Monday, April 27, 2015

Stone Mountain, NC

When my husband casually mentioned that things were slated to be rather slow at work for the next few days, I flippantly said, "Well why don't you just take a vacation day and we'll find something fun to do?" 
Later that afternoon he emailed to say he was taking Wednesday off, the weather was supposed to be fantastic, and we should plan to explore a new mountain or waterfall. 

Win.

I love it when a plan comes together.
With some good recommendations, we decided to explore Stone Mountain State Park, less than two hours from home. Being a Wednesday we saw hardly saw anyone and felt like we had the trail and the views to ourselves. Except for the token home school family we ran into. The fellow mom and I laughed and nodded that yes, this did count as PE and science and geography.
While we came to hike and explore Stone Mountain, our favorite part of the day was a 200 foot waterfall we saw early on in our adventure. If we had a change of clothes with us, it would have been a great spot to spend a hour and splash.
All in all, our hike was just over four miles. Four miles with lots (and lots) of stairs. Four miles with significant uphill climbs. Four miles when my kids showed what stamina and muscle power and stick-to-it attitudes they have.
Sure we took plenty of breaks and stops along the way. 

But.

But I'm a rather aging wimp who thought carrying a backpack with six water bottles, snacks, and a first aid kit was going to be the death of me.
Meanwhile, my rock star husband carried Jax and my four-year old little girl never whined or complained or asked to be carried.

But.

But, doggone it, my backpack was still heavy. So there.
When we got to the top, Grady and I wanted to crash and enjoy the impressive views, but for some unexplainable reason, our kids had new bursts of energy and wanted to explore and climb trees and play hide and seek.

So they did. While I sat and guzzled a water bottle with the backpack far removed from me.
Have I ever mentioned how much I love the area we live in? Such natural beauty in all directions. A short drive brings us to mountains or beaches for outdoor fun and family adventure.
Our four mile hike took about four hours, including all our stops to rest or play. Four hours of moving meant two hours of silence on the car going home. We were all spent and happy to just finally sit!
Hey Babe? You reading this? How about taking a day off again sometime soon and we check out Boone, or Blowing Rock, or the Linville Falls or...

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