Linville Falls & Cavern

Living in Asheville means there are hundred of hiking trails to explore nearby.  In college, Bobby and I spent one summer working as camp counselors near Asheville.  We were both rock climbing instructors which meant that we took campers out to various places to rock climb.  We both love camping and hiking, but have not spent much time doing these activities prior to living in Asheville.   Now that Amelie and Liam are older, it looks like we will be able to enjoy hiking more frequently.  They both loved hiking.  Not only do they have freedom to run, but there is also so much to explore and learn about when you are in the woods.

Linville Falls is near the Blue Ridge Parkway.  It is about an hour drive away from Asheville so we knew this would be an all day affair.  However, when we were approaching the falls a huge storm cloud was building with occasional lightning.  We do not do lightning.  So we made a detour and decided to go in the Linville Caverns instead.  Taking a look inside the mountain would be a unique experience for the kids so we decided to spend the money and go for it.  We received a guided tour through the cavern.   Tours have been going through the caverns since 1937 so it was paved for ease of walking and well lighted.  These caverns were found in the early 1800's by a fisherman who was astounded to see fish swimming in and out of what appeared to be solid rock.  A small opening in the mountains allowed the fishermen to enter a view the caverns.  The stream is still home to the native trout.  We were able to see some swimming while we walked next to it.   At one point, the guide turned out the lights and it was pitch black.  She explained that early explores burned their fuel too early and were left in the darkness.  They used the stream to find their way back out (it took a couple of days and the water is SO cold!).  We also were able to see salamanders and learn about the rock composition that caused the different colors.  It was a fun experience and a good way to pass the time.  By the time we were finished the storm had mostly passed so we decided to venture to the trailhead.  Before we left, we bought the kid's first rock candy.

It was cold and drippy as we walked through. :)

To get to the falls, it was a moderate hike about 4 miles round trip.  The main falls drops 90 feet into a 12 mile long gorge.  We were able to hike to different viewing spots.  The kids were still eating their rock candy as we started the hike.  The stormy weather did blow over so it was an enjoyable dry hike.

Above the gorge.  It was a huge drop which doesn't show clearly in this picture.  The rushing water was stunning.

Liam stopped eating his rock candy and said, "Mom, stop taking pictures of me."

Amelie picking flowers.

To help distract from all of the walking, Bobby made the kids wings out of huge leaves so they could flap their way to the car.

The highest point of our hike (Chimney View).  We also were able to look over and see a  rock formation that looked like a Chimney.

As we were driving home, Bobby saw a turtle crossing the road.  We pulled over and he brought the turtle to the kids for a closer look.  The turtle came all the way out of it's shell and we thought it was odd but really neat….and then it went to the bathroom…inside the car… The kids loved seeing the turtle and now enjoy telling people about how a turtle peed in their car.  We cleaned it up and then headed for home.  The kids slept in the car on the way home while Bobby and I listened to a podcast. :)

Asheville with Friends

Asheville is an awesome city.  We found that Asheville with friends is even more awesome!  One of the problems with being so transient is missing our friends.  We were happy to be close enough to our hometown that some of our close friends were able to come for a visit.  The time spent with our friends was cherished time.

Our first weekend in Asheville, we were joined by the Cozart family.   The time spent together included a J.Crew warehouse sale, a nearby playground, eating at Walk, Biltmore Farm, popping in and out of shops downtown Asheville, eating at Farm Burger, eating at Asheville Pizza and Brewery, and getting wet in Splashville.  If you want to have adult conversation during dinner, then Asheville Pizza and Brewery is the place to go.  There is a family room that is lined with arcade games and cartoons being played on projectors.  Since it is a closed room, the kids roam around free.  It's wonderful to have them entertained and having fun.  The adults also had fun playing while we waited for our food.  We played Ellen's Head's Up game…so fun!

The kids had a lot of fun at the Biltmore Farm area.
There were a lot of different animals to pet as well as a playground nearby. 

Amelie loved holding a 3 day old chick.

The kids would chase each other through the shrub maze, but would cut in and out of the shrubs instead of staying on the path.  They didn't quite understand that was cheating.  

The following weekend the Green family came for a visit.  Again, we tried to fill the time with as much fun and good food as would could manage.  Our time included eating at White Duck Tacos (one of our favorites), getting soaked in Splashville, playing in our yard and with the hammock, enjoying ice-cream cones on our back porch, hiking Craggy Gardens, attending Box Turtle Day at the NC Arboretum, eating BBQ at Luella's.  The visit was fast, but we were so thankful they came!

It's hard to believe that our kids are old enough to have their own kid table.  They enjoyed being independent from the adults just as much as we enjoyed being able to talk and catch up.

All of the kids did an excellent job hiking.  

The view from the top of Craggy was cloudy so we stopped at one of the LookOut points to take some pictures with the mountains.

Sweet friends walking through the Arboretum together!

Liam trying to mimic Farrah's cartwheels.

We watched trained dogs searching for box turtles in the woods.  At one point they asked for volunteers to hide pretend box turtles and then watched the dogs find them.  Bella, Amelie, and Farrah made a group to hide one of the turtles.

Liam has embraced his role as monster/dragon/whatever attacker of girls.  They are throwing small apples at each other.

The hammock was a hit!  Who knew it could be so entertaining?! :)

Farrah and Liam enjoy the swing in Mrs. Gayle's yard. 

Bobby and Chris entertaining themselves (and anyone watching) while waiting for our table at Luella's BBQ.

Good-bye beach. Hello mountains!

We have left the beach for the summer and have planted ourselves in the mountains for a month.  We arrived yesterday afternoon in Asheville, NC.  The last 24 hours have been full and fun.  We settled in quickly to our new home.  The backyard has lush, thick green grass with a creek at the far edge and apple trees.  Our landlord live across the street and has an amazing yard/meadow.  Upon arriving we checked in by walking around the meadow getting to know our host.  While walking we enjoyed playing on a hammock swing, gazing at the creek, admiring the soon to be fruitful blueberry bushes, and picking strawberries.  Our host has been very hospitable and welcoming of us and our kids.  She had a lot of insightful information about the area as well as about the wildlife (including bears and wild turkeys).  We have plans to use the fire pit area in her yard to build a campfire and roast marshmallows this week.

Liam had a hard time not squashing all of the plants while picking.    I had a hard time picking fast enough to feed him so he wouldn't trample too many!

With nice weather today we decided to hit the trails.  We hiked through the Craggy Gardens up to the Craggy Pinnacle where we had lunch.  The rhododendrons were not in bloom yet so we have plans of hiking this area again in a couple of weeks.  When the rhododendrons are in full bloom, we are told you are walking through a tunnel of flowers for portions of the hike.  However, even without the flowers blooming the views were stunning.  Everyone loved the adventure!  Amelie and Liam (with the encouragement of their dad) loved blazing new trails!

Our lunch spot.

After hiking through the Craggy Gardens we headed to a trail that led to the site of Rattlesnack Lodge, the former summer home of Asheville physician and outdoor activist Dr. Chase P. Ambler. The Amblers built their summer retreat in 1903 and occupied it until 1920. The Lodge is long gone, victim of a fire caused by lightning in the late 1920s.  The well-designed trail went through a multitude of switchbacks, following an old wagon route to the private home.  At the end of the hike, we were able to explore the old toolshed, the spring house, and the water supply pond.   It was all very interesting!  Liam had fallen asleep in the car on the way to the trail so Amelie and Bobby got a jump start to exploring and Liam and I caught up with them later.   We loved looking at the different trees, lichen, bugs, worms, and more.  So many cool things to learn about in nature!!

The once spring fed swimming pool.

We were all VERY hungry after a day of hiking.  To satisfy our appetites, we ate lots of delicious pizza  at Asheville's Pizza and Brewery down the street from our house.  Once we got home, we ate ice-cream on our back porch and then took turns taking warm baths.  We are looking forward to more adventures in the Blue Ridge Mountains!