explain. it’s for sure one of those things you have to experience in your lifetime… atleast once.

grand canyon hiking »

Yosemite, California

any step you take in Yosemite is going to be pure heaven. krissie actually lived in Yosemite for 2 years as a kid, so she was lucky enough to get to hike all over. the park is filled with waterfalls, meadows, hiking trails, rivers, mountains, canyons, lakes, trees, flowers, butterflies… like we said, pure heaven.

yosemite hiking »

Fall Creek Falls, Tennessee

anywhere with waterfalls is our favorite . this hike is amazing because it has this huge 256 ft. tall waterfall that is the highest waterfall in the eastern United States! that’s big for reals.

fall creek falls hiking »

Zion National Park, Utah

Zion Canyon is not for wussys. the hiking here can get pretty insane – it’s famous for narrow, steep, pretty difficult stuff, but totally worth it to get to explore the canyons and the red rocks.

zion national park hiking »

Mt. Lassen, Northern California

hands down one of krissie and jenna’s favrit’ places ever. you can go from snowy peak to sunny meadow in one day, and you can even hike to the very top of Mt. Lassen, and it seriously feels like you can see all of California there.

lassen hiking »

Ballroom Dancing

getting started

check your local internet searches or your phone book. because of ‘Dancing With The Stars’, ballroom, latin, swing, and other partner dance styles are a whole lot more popular these days. your town or city may have studios and classes completely devoted to ballroom styles. also, check general dance studios because many of them offer a couple ballroom classes a week. check community centers, community newspapers, and you can even try what krissie and jenna did and take classes at a senior citizen’s center!

Ballroom Dance Styles

there are 2 different classes of ballroom dancing… ‘International Standard’ and ‘American Smooth’. the difference is that ‘International Standard’ only allows closed dance positions. American Smooth allows closed, open and separated dance movements. here are some of our favorite ballroom performances from ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ and ‘Dancing With The Stars’…

Waltz

the waltz started all the way back in the 16th century in Vienna and Austria. it’s very graceful, and modern day waltz is meant to be danced light on your feet. we just love it because it’s beautiful and romantic.

So You Think You Can Dance Season 3 – Pasha and Jessi – Smooth Waltz

Tango

the tango originated in Argentina and Uruguay, and was a mix of Spanish and African culture. there are several different variations of the tango, but for the most part, it’s a ‘lead and follow’ ‘action and reaction’ dance. we love it because it’s intense and unpredictable.

So You Think You Can Dance Season 5 – Janette and Brandon – Argentine Tango

Quickstep

the quickstep formed in the 1920′s from a combination of the Foxtrot, Charleston, Shag, Peabody, and One-Step. this is one of those dances that grew on us for sure. we haven’t actually taken it yet, and it looks crazy difficult, but once you get the hang of it, we bet it’s really fun.

Dancing With The Stars Season 4 – Apolo & Julianne – Quickstep

Viennese Waltz

this is actually the original form of the waltz, and was the first ballroom dance performed in the closed hold or “waltz” position. this is our favorite ballroom dance. it’s so free and flowing and expansive.

So You Think You Can Dance Season 3 – Anya and Danny – Viennese Waltz

Foxtrot

the foxtrot made it’s debut in 1914. krissie and jenna actually took this at the senior citizen center, and it’s harder than it looks! it was also funner than we though it would be, and we’d love to take it again.

So You Think You Can Dance Season 3 – Anya and Danny – Foxtrot