I would have loved to have spent more time relaxing on the comfy porch amid all the trees and the sounds of birds and cicadas chirping in the forest. Rick saw really tiny hummingbirds too.
On the way there, we found a neat restaurant where we had a surprisingly good lunch at a very reasonable price. Coincidentally, the restaurant was located off of Interstate 40 at the "Claremont" Exit, #135 ...the same name as the town where Matthew went to college.
I was in the mood for a salad from their well stocked salad bar, and Matthew had a rib eye steak that was cooked perfectly. Matthew treated us to this meal as a symbolic gesture since he is now a "working guy" : )
At the entrance to the Big Branch Cabins near Brevard where we stayed, there were old cars that were decorated with flowers, etc....look closely and you might be able to see the "bear" driving the truck.
As with any trip we had a few little disappointments, like an overpriced dinner our last evening which was just OK for the price. We also went on an outing one very rainy afternoon and got very poor directions from a "volunteer" at the Ranger Station to a hike to Courthouse Falls in Pisgah National Forest. Before we could even get on the trail, we sat in the car for a long time waiting for the deluge of rain to ease up a bit. Then we went on a rather dark, wet, difficult hike which ended with our not finding the waterfall, as it was getting too late in the day to continue. I didn't have hiking boots and tromped through brush and muck in wet sneakers about an hour there and an hour back. Thankfully, no one got hurt and we didn't get lost. We did try to lighten the mood by singing along the way. We also stopped for lunch in a scenic picnic area before we went on our hike.
We had better luck the next morning. We got up earlier and it was sunny and warm when we went to a couple of waterfalls in Dupont State Park which were closer, easy to find and fun to play and swim in. The water was cold, but not freezing, and once we got in, it was really refreshing!
Hooker Falls, Dupont State Forest
Triple Falls, Dupont State Forest:
We had fun climbing on the first part of the rock face at the top of Triple Falls....(don't worry, we didn't have to hike up the side of the falls themselves -- there was a nice wide gravel trail beside them and a LOT of steps down to access them)...
...and playing and swimming in the lower part of the falls:
On Sunday, we went to the Bele Chere festival in Asheville, a very large street fair with several music stages, arts and crafts, and of course, food.
Bele Chere Festival, Downtown Asheville:
Our outings involved a good deal of driving in and around the Blue Ridge Parkway, and we stopped often at the overlooks to enjoy the lovely mountain views. But by far, the best part of the trip was just being on vacation and spending time with Matthew, who hasn't been home in over a year. He kept us smiling with his witty repartee and laughing at his goofy antics, and we enjoyed talking and catching up on his life in California.
I hope that we can go back to this area soon...there is so much to see and enjoy.
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