Our Great Adventure...

Regan had Spring Break this week so we decided to head to the mountains for the week. Tony has been planning where to go for about a month now but we did not have any solid plains or any reservations. We just decided we would head to the Blue Ridge Parkway and go from there. We had several places in mind we wanted to see but again no definite plans. So, with 3 kids packed up in the van and no place to stay we headed out for our GREAT ADVENTURE! Tony and I knew this would either be really fun or really bad!

I am going to journal the trip in detail for my own records so if you want to skip down to photos feel free.

Monday, March 9 - We headed to Mt. Mitchell. We realized quickly that the GPS navigation system is very handy and takes you the most direct route but sometimes that route is NOT accessible. On our way up to Mt. Mitchell the GPS took us on a small road that led up a very steep, curvy, narrow, road. There was no ledge or guardrails and only one car could fit on the road at a time. Regan and I were getting queasy stomachs but I have to admit the scenery was GORGEOUS! There was a beautiful stream, a dammed up lake that was very pretty, a small grist mill and of course the pretty mountain woods. We finally saw a sign that said "Road Maintenance Ends" and it was now a gravel road but GPS kept saying we were on the right road. So, we kept going. We finally reached some kind of State Park Camping area but there was a gate across the road saying it was closed for the season. So, GPS would probably have been right if the road was accessible. So, we turned around and had to go back DOWN the long, winding, narrow road. Then, we took an alternate GPS route up 221. It was paved and looked like a good road. But, it ended up being the curviest road we have ever seen. Tony said "the only road I think I have been on that is more curvy is Lombard Street." It had so many tight curves that we were thankful we were not in Tony's truck. Tony said his truck would not have made those tight turns. At this point, Regan and I were ready to throw the GPS system out the window. She and I were extremely carsick. BUT, we finally made it to the Blue Ridge Parkway and to Mt. Mitchell. We were able to look back down the mountains and see the winding road we had just come up on and had to laugh. Amazing we made it! We drove up to the top of Mt. Mitchell and there was still some snow on the sides of the road from the week before. The girls enjoyed seeing the snow and being on the highest Mt. east of the Mississippi. Next, we headed to Linville Falls. The girls loved hiking after being cooped up in the van all morning and the weather was gorgeous. We hiked about 3 miles round trip and saw three beautiful views of the waterfalls. The girls did great with the hike. Then, it was dinnertime so we decided to head toward Blowing Rock and find dinner and a place to stay. But, to our surprise, Blowing Rock was pretty much a ghost town. Almost all the local restaurants and stores were closed for the season and the hotels looked dead. This was the story of our trip - many things closed for the winter season or at least operating differently than usual. But, we also benefited from this b/c it was not busy and we got great rates on hotels. So, we decided to head to Boone since Blowing Rock was deserted. We found a very nice Comfort Suites to stay in for a GREAT price. Reece was so excited when she saw that the sofa turned into a bed for her. I think she would have stayed there all week. :) Tony and I spent the evening looking through brochures and planning our next day. We were not planning on staying in Boone the next day but we found some fun things to do that changed our minds.

Tuesday, March 10 - Today after our yummy, free breakfast we headed to Sugar Mountain to go snow tubing. It was not busy and we had all the lanes to ourselves. We had a blast and spent about 1 1/2 hrs. tubing. Reece had to ride in a tube with us but Regan and Riley were able to ride in their own tubes. We found that linking together made us go faster so we had fun doing that. There was a little conveyor belt that took you back up the hill that they called the "Magic Carpet" and the girls loved this. I think the snow tubing was one of the highlights of the trip. After tubing we grabbed lunch and headed to Grandfather Mountain. They have a suspension bridge that connects two mountains and is a mile above sea level. We were not sure how the girls would do on it or if they would even go across. But they did and thoroughly enjoyed it. Once you cross the bridge there is a rocky path you can climb up so you are at the highest point of the other mountain and you can see for miles. We were not sure if we should take the girls on it b/c there is nothing keeping you from going off the mountain. But, the girls wanted to go so Tony and I took turns taking the girls up one at a time, even Reece went. At Grandfather Mountain, they also had a museum, animals and a fudge shop. So, the girls got to see a big Black Bear, an Eagle, Otters, Panthers and Deer up close. They thought this was cool. We enjoyed the yummy fudge and toured the museum about the mountain and the area. There was a lot of information about Daniel Boone which was cool b/c Regan's class had just studied him. We then headed to a Mast General Store (this was the original one) and could have spent a lot of money there. There was so many neat things. The girls spent some of their money on some neat toys and candy. Then, we headed back to our hotel. The hotel had free snacks in the afternoon so we enjoyed some nachos and then played some Air Hockey in the hotel arcade. Then, we ate dinner at a place called, "Pssghettis" right outside Boone. They had delicious homemade meatballs and the girls loved them. Then, we came back to the hotel and swam in the indoor pool before heading to bed. Whew... a busy, fun day. I am glad we decided to stay in Boone an extra day!

Wednesday, March 11 - Today we decided to head up to Charlottesville, Va because Regan really wanted to see Monticello (where Thomas Jefferson lived) and the weather report was not looking good for the end of the week when we originally planned to do Monticello. So, we spent the morning driving. The girls were able to rest up some from our busy day yesterday. We got to Monticello after lunch and had plenty of time to tour the house. Regan found it very interesting and loved the fact that Thomas Jefferson loved to read and taught himself. She also liked all his gadgets especially his clocks. Riley seemed to enjoy it too. Monticello is opening a whole new visitor center/interactive learning exhibit next month. A lady stopped us and asked if they could do a photoshoot of our family for a press release they are doing for next month's Grand Opening. They took photos (mainly of the girls) of us interacting with the touchscreens and said they would email us the photos of how they use them. Then, we headed to a historical tavern called, "Michie's Tavern" and took a tour. The tavern usually has a guide take you through but b/c it was off season we had to do a self-guided audio tour. The lady at the ticket counter was very friendly and found some old costumes for the girls to dress up in to make the tour more fun. Regan really liked the tour b/c she had studied the Colonial Time period in school and on Colonial Trade Day she had the role of the tavernkeeper. We then headed to downtown Charlottesville for dinner. They have an open air mall with lots of restaurants and shops. We settled on a pizza place b/c that is what the girls were craving. It ended up being very good pizza. Reminded us of Felini's Pizza in Atlanta. We then drove to Stauton, Va and found a Best Western hotel for the night.

Thursday, March 12 - Today we slept in and then went to a Frontier Culture Museum. Regan's class had just finished a unit on the pioneers so we thought this would be neat for her. Usually they have interpretors dressed up and acting out all the different roles and you walk around and tour everything but since it was off season they did not have the interpretors. So, we had a guide take us around and show us everything. She drove us around in a golfcart which was nice since it was pretty cold and there was a lot to see. We got to see a lot of neat houses - one that they had brought in from England, one from Ireland, and one from Germany. And then they also had some homes and farms to show you how they lived in the 1700's. We also got to see some animals (sheep, cows, hog, horses, barn cats) and we got to pet the sheep, cats and hog. The girls seemed to like the museum. Then, we headed up to Lewisburg, WVA to stay with some Chick-fil-A friends, Rod and Donna Stoner, for the night. Rod and Donna were so kind to open their home to us and served us an incredible Turkey dinner. They had a beautiful home in the mountains and the girls loved running all over their house and cuddling with Rod. After dinner, Rod made a fire and we sat around the fire and read and enjoyed one anothers company. About 9:00 pm it started snowing and that got the girls excited. I don't think they went to bed until 10:30 that night.

Friday, March 13 - Today we woke up to a beautiful snowy day. There was about 2" on the ground and the views were amazing. The mountains are gorgeous covered in snow. The roads were clear so that was good. Rod used to work at The Greenbrier Hotel (he was in charge of all the food services there) so he was able to take us for a tour. He took us all through the hotel, including the kitchens, bowling alley, indoor pool, movie theatre, spa and even the bunker underneath the hotel where all of congress would have gone in the event of a nuclear attack. Yes, the hotel had all of these things! It was neat. The Greenbrier is very historical and 26 different presidents have stayed there over the years. Rod and Donna treated us to lunch at one of the cafes at the hotel, "Drapers Cafe" and it was excellent. After our tour, we went back to Rod's and packed up. We hated to say goodbye. They are such a neat couple and we had a lot of fun with them. We decided to head home b/c we were all very tired and had seen most of what we wanted to see. So, we arrived back in NC around dinnertime.

We had such a fun trip. It was a GREAT adventure!!! The girls did very good and we had lots of laughs and made lots of memories. It was hard to say goodbye to the mountains but we are glad to be back home.

The above photos are of the grist mill and dammed lake we saw on the GPS inaccessible route to Mt. Mitchell.

An entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway. We were happy to see this after driving up 221!



Views from the top of Mt. Mitchell. Regan took this photo of Tony and I.

On our hike to Linville Falls the girls wanted to feel how cold the mountain stream was.

First view of the Linville Falls. This is from the top of the falls.

Top of Linville Falls This is looking down on the Falls from the highest viewpoint. Views from the Blue Ridge ParkwaySnow Tubing at Sugar Mountain The "Magic Carpet" that took us back up the hill. The girls thought this was so cool.

The animal habitat museum at Grandfather MountainCrossing the suspension bridge at Grandfather MountainDaddy and Reece walking up to the top of the mountain Regan and Mommy made it to the topBeautiful view from the top of the Grandfather Mt.looking back down at the bridge Original Mast General Store in Valle Crucis (near Boone)Regan reading the Monticello information before going on the tour. At this rate, she can lead the tour through the house. At Monticello Regan was very fascinated with Thomas Jefferson's clock. He had a clock that had the days of the week written on the wall but only 6 days fit on the room wall. So, he made a hole in the underneath part of the house and the seventh day was found underneath in a lower room. Regan is standing next to Saturday. You would have to see it to really understand it. Thomas Jefferson was a very creative and talented individual.
Michie Tavern right down the road from Monticello
Playing dress up in the tavern. Mommy and Daddy joined in too but the hats were not big enough. Regan took this funny photo of Mommy and Daddy.
The types of beds they had in the tavern

Frontier Culture Museum - This is the house they moved from EnglandThe Ireland HouseThe German HouseEarly American homes Getting to pet the sheepwatching a blacksmith make nailsThe girls cuddling up by the fire reading a book with Mr. Rod StonerWhat we woke up to on Friday morning in West VirginiaThe view from Rod and Donna's family roomThe Greenbrier Hotel

A funny comment by Reece...

Today Reece was counting to twenty and she did great until she got to twenty and this is what she said, "....18, 19, 20 teen, 21 teen..." She was continuing to say teen after each number. It was so funny. She also told Tony today that she wanted to watch "Mickey The Mouse" not Mickey Mouse but Mickey The Mouse. She also said something else funny but I can't remember what it was. That is why I need to write these things down!! :) She keeps us laughing, I could write a book with all her comments.

Pioneer Day

The 2nd Grade at Trinity School had their Pioneer Day yesterday. They have been studying pioneers and just finished the unit. So, the parents were invited to come and see what they had learned. The children dressed up like pioneers and performed a play, recited a poem and sang a song. Regan was the teacher, Mrs. Dodd, in the play. The rest of the day, the children enjoyed making log cabins, paper quilts, whirleygiggs, playing games, and had licorice for snack. Regan had a lot of fun and did a great job. We are going to the mountains next week for Spring Break and we are hoping to visit a pioneer museum.


Regan's Class singing "Cumberland Gap"Regan's Class reciting the poem, "Pioneers" By: Aileen FisherRegan acting as Mrs. Dodd in the playMaking WhirleygiggsMaking log cabins out of milk cartons, chocolate and pretzels.Pioneers!
Regan's class all dressed up

A Fun Snow Day...

Today we woke up to a beautiful, snowy day. We got about 3" last night and it was gorgeous this morning. The girls were so excited to get another snow this winter since the first snow we had they were all sick. They lived it up today! They went out this morning and played with their neighbor/friend, Drew Carlson. They had fun throwing snowballs at each other, sledding, eating snow and playing on the snow covered swingset. Tony had to go to work but he got a break mid morning to go find some icemelt and the only places that had it was in Hillsborough. So, he stopped by for about 30 mins. and we had a big snowball fight. Drew and Tony had fun being boys together. Then, daddy had to go back to work. :(

This afternoon, the girls wanted to go back out and try to make a snowman. But, the snow was just not packing well. Daddy came home and we had another massive snowball fight. Tony and I were our competitive selves and got really into it. We were like two kids again. We had so much fun. I was laughing so hard my sides hurt. Tony had gotten me several times near the head/face so I got him back with a huge, ice chunk from the road. But, then he retaliated by putting me in a slushy ditch. :) We are such kids! I am paying for it tonight b/c I did something to my back. I guess we are kids at heart still but not so much physically. ;) The girls got a kick out of watching us. They were helping me get daddy. It was so fun having him home this afternoon to enjoy it with us.

The older girls went in the backyard after our big snowball fight and they played by themselves until 6:30 pm. They had a blast. They did not want to come in. Regan kept saying this may be their last snow of the winter. I am glad they got a good snow before spring comes. It was so beautiful. We were examining some of the flakes with Regan's magnifying glass today and they were so amazing. Regan commented that she is so amazed all the flakes are different. I said, "yes, just like fingerprints - no two are exactly alike." I told Regan it makes us see how amazing God is that he made each of us so unique and different. She then said, "Yes, God is amazing and very creative." AMEN!!!! What beauty he has given us in his creation!

It was neat how the wind created this neat snow effect on the trees and fencing.Riley and Reece sledding.Regan and Riley eating the snow. They loved the snow. Regan said it was like eating cold, cotton candy. I promise I fed them breakfast this morning!!I am glad I had the camera so Tony could not throw this snowball at me. :)Tony and Drew (a neighbor/friend) throwing snowballs at each other.Regan and Riley found a hiding place from all of daddy's snowballs.Riley found another hiding place.Regan chillin' on the swing (literally).The girls were pulling icicles off the tree fort and were eating them. YUCK! ;) Reece shows me her "icicle" (which is actually a stick). Luckily she did not try to eat hers.Tony is throwing a snowball at Regan and I. See how the snow is just crumbling. It did not pack well at all. Check out the clouds behind Tony. We had a random band of snow move through around 5:00 and gave us some more flurries. This is when we were analyzing the snowflakes with Regan's magnifying glass.Saying goodbye to the snow. Hopefully, until next year. We are ready for Spring now!!!