More Observations From the Rock

Michele, Cammy, Sharon and Karen at the "Little Rock"

October 8, 2011

I'm still basking in the aftermath of the wonderful weekend with Cammy, Karen and Michele.  If you missed my last post, you can read all about it here.  You might also enjoy reading what Cammy,  Karen, and Michele wrote about our blogger meet-up in Little Rock.  Before I start planning the next one (LOL!!), I wanted to share just a few observations and lessons I learned from these fabulous women and maybe even a few I learned from myself!!

1)  The ability to share deeply personal things with another person isn't always directly proportionate to how long you've known that person.  There are friends I've had for years that know less about me than the three women with whom I spent last weekend.  

2)  We four are as different as night and day (I mean, really....just look at the picture!), but that makes no difference when there is an established mutual respect for the thoughts and feeling of others.  The flip side of that is the immediate discovery of how much alike we really were.

3)  Those of us who had shared with others back home what we were doing all were met with disbelief or shock that we would actually travel to another city or (horror or horrors) spend the night in a hotel with people met through the internet.  Now don't misunderstand me - there is a time and a place and a circumstance where that might not be appropriate, but this was not it and those of us who blog in this  community or many of the other tight-knit blog communities understand that. 

4)  I learned that there is safety in opening up at the right time.  For me, there were some major breakthroughs in thought processes, emotions needing to be expressed and internal anger needing to be explored.  It becomes easier with six eyes full of understanding and compassion looking at you as if you could talk for hours and it would be o.k.  

5)  I am still totally amazed that we moved almost as one amoeba from Friday evening at 6 p.m. until Sunday morning at 10 a.m. effortlessly and seamlessly.  My heart still fills up when I think about it.  I believe these are friends for a long, long time.

I cannot let this reflective post end without a huge thanks to my sweet friend, Tish, because it was exactly one year ago right now, that she became the first blog friend I met in person.  She is delightful, she is genuine and is the consummate hostess.  We talked, hiked, talked, rode bikes (for 33 miles, I might add), talked, shopped, talked, ate, talked, introduced our spouses to each other and then we ALL talked.  It was a perfect first meet-up experience and set the stage for my comfort level in initiating future blog friend meet-ups!  So thanks, Tish.  Sure hope we can work something out soon cause I can't wait to see you again and cannot BELIEVE it's been a whole year!

There's some stuff going on with my weight loss trauma journey that is frightening, yet exhilarating.  I'm up a few pounds and that is upsetting, but the inside stuff is taking priority right now.  I sense a shift of some sort coming.  Right now, I'm seeing nothing clearly, but I've always felt that the night is darkest just before dawn.  Those six eyes stayed right with me while I talked - I hope you'll stay with me as I continue to talk through my fingers.  There just simply has to be an "ah-ha" moment when things suddenly make sense and one begins to use food correctly not because one has to in order to lose and/or maintain weight, but because one wants to. 

Four Friends At the Rock

The "Little Rock" isn't so little after all!

October 8, 2011

By Friday evening, all four of us were together amidst much laughing, squealing and hugging!  We had secured a suite at the Residence Inn by Marriott Little Rock so we'd have plenty of room to stretch out and we spent all of Friday evening just enjoying each other's company.  Saturday had some things we'd planned to do, but the idea was to just spend time together, so we also hoped there would be a lot of easy spontaneity.  And there was!

We started the morning at the Curran Hall Visitor Center where I'd made friends with the volunteers on Friday and gotten their permission to leave a car there for several hours while we toured the downtown area.   Aren't these hyacinth's outside the visitor center just beautiful?

Little Rock takes tourism very seriously and I'll have to say that it shows.  The downtown area is clean, it is pedestrian friendly and feels quite safe.  I have strolled along its streets alone and with three female friends and was never once uncomfortable or apprehensive.  

We visited the Saturday morning farmer's market and then made our way down to the Junction Bridge where we took the same walk across the bridge I had taken the day before.  The obligatory group photo was made in front of the "Little Rock" which BTW, does have significant meaning to the city.  

Here's the explanation:  

Little Rock derives its name from a small rock formation on the south bank of the Arkansas River called la Petite Roche (French: "the little rock"). The "little rock" was used by early river traffic as a landmark and became a well-known river crossing.

We rode the Little Rock Trolley for its entire loop which goes through downtown, across the river to North Little Rock and out to the Clinton Presidential Library. 

We exited the trolley at the Clinton Presidential Library complex in order to walk across the newly opened Clinton Presidential Park Bridge. This was kind of cool because the bridge had just opened the week before and is so pretty.  Gorgeous yellow fall mums are growing in planters down both sides of the bridge.

Following a terrific lunch at Dizzy's Gypsy Bistro, we headed back to the Marriott for some rest and lots more laughing and talking.  There just never seemed to be any lack of things to talk about!

A late afternoon light dinner at Panera and a very early night capped off a perfect day.  

Sunday morning was just a quick get together to say goodbye. I had by far the longest drive home which I had originally planned to break up into two days, but learned we were going to have some guests of our own.  Wonderful college friends that sadly to say, we had not seen in more than two years.  I couldn't think of passing up the chance to see them, so I left Little Rock a couple of hours earlier than everyone else.

It was a long boring drive across I-40 east, but easy overall and the excitement of seeing even more friends made the day pass quickly.   I arrived home around 7.

It has been an incredible five days.  Never, ever underestimate the "rock" solid strength that strong friendships provide.  And never pass up opportunities to nurture those relationships!

Stay tuned - the fun just keeps happening.  Bill's fall break begins on Friday and boy, do we ever have an adventure planned.  One that for sure will draw some laughs and perhaps, roll some eyes!!

Thanks for reading!

A Totally Tea-rrific Day

Downtown Little Rock, Arkansas - October 7, 2011

It was 536 miles and it took me three days to get to Little Rock, Arkansas, but I had a blast this past weekend meeting up with some friends from far-flung places such as Kansas City, Memphis, Little Rock and of course, East Tennessee (that would be me).  Did you know that there is a website (http://www.geomidpoint.com/) where you can plug in names of cities and it will calculate the mid-point between those cities?  Little Rock wasn't the exact mid-point between the four of us, but somehow it sounded a bit more enticing than Kennett, MO.  I'm sure Kennett is a beautiful place and I know that Sheryl Crowe, who hails from Kennett, would've been happy to come back and show us around, however, we didn't want to inconvenience her!  

But I digress..............

I left home at dark-thirty Wednesday morning with Mt. Juliet, TN as my destination.  It always pains me to drive by the Lebanon exit without seeing my sister, but her work schedule did not permit a visit this trip, so I chose the next best thing.  Hiking with new friends!  I read a LOT of travel and hiking blogs with the result often being new friendships that sometimes hop off the written page into the real world.  I found Gene and Judi a long time ago and have followed their travel journal ever since.  They are from Nashville and travel full-time in their RV.  They are also avid hikers and I'd hoped someday to have an opportunity to meet and hike with them.  They are settled in Nashville for awhile and when I contacted them about a hike on Wednesday, they readily agreed.  We met Wednesday morning at Panera Bread in Mt. Juliet and as expected found easy companionship immediately.  We set off for Long Hunter State Park and the Bryant Grove Trail.  The hike is not a loop, so with two cars available, we left one at each trailhead eliminating any backtracking.  The trail was easy, pleasant and FLAT all making for an enjoyable stroll combining the joy of hiking with the fun of getting to know new friends.  It was a wonderful day and I look forward to getting to know them better.  Having just returned from Alaska, their plan for next year is to stick closer to home and I'm already hoping for some extended time in East Tennessee where we can do more hiking together.

I spent a restful afternoon and evening in the Calico Cottage at Rockhaven Cabins in Mt. Juliet.  We found these cabins and their delightful owners, Nate and Rhonda Powell, several years ago when they were just starting out and had only one cabin, the Magnolia.  They now have three and all were built by Nate, decorated by Rhonda and are exquisite.  We've stayed in all of them multiple times and have enjoyed every moment.  Only problem is that everyone else seems to be discovering them as well and it's becoming more and more difficult to find them available!  I was lucky this time because it was a spur of the moment decision and Calico happened to be open.  

 Calico Cottage - Rockhaven Cabins

Mt. Juliet, TN - October 5, 2011

I was up and out early Thursday morning for a cup of coffee and a tour of Gene and Judi's RV.  Once again, a delightful hour of talking mostly about hiking and travel.  

But I had a long way to go and as is my usual mode of operation, had no intention of spending my day driving west on I-40.  Once through Nashville, I exited on to Hwy 70 driving through towns such as Kingston Springs, Dickson, Waverly, Camden, Huntingdon and eventually to Trenton, my intermediate destination.  

It's that bizarre bucket list of mine again.  At some point in time, I've read something about the Teapot Museum located in Trenton and it piqued my curiosity.  When mentioning it to Bill, he's always had the "I'll wait in the car" response, so it seemed fitting that I work it into a solo trip.  Trenton itself is a cute little town with a beautifully restored courthouse, a lovely historical district and a quaint little coffee shop called, "To the Last Drop."  But I was there to see the teapots and what an interesting display it is.  These aren't just any teapots, they are Veilleuses-theieres (pronounced vay-uhz tay-air), or Night Light teapots and there are LOTS of them. More than 500 to be exact. An amazing display and very impressive even if you could care less about that sort of thing.  I easily spent two hours in Trenton and had it not been uncomfortably warm, I would've walked around longer and enjoyed a cup of coffee at To The Last Drop.  

 To The Last Drop Coffee Shop

Gibson County, TN courthouse

But I still had a long way to go, Memphis to navigate and then 155 more miles to Little Rock.  So I forced myself back onto I-40, made it around Memphis more easily than I ever have and headed due west directly into the setting sun (Ugh!!) and rolled into Little Rock just before dark. 

After a restful evening at the Residence Inn by Marriott Little Rock,  I set out to revisit some of my favorite places in the the city and scout out some new ones before the arrival of my friends.  Since my last visit to Little Rock, another pedestrian bridge has opened and I thoroughly enjoyed a couple of hours along the Arkansas River waterfront and a stroll across the Junction Bridge.

 The Junction Bridge viewed from the Riverfront Amphitheatre

 Another view of the Junction Bridge

Downtown Little Rock as seen from the Junction Bridge

Back at the Marriott, I anxiously awaited the arrival of my friends.  I was ready for some fun and we were planning to have it!!

More about that later - thanks for reading!!

Standing Together at the "Rock"

Cammy, Karen, Sharon and Michele standing together at the "Rock"

Little Rock, Arkansas - October 8, 2011

You will be reading this early on Monday morning, but I am writing it early on Sunday morning.  I have a long travel day ahead of me with houseguests waiting when I arrive at home.  There will be no time to write a post and in the quiet of this morning sitting on my bed at the Residence Inn by Marriott in Little Rock, Arkansas, I knew I couldn't wait to get some initial thoughts written down.  

How could I have missed the significance of Little Rock being the place these four bloggers met for a weekend of sharing, laughing and creating the "rock" of friendship and support that jumped off the pages of BlogWorld becoming a part of our RealWorld.  Geographically, Little Rock made sense.  Symbolically, Little Rock became much more.  

As you can see from the picture, there really is a "rock" and it isn't little at all.  "Little Rock was named for a stone outcropping on the bank of the Arkansas River used by early travelers as a landmark. La Petite Roche (French for "the Little Rock"), named in 1721 by French explorer and trader Jean-Baptiste Bénard de la Harpe, marked the transition from the flat Mississippi Delta region to the Ouachita Mountain foothills. Travelers referred to the area as "the Little Rock", and the landmark name stuck."

We are each bringing a piece of the "rock" back to our respective homes both figuratively and literally (kitschy souvenirs from Visitor Center's are wonderful things!!), and I suspect the memories will last a long time in our hearts.  I know they will in mine.  

More thoughts later on what I learned and how the weekend impacted my thoughts on blogging, friendship and this journey to healthy living on which we are traveling, but for today, just enjoy a few pictures of four girls who didn't just WANT to have fun, we really HAD some fun!!

 In front of the Curran Hall Visitor Center - Little Rock, Arkansas

Early Saturday morning, October 8 - Just getting started!!

 The newly opened Clinton Pedestrian Bridge beside the Clinton Presidential Library.

 Group shot on the Clinton Pedestrian Bridge.  Left to right - Sharon, Cammy, Michele, Karen

 Touring downtown Little Rock and North Little Rock from the street car.

Cammy enjoying the ride on the authentic Little Rock streetcar.

We were all smiling - LUNCH was next!!!

Check out their blogs for their thoughts and more pictures.  Cammy blogs at Tippy Toe Diet,  Karen blogs at Waisting Time Blog.  Michele formerly blogged with her brother, Josh at Healthy Cultivations.  Because of a very hectic schedule and preparing to take the bar exam, she is not currently blogging, but I expect we'll see her return in the near future and I look forward to that.  

I've said it before - I'll say it again!  If you have the opportunity to meet one or more of the friends you've made in BlogWorld, do not pass up the chance.  It adds depth and it adds strength!  

These Outrageous October days had so many new things, I don't know where to start:

October 5 - Met travel blog friends, Gene and Judi, for the first time and we hiked a new trail.

October 6 - Visited the Trenton Teapot Museum in Trenton, Tennessee.

October 7 - Took Little Rock by storm with friends Karen, Cammy and Michele!!

I hope your October is proving to be Outrageous!

Anticipation

Fall is teasing us in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Road Prong Trail - October 3, 2011

Anticipation - an emotion involving pleasure, excitement and sometimes anxiety in considering some expected or longed-for good event.

Long before Carly Simon sang about it in the early 70's, I lived with a very strong since of anticipation.  I loved that surge of energy that came with knowing something exciting was about to happen.  If there wasn't something getting ready to happen in my life, then by george, I felt it was up to me to create something to "anticipate."  Looking forward to the next thing has just always been a large part of keeping me in balance with the present.  It's never felt as if I wanted to escape from the present, I've just always enjoyed the planning and execution and then the anticipation of something new and different.  

This week, I am getting my wish and it's coming in waves.  Yesterday was wave number one!!  I left home this morning while the sun was still rising somewhere in Europe in order to arrive in Mt. Juliet, TN by 9.  It's only a 2 1/2 hour drive, but I would move from eastern time zone to central time zone gaining an hour that feels an awful lot like losing an hour.  LOL!  But I was so excited to be on time to meet my new friends Gene and Judi. Judi writes a wonderful travel blog that I began following a long time ago.  Maybe it was shared interest in travel and hiking or maybe it was the Tennessee connection - who knows?  Whatever the reason, I felt as if I knew them already and yesterday was the day we would meet for real.  They have just returned to Tennessee from an extended trip through Alaska and although we didn't talk much about that today, I'm hoping to hear much more about it as time goes on.  We just wanted to hike, so after meeting, we drove to Long Hunter State Park where we thoroughly enjoy hiking the Bryant Grove Trail.  It was a lovely easy trail allowing us lots of time to get acquainted as we hiked.  This trail was also FLAT which we laughed about as I am certainly not used to hiking on flat trails.  Was a very nice change of pace.  Gene and Judi are just as I'd pictured them and the conversation flowed effortlessly.  I'm looking forward to spending more time with them and am once again, so thankful for the opportunities blogging has afforded me in making new friends with common bonds.

And the anticipation just keeps on happening........................

Today, I will solo road trip 370 miles further west to Little Rock, Arkansas where, on Friday afternoon, three more blog friends will meet for the first time.  Well, actually two of them have already met.  This idea was hatched several months ago and the four of us can't believe the day is finally here and we are actually on our way.

But in the spirit of allowing YOU the joy of true anticipation, the participants in the BlogWorld Meetup shall remain anonymous for the time being.  Perhaps we'll post a picture and let YOU identify us.  We'll see, but rest assured, there's some fun to be had and some learning to be experienced over the next few days.  And we promise to share it with you.

I've got a full day and a half of solo roadtripping before the Friday start of our get together and today holds the anticipation of checking another item off my proverbial bucket list.  The road less traveled calls me and in the interest of safety and a female traveling solo, I will simply let you anticipate where I might be headed today, but I'll tell you that it involves a little town in west Tennessee and a time-honored English tradition.  And if anyone guesses where I'm headed based on that vague description, you are either one fine detective or you know west Tennessee pretty well!

Outrageous October just keeps getting better and better.........................

October 3 - Hiked Road Prong Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

October 4 - Attended a evening gala event coordinated by my very own Mr. B honoring the life and work of Mary Costa, who was born in Knoxville and returned here to live following her retirement.  At 81 years of age, Mary remains one of the most beautiful people I know both inside and out.  I am proud to call her my friend. 

You don't have to answer this publicly if you don't want to, but if you could meet a blogger, who would it be?  On the other hand, do answer it!!  I might find some new bloggers I don't know.

Outrageous October

Roaring Fork Motor Trail - GSMNP

October 1, 2011

Please make a note to remind me (scold me??) next August when Mr. B returns to school and I enter the summer doldrums (depression??) that October is just around the corner.  I felt the subtle change in attitude a couple of weeks ago when our temperatures broke for the first time and hints of fall began showing up.  But late last week, fall truly arrived in East TN and the happy girl Mr. B lives with IS BACK!!  I am not a summer person.  I cannot stand high heat and humidity is even worse.  Unfortunately, the older I get, the less tolerant I become.  And come on people, you can put on more clothes when you are cold, but there are only so many you can take off when you are burning up.  LOL!

As September came to a close, I began anticipating what October might bring and since it rolled in on a Saturday, I told Mr. B we needed to celebrate with an adventure.  It was while in the midst of that adventure that October's theme was born.  From the safety of our car and the advantage of being on a secluded one-way motor trail just outside of Gatlinburg, TN very early in the morning, we watched the adorable black bear family in today's picture play for over half an hour.  It was only us and one other vehicle who respected their space in the same way that we did.  At one point, the mama and one of the cubs danced by our car so close to my window, I could've easily reached out and petted them.  We're talking inches.  I said to Mr. B, "this is OUTRAGEOUS, I've never been this close to a black bear."  And there it was - OUTRAGEOUS OCTOBER!  Almost immediately, I had the idea of challenging myself this month to do something each day that I've NEVER done before.  Now I'm not talking about anything totally outrageous (you should've seen the look in Mr. B's eyes when I told him of my idea), it could be something very simple.  The whole idea is to force myself to move slowly and deliberately enough through each day to recognize an opportunity to do something unique and different.  I will be accountable to you by telling you what I've done each time I post.  Now doesn't that sound like fun?  You could do it too!!!!

I cannot resist sharing these next four pictures with you.  I apologize for the darkness - it was very early in the morning.  This mama bear was having the time of her life giving herself a back massage on this National Park Service sign.  I wish you could've heard the moans of pleasure..................

(Click on the pictures to enlarge them)

 Look at that left paw up over her shoulder holding on to the sign and that left hind leg stuck straight out....................

 Oh my, that feels soooooooooooo good!

 Let's make sure the lower back and butt get properly massaged!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.....show's over, folks!

I so hope the pictures are clear enough for you to at least get an idea.  We laughed until tears were running down both our faces.  But on the other hand, we were in total awe at the utter vulnerability of such a magnificent creature.  Her "massage" probably last five or six minutes - her two cubs played about eight feet away in total contentment.   Oh, that we could all live with such a spirit of freedom without the need to change our behavior based on whether or not anyone is watching! 

Thirteen weeks from yesterday, we move right out of 2011 into 2012.  Let's make every moment, every day, every encounter, every relationship COUNT because friends, we'll never have these days back again, nor will we able to get back glorious opportunities we might have missed because we failed to open our eyes, look around and find something DIFFERENT to experience.  It doesn't have to take much time - just a bit of thinking outside the box.  

SHARON'S OUTRAGEOUS OCTOBER!

October 1 - Ate a Corrol apple that I bought at Carver's Apple Orchard.  I had never tasted this variety before and have been unable to find out much about them.  They were grown at Carver's and are a late September/early October variety.  Crunchy and sweet!  Yummy!

October 2 - Stepped out of my comfort zone at church this morning and introduced myself to four different people whom I'd never met.  Singing in the choir, it is easy to hide away in the choir room and interact only with other choir members.  After the service, I decided rather than running directly back to the choir room, I'd walk out into the sanctuary and roam around until I found at least two people I'd never met.  I got lucky pretty quickly and found four.  Actually, five if you count the 10-week old baby one of the couples was toting around! 

Just wait till you see what's in store this week AND next week!

FYI - If you are reading this early on Monday morning, I will already be hiking in the woods with my usual hiking bud.  I seem to be a bear magnet right now, so I'd appreciate any thoughts sent our way that today, we do NOT encounter any wildlife of ANY kind unless it's of the chipmunk, deer or bird variety!  We want to see beautiful red, yellow and golden leaves.  Enough already with the bears!!

How Bout Them Apples?

Cameo Apples - Justus Orchards

Hendersonville, NC - September 17, 2011

For a city girl, who religiously eats an apple a day, I hate to admit the fact that I've never picked apples before.  Considering I have distant relatives who actually OWN an apple orchard and the fact that I make FREQUENT visits to one of our local orchards further compounds the unusual fact that I've never been to a u-pick orchard and picked them myself.  That is, until a few weeks ago.  Check another one off the bucket list.  

Mr. B and I set out Friday afternoon, September 16, for a much needed weekend roadtrip to our "go-to" spot of choice, Boyd Mountain Cabins in Waynesville, NC.  This trip was a last minute decision after a particularly hectic Friday and I was thrilled to find the Little Cosby cabin available due to a cancellation.  It is late enough in September that the leaf peepers are starting to travel and I wouldn't have been surprised to find no availability anywhere.  To get something exactly where we wanted to be was a gift!

Temps Friday evening in Waynesville were in the low 50's and after a fine dinner at The Sweet Onion, we enjoyed our first fire of the season in the wood-burning fireplace.  On Saturday, we meandered across a short section of the Blue Ridge Parkway looking for fall.   And we found it.  Or maybe I should say, we found evidence it was on its way!

 

Blue Ridge Parkway - North Carolina

September 17, 2011

But we had a destination in mind and after a quick stop at Looking Glass Falls.....................

...............we found ourselves in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

North Carolina is the seventh largest apple producing state in the US.  85% of those are grown in western North Carolina with 150 apple orchards in Henderson County alone.  I had done my research using the Farm Fresh, North Carolina book that I've mentioned previously and chose Justus Orchards as the place I wanted to visit.  Their picking schedule indicated they had Cameo apples which are my favorite and not easy to find in Tennessee.  They also had a variety called Candy Crisp, with which I was not familiar, but sounded yummy and I was intrigued.  

So we arrived and we picked!   I LOVED the philosophy of the folks handing out your baskets and answering questions.  Here's what they said, "pick one off the tree, eat it, if you like it, put some in your basket."  Always with a smile and sending you off into the orchard with a hearty, "have fun!"  All I wanted was apples to eat, so we only picked 1/2 peck, but the Cameos are to die for and the Candy Crisp are delicous beyond description.  Turns out, the Candy Crisp variety was first grown in the Hudson Valley area of New York State.  Normally, I'm not a fan of yellow apples, but these are EXCELLENT!  Crisp and sweet.  So yummy!  Can't resist sharing a couple of pictures of our adventure in the apple orchard...............

Yep, that's me!  Farmer Sharon sits atop her tractor!

You get the impression there weren't many people here.  Wrong!  The place was very crowded and obviously extremely popular.  The red covered area to the right were several picnic tables.  The orchards were off to the left.

And yes, they had the best fried pies I've ever tasted and fresh apple cider doughnuts that literally melted in your mouth.  I would like too say I didn't indulge, but that wouldn't be honest.  However, we did make the conscious choice to only eat doughnuts while sitting at the picnic tables.  We brought none home with us which was a switch from year's past when at least an extra dozen would've left the orchard with us, but probably never made it home!  Our tribute to healthier eating!!

After leaving the orchard, we took a quick trip through our summer home.  Some people call it Biltmore Estate - we call it our second home.  We've had season passes for many years and although we rarely visit the house during tourist season, we take full advantage of the hiking/walking path, gardens, winery grounds, etc.  There is so much more to Biltmore than a big house!!  We knew it was a tiny bit early for the mums to be blooming, but hoped we might see the last of the roses.  As it turns out, the mums weren't even planted yet, but look what we found...................

Aren't they just exquisite??

It had been a long day, we'd traveled a lot of miles, so quite content with our day's activities, we headed back to our oasis at Boyd Mountain and spent a very quiet evening in front of another fire reading, talking and just enjoying relaxing.

This morning, we headed back home the long way.  Who needs interstates???  Back up on the Blue Ridge Parkway going in the opposite direction of yesterday with our first stop at the brand new Oconoluftee Visitor's Center at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  There is a 1.5 mile riverwalk starting at the visitor center and meandering along the river that is just beautiful.  We enjoyed walking it and got some exercise at the same time.

Oconoluftee River Trail - Cherokee, NC

After that, it was another hour and a half across the mountain and we were home.  It was a short trip not too far from home, but we felt as if we'd been away for days!  

And by george, I got to pick apples.