The Nutty Hiker’s real name is Bridget Carlson. I was born in Dallas, Texas several decades ago to 2 hippies (not really, they just grew up in the 70’s, so that’s what I call them). I married into the Military fresh into adulthood and have lived up and down the east coast. Thankfully the Army sent us back to my home state and my husband Jerry will retire here. I am finally home for good, after almost a decade of being gone.
I have 4 awesome, super crazy, kiddos who range in age from 15-23, 1 son in law, and 2 fur babies that produce enough fur daily to make another dog.
I am the author of Dear Military Spouse, an advice column that I retired a couple of years ago that is now being published once again in my local paper as well as my Nutty Hiker / Ask Bridget column. I was also the National Military Marriage Examiner for Examiner.com for several years.
I am the former Editor of our local newspaper and a freelance journalist.
I also spend a lot of my time volunteering as the department secretary/photographer/auxiliary chairperson for our local volunteer fire department in Nolanville. Central Bell County Fire Rescue rocks by the way!
I love seafood, country music, classic rock, huntin’, muddin’, camping, target shooting (I own more guns than most men), the Dallas Cowboys, and of course hiking!
Hiking is something I have always loved to do so when we bought our house here in Harker Heights, Texas, the fact there were over 15 miles of hiking trails about 5 minutes away was a huge selling point! Bonus points to us for deciding to also retire here as well!
I absolutely LOVE capturing priceless moments on camera, and recording life as it is today through photographs.
I have had a camera in my hand since I was about 8 years old, and am a member of several professional organizations. I have recently transitioned over to a fine art landscape & wildlife photographer. Creating beautiful gallery-worthy photos and having them displayed in people’s homes and offices melts my heart!
Why the name Nutty Hiker?
Nutty Hiker is the trail name that was given to me due to my antics and tall tales that I share after a hike on the trails. You can find some of those antics and stories here on my blog.
Let’s Chat!
I absolutely love making new friends! You will find that my blog topics include a wide range of subjects. The main subject I talk about of course is hiking and the outdoors, however, I also talk about why I am a mean mama, as well as what it is like being married to a soldier with PTSD and just married to the military in general.
Love reading? So do I! In fact, you will also find reviews on current and past books I have read.
Or maybe you love to travel! We do as well and travel as often as we can, whether it’s an hour down the road or a 5000+ mile road trip up and down the western United States!
Are you on social media? So am I! Feel free to find me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, and Bloglovin‘.
Fun Facts
Fun fact: I am a professional photographer and have been for over 10 years! You can check out my work in the Store.
Fun fact #2: Sometimes as I am hiking, I randomly bust out dancing =)
Fun fact #3: I have a fascination with tornadoes and have since I was a small child. My youngest son has inherited that fascination!
Fun fact #4: Although I am a professional photographer, former newspaper editor, and spent most of my adulthood as a writer, I actually hold two college degrees (criminal justice and paralegal studies), neither of which I have used!
Nutty Hiker in the News
As a journalist myself, I am more than happy to help other journalists, reporters, and writers with their stories related to hiking, camping, backpacking, the outdoors, travel, or military life. Feel free to contact me if you need someone to interview for a story! I am more than happy to help!
Hiking 1000 Miles for Deployed Troops
Back in 2014, I was interviewed by local news stations and newspapers about my goal to hike 1000 miles for my husband and his squadron that was deployed. It ended up going national and we had people from all over the U.S. join in. You can read more about it here on my blog. You can also read the article the Killeen Daily Herald wrote about it as well.
Travel Gadgets
Want to learn what gadgets I use when we take road trips? Check out this article from Military Families Magazine where I was interviewed about just that exact thing!
Military Life
Check out the articles on USAA where I was interviewed about Non-Toy Gift Ideas for military kids and DITY Moves in the Military.