After our visit to Flat Rock, NC, we headed out to visit the Cradle of Forestry. It was a beautiful drive and we came upon a gorgeous waterfall. This is another thing you don't see in Florida. We stopped to explore.
It was quite a walk to get to the falls, but there were stairs.
Good exercise going down and then back up. While there, I spotted this beauty. Isn't our Creator amazing?
There is so much beauty all around if we'll just look for it. While there, we overheard a woman say she was from Florida. We talked with her and were surprised to find out she was from our town! Small world!
We continued on our way through the beautiful forest, filled with glorious color, stopping to take pictures of mountains, streams, and scenic heights.
Then, we arrived at Chimney Rock. You can see why it has that name. It's at the top of that mountain in the photo below.
We drove up and up and up and finally reached the parking lot.
I thought we would have quite a climb. Jem was telling me how he hiked and climbed all the way to the top (years ago). This is me when I thought about climbing all that way.
Ummmm. I don't think so. . .
This is me when I found out they had a gift shop . . . AND AN ELEVATOR!!! YAY!!!
So, we went up to the top and saw the glory of that fabulous view. Jem is standing here to show me that he climbed up the rocks behind him (years ago). I was impressed. Where we were standing was 2280 ft up.
Gail-Friends, it was cold up there, too. This Florida girl only wears her heavy coat once or twice a year, but it got lots of wear on this trip. I enjoyed the cool weather in the mountains, but really and truly, I prefer my winter a day at a time, interspersed with several hot days in between.
After Chimney Rock, we headed east to visit our dear friends, Eddy and Carlleen, in South Carolina. She had prepared a delicious supper for us and even had a birthday party for me.
Carlleen is so creative, and made me this shadow box with the poem, "Touch of the Master's Hand." I treasure it. We had so much fun talking and catching up on the happenings in our lives. She and I are real "sister friends" and our husbands enjoy each other, too. We spent the night at their lovely home, and the next day riding around their town and then out to lunch. I only wish we could have stayed longer. We never run out of things to talk about - especially politics.
That evening, we spent the night in Charleston and rode around the old, downtown area the next morning. We were in a time crunch and had to start heading back home. Here are a few pics from my favorite Southern town. All of the houses are unique.
So many of the homes have flower boxes - something I want to add to Golden Cottage this summer.
I love Charleston's horse-drawn carriages.
And dog friendliness.
And her gardens.
And porches and doors.
There's so much to love in Charleston.
We rode down to the bay and saw this. Jem had to stop and talk to them, of course. They display the flag and talk to passers-by about Southern history. Charleston's where the conflict started, you know. They had a great talk, and it was good to meet some proud ol' rebels.
We made one more stop on our way home - to see one of my loves and have a hug. Don't I have a pretty daughter? I'm so thank-full for our time together that day. She's so beautiful - even without make-up. I love my girl.
Well, that's my mountain vacation story, and I'm thank-full we were able to take it. We had such a lovely time. We were planning to go on up to Gettysburg, but snow was predicted. So, that's on our agenda for our next trip.
I hope to show you some pics next week of our big renovation here at Golden Cottage. It is finished and I'm so happy!!
What are you thankful for this week, Gail-Friends?
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