In October, Bill and I headed to the beautiful mountains of North Carolina! We were so happy that our son and grandchildren, daughter and son-in-law and grandpup were also able to make the trip! Unfortunately, our daughter-in-law, Bertha, was not able to come. We were looking forward to some family time, cooler temperatures, relaxing, exploring, enjoying some delicious food and making memories!
The cabin we rented was located in the beautiful mountains of Maggie Valley, NC. It was at an elevation of 4,900 feet and was like being in the clouds! The views were amazing!
We had several curvy mountains roads to manuever! Thank goodness for GPS!
Whew! At the end of a long drive, we had finally arrived!
We never got tired of the gorgeous views from the deck!
Grace and Brian were so excited to discover a treehouse on the property!
Blue spruce were everywhere! It made me think of Christmas!
On Sunday, we took a short drive to beautiful Lake Junaluska. After a quick walk around the lake, we headed to the playground! Grace and Brian had fun burning off some of that energy!
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With our grandson, Brian!
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| Awww...Beth and Cory! |
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| Two handome young men...Brian and Cory |
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| Brian and Grace had so much fun at the playground! |
During the week, the weather turned chilly and the cool air was so refreshing! On Monday, we bundled up and went into Waynesville to have lunch at Bogart's.
After lunch, we took a short drive to Barber Orchards. Of course, we wanted to buy some apples, and I was so happy to find they still had some Honeycrisp! They were so crisp and yummy!
Beth and Cory were so sweet to buy apple cider donuts and apple cider for us to sample and enjoy! They had waited in a very long line to get these delicious treats! As we were driving back to the cabin, our grandson said, "Let me tell you, that was a really good donut!" Haha!! Those were my exact sentiments! He certainly has a way with words!
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| Mmmmmmm...so delicious! |
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Grace and I decided to stay warm in the truck while everyone finished
their cider and donuts! Isn't Grace's hair pretty! Grand Beth had braided
and styled it for her earlier in the day. "Grand Beth" is what Grace and Brian
have always called their Aunt Beth and she loves it! |
On Tuesday, we had lunch at Haywood Smokehouse in Waynesville! It was a great time, and the food was so delicious! We highly recommend it! Even Grace and Brian gave it a thumbs up!
It was almost time for Cory as well as Brian and the grandkids to return home. We wanted to take everyone to see the elk which were located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the Cataloochee Valley. The entrance road to Cataloochee Valley is a narrow gravel road with some steep drop offs, and there are no guard rails! Yikes!!
What an unforgetable and awesome experience we had seeing the elk! It was quite a large herd. We even heard an elk, with HUGE antlers, make his bugling sound to let another smaller elk know that he was not welcome!
Some of my favorite family pictures taken during the week...
Bill, Beth, Louie and I spent the rest of our week going into Ashville, riding on the Blue Ridge Parkway and stopping one more time at the Mast General Store and Haywood Smokehouse in Waynesville.
On the Blue Ridge Parkway, the leaves were slow to change colors even in the higher elevations. Even so, it was still an amazing and beautiful time riding on the Blue Ridge Parkway!
This is Lake Logan Episcopal Center which is near the Blue Ridge Parkway. The air smelled so sweet! What a beautiful and peaceful place!
On the last morning, we got up early so we could enjoy one last gorgeous sunrise! It was spectactular!
We had such a wonderful time in the mountains and were so sad to know our vacation had come to an end. Can't wait to visit again!
Bye-bye!
Hope you have a wonderful week!
Bobbie
