Samm Keys, this year's MTM Festival Director, was tasked with navigating plans for the festival around the pandemic. By expanding the music talent (Uprooted featuring Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root) out to King Commons, this allowed for much more space for festival goers to spread out and Meet the Mountains in a safe, outdoors atmosphere.

The festival also promoted their first online auction this year, where donors like USA Raft Adventure Resort and Trophy Maker Fly Fishing, and several others, contributed items up to bid that would support NETREP. Any Meet the Mountains Festival product or event goes toward NETREP's Outdoor Development Foundation. The foundation's mission is to foster stewardship, education, infrastructure, and economy in Northeast Tennessee.

The festival had over 50 vendors this year with an eclectic mix of local artisans like Tessa Stacy of Wildflower Collective, as well as regional legends like the Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association. Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium also made an appearance on grounds this year to celebrate their 50th anniversary!

Folks came out to support the third annual MTM Festival in a family-friendly atmosphere promoting health and well-being by getting outside and learning about all the opportunities in our region. From whitewater boating and mountain biking to Boy Scouts programs and frisbee dogs,  the feeling of community in Johnson City feels stronger than ever!

Friday night wrapped up with some dancing and musical talent from Uprooted featuring Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root.

I open the van doors to let the dogs out for a walk the first morning. Trotting down by the ocean, the tide fades off for miles into the distance. We venture off into ankle-deep water, allowing us to squish our toes in the sand with each step.

Evening approaches. Olin's father and I practice learning to walk with her, holding her soft tiny hands and taking one step at a time along the sandy shores. I embrace heartwarming views of the big bright, pink sun as it sets across the vast sky ahead. In this moment, we have nowhere else in the world to be, and I feel completely free.

We ride for miles along hilly paths throughout town, exploring what each block of the city has to offer and towing Olin behind her Burley Design Trailer. In Vancouver, bikes are valued equally to cars. There are designated paths throughout the whole city where we ride safely, as cars wave us on. It has a very San Diego-esque feel to it. Everyone is outside at all hours of the day, all ages, all types. The energy of this place feels optimistic and multiplied in every direction. We find a store to buy fairly priced groceries and stop for a quick snack.​

I like it here and am looking forward to falling asleep to the sound of waves crashing along the Spanish Banks tonight. Olin is cracking up, and the dogs are tired.

Canada is magical. We contemplate driving further north and are reminded of the reality of our frugal budget. After a goodbye cruise around the seaport city, we tip our hats and head south to the homeland.

​A little over 50 miles from Seattle, Rainier is an active stratovolcano located in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest. Standing 14,411 feet above sea level, Mount Rainier is home to around 26 glaciers (more than Glacier National Park). Emmons Glacier, seen in the picture above, has the largest surface area of any glacier in the contiguous United States at a whopping 4.3 square miles.

Marmots and mountain goats appear from shadows in the distance. Mount Rainier is not for the faint of heart. She dominates the surrounding forest in the national park and will leave a mark on your existence. 

​There are nights I don’t know where we will sleep and days I wonder why we are even out here on the open road—  looking, searching, living. Then one day, I wake up to coffee and chats with my daughter in the parking lot of Mount Rainier National Park and even if just for a day, it all makes sense.