The end of the year always gets us feeling a little nostalgic about the last 12 months of adventures, and this year is no exception! From the slopes of Breckenridge to the rolling hills of the Smokies, and the beaches of Georgia to the banks of our own Harpeth River, 2014 has been a year of incredible trips. Even if you couldn’t make it on any of our excursions this year, we hope you’ll enjoy living vicariously through our best pictures from the last year of travels near and far! Here are a few of our favorites:
January 9th – Breckenridge is one of our most-beloved ski destinations, and this view of the valley with the ski slope in the foreground is but one reminder of how beautiful a place this really is.
January 25th – Though it was a little chilly for an overnight backpacking trip, our group didn’t mind, catching this up-close view of one of the partially-frozen falls along the Laurel Snow trail in east Tennessee.
April 24th – In our first season, our GoKickball team came in 2nd in the league! Definitely one of the most fun things we’ve done this year, this weekly social (read: beer) kickball league always gave us something to look forward to spring through fall. We can’t wait to get back out there next year!
May 17th – One of our favorite annual trips, LeConte Lodge is a place that is truly unlike any other. The hike up was incredible, and the view from our cabin porch wasn’t bad either. Notice the clouds below us in the distance!
June 21st – Ready to fly! Hang Gliding at Lookout Mountain is another of our favorite annual trips, giving us the opportunity to soar above the clouds (or through the clear, sunny sky) outside Chattanooga.
July 2nd – Our Engage Green workshop series, in partnership with Urban Green Lab, gave us the chance to make some delicious meals like this one while focusing on sustainability. Pictured here is a vibrantly-colored gazpacho recipe prepared by local chef Shane Kelly using only seasonal ingredients from a nearby CSA.
July 20th – It’s always a pleasure to take a day trip down the Natchez Trace to visit Bernie Ellis at Trace View Farm. His organically-grown blueberries are arguably the most delicious things ever, and at $10/pound, you can’t beat it!
July 25th – One of four summer stand-up paddleboard sessions with Nashville Paddle Company, our sunset paddle might have been our favorite. Paddling around the coves at Percy Priest was an incredible way to wind down the work week, with some of us even deciding to add a little yoga in for good measure!
August 9th – The low-lying fog made our summer whitewater kayaking trip along the Hiwassee River that much cooler, casting an eerie haze over much of the trip. What a great weekend on the river!
August 26th – Butterflies love canoe floats (and cold beverages) just as much as we do! Our summer river cleanups give us a great excuse to get out on the water while doing our part to help keep our favorite adventure spots pristine. We pulled 17 tires and more than a dozen bags of trash out of the river on this float alone, one of three this summer!
September 6th – Nashville’s Dragon Boat Festival is one of the most unique annual celebrations in Music City, featuring more than 40 teams competing in a series of races to be crowned the champion of the Cumberland. Not only do teams get to have a blast wearing costumes and being generally ridiculous, everyone gets to feel good about raising money to help protect and improve the Cumberland River, as this is the Cumberland River Compact‘s largest fundraiser of the year!
September 27th – King’s Bluff offers tons of great climbing routes for everyone from true beginners to experts, and is made even more appealing by the fact that it’s less than an hour from Nashville! Our late-September trip, guided by the pros at Climb Nashville, allowed us to catch the beginnings of some fall colors this year!
September 28th – What a group! Our volunteer events are some of the most rewarding experiences we have all year, and our fall build day with Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County was no different. We partnered with the Nashville Jr. Predators team to do a Day 2 build here, installing windows and doors and adding exterior insulation to this home in Franklin.
October 3rd – The sunsets on Cumberland Island, GA are truly remarkable, casting a warm glow over the white sandy beaches and making the landscape come alive. We can’t wait to go back to the island and do this trip again, one of our longest-standing traditional trips.
October 18th – Though the hike was dry for us, the rain we had gotten the week before this fall day trip allowed the waterfalls to be flowing at full force. The Fiery Gizzard is a challenging trail, but the natural beauty the trail has to offer along the way makes the extra effort more than worth it!
October 25th – Hurry up! The pups are clearly ready to hike on our fall backpacking trip to Hobbs Cabin in Savage Gulf. Not only do they make great trail companions, but these furry friends are also perfect tent buddies, helping to keep you a little warmer during those cool fall nights.
October 26th – Teamwork makes the dream work! Our semi-annual ropes course with Adventureworks is always a blast, encouraging everyone to work together to make it through a complicated series of high and low ropes challenges. The beautiful fall weather made this one that much better!
November 9th – Speaking of fall, check out the colors on our mountain biking weekend getaway to Mulberry Gap this November! We timed this one perfectly, making the temps warm enough for an enjoyable trip while allowing us to bask in the beauty of some of the most picturesque wooded trails in the southeast.
November 16th – We spent a day this November helping Ferrell Hollow Farm Senior Horse Sanctuary get ready for their annual fall gala, which raises money to allow them to continue to take in and care for horses that are neglected, abused or disabled. Our group took a few hours to clean the barn and prep for their fundraiser, and made a few equine friends along the way!
December 8th – Who says your adventures can’t be luxurious? This beautiful infinity pool at one of our hotels in Costa Rica says otherwise. One of many gorgeous photos from this trip, we encourage you to check out more here!
Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate in and share any of our adventures with us this year, helping to make 2014 Team Green’s best year yet! We’re looking forward to another great year of experiences in 2015, and we hope you’ll join us!
– Matt (Team Green’s Event Coordinator)
P.S. To get more pictures like these, you can always follow us on Instagram.
The AdventureBlog 