What is Trailmine?
Trailmine is a concept we kicked around years ago, but until recently didn’t have the time to make it a reality. Now, here it is…a website geared toward discovering yourself by getting outside and becoming immersed in nature. And because we are a couple, we also aim to inspire other couples to connect with their significant other out on the trail. But even if you don’t have a significant other, this is still the place for you. There is something powerful, fulfilling, and spiritual about getting out into nature and experiencing God’s beauty, the peacefulness…and the quiet. Everybody needs that, young or old, single or married, and it is important to make time for that. So, with that in mind, Trailmine is primarily a place where you can “mine” information about trails so you can find one especially suited for you or you and your significant other. Most of the content on our website pertains to the Dallas/Fort Worth and surrounding areas. In our blog section we’ll also share our experiences, thoughts, and feelings from our various hiking as well as camping adventures. And there will probably be a few random thoughts there from time to time as well. We just hope we can inspire you to take a hike – and explore the earth and life one trail at a time. It truly is a gift to the soul.
About Us
We are Elaine and Mike, two empty-nesters who have been married for 27+ years and love to hike more than anything else in the world. As mentioned above, we live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, so most of the content on the site pertains to the surrounding area. However, you will find some content related to other areas, and many of our blog posts are experiences we have had on the trail in general. We have three adult kids who are out of the house…well, mostly…but they are self-sufficient. We have spent our married years raising such kids, and those of you who have families know the drill – years of baseball, volleyball, soccer, track, tennis, band, scouts, dance classes, private lessons, church groups, etcetera, etcetera. Such a schedule leaves couples raising families with very little time for themselves. Mike and I recognized that years ago and knew we needed to make sure we had some time for us, because we knew one day we would be on our own and have time to fill. But what we craved the most during those hectic years was…peace and quiet. And where better to find that than out in nature? So that is where we headed when we had any spare moment, which wasn’t that often at first.
Fast forward and before we knew it, the endless activities came to an end and the kids are mostly gone and now it is just…us. Yay us! Now we can do what we want, when we want, and what we want most is to hit the trails every opportunity time allows us to. Even though our hectic life has greatly slowed, we still crave the peace and quiet it offers, because the world is still a noisy place, kids or no kids. And we have learned so much about ourselves, our relationship, and what the trail can offer a couple. And so we keep going back.
The trail has been generous to us over the years, connecting us in ways we never thought possible, and now we want to share that gift of connection to all couples out there, young or older, looking to find something engaging, simple, and satisfying to do with their partner. We are not hiking experts, but we are hiking lovers who feel like we have a lot to share. So, put on those hiking shoes and follow us on down the trail!
About Elaine
Who am I? I am a wife, mother, and teacher. I married Mike more than 27 years ago on a beautiful June day, and our life together has been like most marriages – peaks and valleys and everything in between. I wouldn’t change a thing. At various times within those years, we created three spunky children, raised them, and sent them on their way. And during those years as well, I have been a professional educator in both public and private education. Currently I teach middle school English at a Catholic school. My interests include reading, writing, attempting to grow a few plants, camping, and hiking, of course. I am a devout Christian who truly believes God is ever present in nature, because that is where I feel His presence most.
About Mike
So who is Mike? I am a husband, father, and finance guy by profession. Yeah, I work a desk job that pays the bills. But if I had it my way, I would be out hugging trees more often. You have probably guessed already, but I love the outdoors. I grew up in a time when all kids went outside to play, and I was out there with them every opportunity I had. Even during high school and on into college my favorite past time was playing tennis…just because I liked being outside so much. This love of the outdoors has translated well into my adult years, because it is still the place I crave to be the most…outside and in particular out exploring nature. Like Elaine, my interests include camping, hiking, and mountain biking (nothing too extreme…I’m a wimp!). And like Elaine, I am a devout Christian and man of faith who finds God in abundance in the whispering of the trees, the trickle of the stream, or in the vibrant colors of the flora and fauna…really, in anything that is out in nature. So as we say above in the About Us section, put on your hiking shoes and get outside. See ya on down the trail…
