Priorities: McDaniel Farm Park

Due to over scheduling social events and necessary school work, I had resolved to not completing a hike the weekend of March 24th. I had convinced myself that I could make up for the neglect of hikes in March with more hikes in April. As I was driving to a coffee shop to get some work done before my 1PM group meeting, the sun was shining through my car window warming my skin as the Spring air blew through the windows. I wanted to drive on to a hike that instant, but I refrained and prepared for a day of school work. Then, my group meeting ended a tad early, so I picked up Brandy and headed to a close, short hike. I figured I could probably be back in time for the next scheduled social event. I knew that there was a chance of missing one of my previous engagements, but I made enjoying the beautiful weather a higher priority.

I believe that the excuse "I'm too busy" is weak, and not really the truth. The truth is that whenever you're "too busy" to engage in an activity, its usually something that is not very high on your priority list. Sometimes things fall through the cracks unintentionally, but often its because you've made a consience or subconscience decision that its not as important as the other things on your mind.  Therefore, it falls to a lower rung on the priority ladder.

Clearly, since I havne't written in this blog in a while and I only completed one hike in March, so 27 hikes in 2012 has fallen behind in the ranks of my priorities. But, in my defense, I had spring break and two of my weekends were taken with a trip home to Texas. In addition, one weekend a Mardi Gras party and during another BaconFest 2012 took priority over hiking for the blog.

However, the weekend of March 24th, the beautiful weather and the blog prevailed and I made it to  McDaniel Farm Park. I had read in 60 Hikes within 60 Miles in Atlanta that McDaniel Farm Park is a good place to go to see wildflowers. There had been lots of blooming trees around Atlanta, so I thought that there would be a high possibility of wildflowers. There were almost none.

Difficulty: 

Even though I did not do this hike hung over, I very well could have been so hung over I could barely move so I brought greasy food. I'm actually pretty sure I saw a few high schoolers with the munchies on my way out of the park. The elevation of the "trail" rolled the littlest bit, but not enough to make you loose your breath. The park was very well marked with a map at almost every fork in the road. You can make the hike/stroll as long or short as you want depending on which route you take, but its difficult to make it a very long hike. In total, the paved trails equals three miles. There is also one section of unpaved trail that reconnects with the paved trail. I accidentally followed this in the wrong direction and ended up backtracking over a section of the trail. However, my carelessness is not a reflection on the difficulty of the trail. It is very easy to follow and a very easy hike/stroll.

Natural Beauty: 

Well, as you can see from the photo earlier, it was, in fact, a paved road. This hike would be perfect if you had a baby in a stroller, but I don't. The grounds were very lovely around the farm. You could see plots of land they currently use for growing some crops. The trails wove around a creek running on the land and there was a mixture of open meadows and tree filled patches. It was very picturesque, especially if you're looking to do a family photo.


Dog Friendliness: 

The paved roads were great for filing down Brandy's claws, but the plethora of families and people with dogs on a leash decreased the amount of Brandy miles. I kept having to put on and take off Brandy's leash, which was a real bummer for the both of us. When there's children involved, people get uncomfortable with an unleashed dog. I understand why; I 'd be wary of other people's dogs. Especially due to all the stories you hear about dog attacks. I want to be respectful of people's feelings, so I try to put Brandy on her leash around families. We also ran into a really loud and obnixious yappy dog a couple of times. Because the whole park is a series of loops, you run into almost everyone more than once. With all the faimiles and yappy dogs popping up multiple times, Brandy was on her leash for most of the hike/stroll.

 Picnicability: 

 I bet you're thinking, "Finally! A high score for this hike." There really was a ton of places to have a picnic in the park. You could lay out a blanket in a meadow and take a nap. You could also sit at one of the strategically placed benches and/or tables. The actual farm house is also a nice place to sit and relax. Its very quaint and authentic looking. There are bathrooms by the farm house, which are nice for small children with small bladders. This would be the perfect place to go on a family picnic.

It was a family outing wonderland. But, I don't have a family of my own. I just have a crazy hyper dog who wants to run around while I'm looking to get away from civilization. It was pleasant to enjoy the beautiful weather, but it was my least favorite hike this year. Nonetheless, I'm glad I went and had the expereince.

Mental Enrichment: 
Sometimes you have to sacrifice plans to make time for something you feel has a higher priority.