2552 (miles)

Rescheduled three times, it was the little trip that almost wasn't.  First postponed in the spring, because up north they got 18" of snow the day we were to drive;  if we cancelled, they'd charge us $100.  We moved the trip to September not realizing it was the Week Everything Begins.  So, off to October.  This not-realizing was that the park was essentially closed when we'd be there:  no CCC built dining hall for breakfast, no big gift shop, no boat tour of Lake Itasca.  (We made do, easily.)

The girls ran around inside and out despite the chill, and we so enjoyed our few days away exploring this park without the bugs or crowds.  We hiked and wandered and took pictures and didn't get our feet wet crossing the mighty Mississippi as it began its journey south (by going north).  We also slept in (though I got up - not early - to run the other morning, when I came back they were still sleeping) and made pancakes and watched satellite TV and looked at the stars and helped out our neighbors when they locked themselves out at 9:30pm and didn't climb a fire tower (Gret and I did not) and had wine and cheese and crackers whilst making supper.  And saw a Fischer (I did).  And took *more* pictures.  And made videos of sisters doing "magic" in the bedroom while parents ignore, reading in the other room ...  trips don't get much better than this.

"This is my Father's world, and to my listening ears

All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.

This is my Father's world:  I rest me in the thought

Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;

His hand the wonders wrought."

M. D. Babcock

(late summer walk) and photos

 

One walk, one morning.

"But WHY?" do we have to go?  "Isn't it time" to turn around?!?
The walk is more for me than them, I know as I Make them Do these Terrible Things, all of a mile and half.  (and "Do you have" fifty cents so I can buy another rock from a bubble gum machine to add to my collection of 3,403 rocks that are in glass jars so Mom can pretend there is reason to the chaos?) 
(I didn't have fifty cents, really.)

She'll keep sighing, but we'll keep coming, and that's okay.  It was mostly for me.

KY, VA, NC, among others (2)

~ Biltmore Estate

 ~ wine tasting at the Biltmore

 ~ laundry and groceries in Asheville

 ~ Great Smoky Mountain National Park

~cutting sticks for fairy houses

~ Jr. Ranger program: helping catalogue invertebrates of the river

~ the Dragon Fly Larvae Greta and I found

 ~ this and next two photos by Greta

 ~ waterfalls at Deep Creek "hike"

 ~ Greta and my evening hike from Balsam Mountain Campground

Looks like my "quick posting some trip pictures" will involve more than I planned... thanks to unplanned sickness (my own) and feeling a little better, we're not just watching old movies today and I can pretend like I'm accomplishing something (with a non-functioning washing machine and an unfinished porch with a self-imposed deadline, any accomplishment is okay in my book, especially if I don't have to deal with the standing-whilst-sick headpounding.)  Though the girls thoroughly enjoyed Charade, one of my favorite movies ever, so we did have a fun afternoon yesterday.

This was the middle section of our trip, where we pushed through a lot of traffic and rolling hills and had a lovely campsite tucked away on the edge of the camp.  Biltmore was fantastic, but not for a tired 8-yr-old on an extremely busy Saturday - someday Jeff and I will be back for some behind-the-scenes tours and eating at their (expensive) restaurants.  The Smoky's were... okay.  Our campsite was 45 minutes away from everything, which was tough (but quiet), and most of the "things to do" were around the perimeter of the park also, and not accessible without hours of driving.  We still couldn't do big hikes, as Gret's ankle still hurt from Shenandoah, so we were limited in our activities.  The girls built a spectacular fairy house at camp, though, and learned to use an ax!  (homeschooling: check.)

Now for resting up and preparing as much as possible for the rapidly approaching chaos.  I do think my body periodically forces downtime, as I'm not very good at it otherwise.  We'll finish up vacation with a cave visit.  Stay tuned!