Post-Summer Vacation

New Daddy spent his summer waiting on a huge project to deploy at work.  A week after it launched, and the week after everyone else went back to school, we were in the mountains camping.  We chose to go to New Daddy's frequent childhood camping spot: Davidson River, NC.  The weather was perfect, outside of a few showers.  We got a tad wet, but not soaked.  The daytime highs stayed around 80 degrees, and we stayed comfortable the whole time.  Nights were cool, in the 50s, but I only got cold once.  It was Fabulous. (which is quite important when you're camping, right?)

We finally left around 2:30 on Wednesday and arrived at the campground around 7:00 PM.  Things are slow when you have an almost-two-month-old to feed, and there are last-minute things to buy before the camping gets underway.  But we had time to set up the tents before darkness closed in on us.  I'm glad that I brought a package of Trader Joe's chili lime chicken burgers; they were a quick supper that night.

Tater's first impression of Davidson River

Thursday morning, we went up to the Ranger's Station, where Cutie enjoyed pushing buttons and making the maps light up at different spots.  The kids all got binoculars from the store.  Then, we went on the nature walk, which involved the kids' first suspension bridge and the Great Muddy Hillside.  Precious had run ahead of us while Bubby and Cutie were exploring a stream.  She ran back and told us of this magnificent climbing area.  She and Bubby climbed up and down it.  He was a little afraid coming down, but he slid around a bit and made it without too much trouble.  He is quite the cautious one.

 Their first suspension bridge

After the kids finished climbing, Cutie insisted that we have church on the benches that were set up in the small amphitheater.  Bubby preached on Malachi 4:5-6 and Acts 2:38.  Cutie was satisfied.  Further up the trail, we saw an old fish hatchery and a tree bent over a creek.

Concrete barrier from the old fish hatchery

Precious climbing up the bent tree

After the nature walk, we came back to camp and ate one of the many peanut butter sandwich lunches that occurred on this trip.  That afternoon, New Daddy took Precious to Walmart for a new bike.  The rear tire on the bike that she had gotten for her fourth birthday busted when New Daddy was filling it up prior to the trip.  She had outgrown it anyway, and she was beyond thrilled with her new bike!  She was in her swimsuit, here, ready to go tubing down the river.

Thursday afternoon, New Daddy took the three older kids tubing.  That evening, we had a campfire with hot dogs and s'mores.

On Friday morning, Bubby and New Daddy went fishing at the freshly-stocked swimming hole.  I had already prepared fried eggs, bacon and pancakes for breakfast; but when Bubby showed up with this rainbow trout and a mile-wide smile, I added the trout to the menu.  It was on this trip that Bubby got bitten by the "fishing bug."  New Daddy told me that Bubby will stay out on the water as long as New Daddy wants to.  Finally, New Daddy has the fishing buddy that he had dreamed of!  (that I, unfortunately, was not)

After breakfast, we all went to Looking Glass Falls.  We were going to head up to Sliding Rock, too, but we had forgotten all of the kids' bathing suits and a change of clothes for New Daddy.  So after Looking Glass, we went on to Asheville and Black Mountain.

How many children have had their pictures taken on this rock at Looking Glass Falls?  New Daddy sure did when he was a youngster.

We think that New Daddy babysitting Tater on Mondays has Tater trained to automatically sleep on Daddy.  As soon as he got into New Daddy's arms, he was out.

A two month-old smile!

Sleeping with his hand on the cup holding his crawdad.  He was devastated when he discovered that the crawdad had died in the hot car.  It was a good lesson, though.

In Asheville, we first went to the Farmer's Market.  We got some yummy Sourwood honey, sauerkraut- original and spicy, the best fried apple pies we'd ever had, and two pieces of kitchen pottery: a spoon rest and a "berry bowl."  After that, we went to the Western North Carolina Nature Center, which we are members at.  Their reciprocal membership with other AZA institutions gives us a discount at many zoos and aquariums.  But here, we just walked in.

The kids' favorite exhibits were the working-barn stall at the petting farm and the wolves.  The kids were busy howling at the wolves when it started raining.  Then, we spent a lot of time under the cover at the otter exhibit.  Finally, we made a run for it and headed back to the car.

 

The rain started to clear as we neared the place where New Daddy's grandparents are buried in Black Mountain.  We got some pictures of the kids at the grave site.

New Daddy took the kids by Lake Tomahawk in Black Mountain.  Bubby rigged up a most creative fishing pole from a stick and a wad of bread.   And then we ate supper in Black Mountain before heading back to the campsite.

Friday morning, New Daddy set the kids up with a leftover pancake breakfast in the trailer while we  scurried around the campsite to pack up.  At 11:00, we pulled out and headed up to Sliding Rock.

New Daddy and Precious slid down Sliding Rock together, and it was a bit less than ideal for both of them.  But, thankfully, she is a good swimmer.  We forgot to pack life jackets, so Bubby did not go down the rock.  The description that Precious gave Bubby was also enough to convince him that he didn't need to experience it for himself.  After we all came back to the car, the kids decided to wade a little upstream of the rock.  Bubby caught a dace in the swift water with just his net.  He was so proud of it!

And after that, we headed home.  What trip isn't complete without a picture of everyone sacked out in the backseat?  It was a wonderful vacation.