Mark Menendez – Spring Break

Spring break is always a fun time for the kids. No school, staying up past normal bedtime, and all the ice cream they can eat has been the norm! They need the break.

We loaded up the gang and headed out on a two day adventure. Our first stop was the Land Between the Lakes (LBL). This is the federal land between Kentucky and Barkley Lakes. There is an educational area for children and families. We saw and touched snakes, gobbled at turkeys, and viewed a Red Wolf. We visit the Nature Center annually. Our children take a piece of knowledge from there each trip.

Menendez Kids at Mammoth Cave

We jumped in the truck and headed towards Bowling Green, KY for the night. The only prerequisite was an indoor swimming pool for the evening! They managed a swim before and after dinner.

We ate a monster breakfast and we off to Mammoth Cave National Park. It was the family’s first official visit to the cave. We took the “New Entrance” Tour. This was an entrance that was blasted into the cave in 1920. We went down 270 steps under the ground! The kids were a bit apprehensive as we made the journey almost 300 feet below the surface! It was a hard adventure for the big folks. Donna is still undergoing chemo for Pancreatic Cancer. She made the whole journey! We are paying for it today as we all have sore muscles! It has given us a good excuse to start a slow light workout program! It was a great journey.

My new Skeeter FX20 is home. It is rigged and ready to start fishing. I was very hesitant to bring it home. There was a change of the color made for Donna. I added a purple pinstripe to the rig. I just was sure how she would feel about the color.  Purple is the color for Pancreatic Cancer. We will be using the rig to bring awareness to this silent killer. She was really touched that I did this in her honor. She continues to do well and her first MRI revealed a clean passing grade! I will finally be able to sleep with this knowledge.

Purple Striped Skeeter for Pancreatic Cancer Awareness

Next week I will be taking a few days for me. The caregiver job is the hardest thing I have ever done. I’ll be going fishing to a very special place with very special people. It is the first time I will be taking a vacation for me. Donna has insisted that I do this to recharge my batteries! I’ll have the photos of the trip next week!

Mark Menendez is a Bassmaster Elite angler. You may follow him at Facebook and Twitter.