Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Now

high above Brevard

Smores downtown

Dupont Hike

It has been about two weeks since I last updated our blog.  My lack of writing isn't due to the absence of activity, but rather the opposite.  Since our arrival in Brevard we have been very busy.  It hasn't been the crazy busy we use to experience in York, but rather a busy based around fun activities, building friendships, and learning the area around us.  We participated in a downtown festival, gatherings with friends, and beautiful hikes in the Pisgah and Dupont forests.  We are truly blessed to be here and we appreciate every moment of the adventure.  

I know that many of you thought us crazy for making the decisions we did a year ago, but for us it has been one of the most blessed experiences of our lives.  In the past year we've had the opportunity to watch our kids experience so many cool things for the first time and to truly experience joy in a way I've never seen before.  

In light of the heart-breaking events of the past week and all the posts I've read on Facebook, I can say with full honesty that we have no regrets.  It is for reasons such as these that we didn't want to wait until it was too late to do something crazy and fun as a family.  We've watched so many loved ones pass in and out of our lives over the years - the best of friends gone way too soon, Pappy's & Mamaw's, grandmom's, aunt's and uncle's, and sweet little pookies struggling with cancer - we didn't want to wait until something tragic happened to ponder what might have been.  We can't control everything that will happen in our lives and this was our chance to enjoy the moment, to seize the day "Carpe Deim" as Robbin William's stated so emphatically in Dead Poet's Society.

So, as many of you ponder over the events of this past week and look for answers and some sort of peace, I can only encourage you  to remember that life is short and you should seize the day.  I truly hope you have a blessed holiday and  and as I said in my facebook post...consider doing one thing in the upcoming year that is a little crazy or outside the box that will be a moment you will never forget!  We did and it's been an amazing ride!  

A Christmas Story

 Today, we took a trip to the local Christmas tree farm where you could pick and cut your own tree.  The view from the hillside was spectacular.  This was a brand new adventure for the Meile crew. We've never had a real tree for Christmas and then to be able to find it and cut it ourselves was a wonderful treat.  

We roamed the hillside looking for the perfect tree.  It was a steep grade so climbing to the top while searching for our little evergreen was challenging, yet fun.  Once we all decided which tree we wanted to harvest, Dave and Lauryl worked at cutting it down.  Even Grace got into the action and finished the last few strokes of the saw.  Then, Camden took the lead, as he and Lauryl carried our Christmas tree down the steep hill.

Once we were at the bottom, the kids helped bind it and load it on the roof of the jeep.  It was a beautiful sight; three happy kiddos and a beautiful tree to take back to the cabin!

Once we got it back, we had decide whether we wanted it inside or on the back porch.  After much consideration, we opted for inside with the hope that Poette and Dempsey would not mess with it too much and that our allergies would not get too crazy.  

Lauryl helped Dave get it inside and set up.  Once it was in its stand, they put on the lights; a strand of illuminated shotgun shells in various colors.  The kids hung their ornaments from Gammy which fit our rustic theme.  We then began working on some homemade items to complete the look.  Our garland was a crocheted strand that Lauryl found in a bin of craft things she got from her great-grandmom Meile who recently passed away.  We made paper snowflakes and we tied bunches of holly on the branches which we found in the woods around the cabin.  We hung several shells we had from our time at the beach this year and Lauryl and Grace decorated sand dollars we found in Destin.  

Tomorrow we are planning to go to a craft fair where we hope to find a few more handmade items to add to the tree. Overall, it was truly a special evening and probably the most memorable since I was a little girl.  As I prepared to take this picture it brought a smile to my face seeing my son's pellet gun sitting there and remembering one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time.  It is a great beginning to what I hope is a really wonderful Christmas story for us!

Turkey Day and then some!

We spent Thanksgiving with my family at my aunt and uncle's home in Virginia.  It was about an 8 hour drive which we broke up by staying in a hotel for the night.  Dinner was amazing!!!!  I love how food and family bring out some of the fondest memories of my childhood.  I miss my Mamaw and Pap Pap so very much, but I must say that it almost feels like they're there with us when we enjoy the Thanksgiving feast as they would have prepared it.  It's a great time to reminisce while still creating new moments to laugh about later. 

After filling up on turkey, stuffing, mash potatoes, and side dishes,  I got to enjoy the deliciously sweet confection of my aunts amazing pecan pie.  There is truly nothing like it!  So yes, healthy eating was set aside for a time, but it was truly worth the indulgence.

We left Virginia late evening and made our way back to Pennsylvania.  Exhausted and satisfied, we slept peacefully in our tiny hotel room.  The next several days were devoted to packing up some our belongings while donating and trashing others.  We are not moving everything down to Brevard this trip, but we did get a lot accomplished.  We have one more day in York and then it's back on the road for the Meile bunch.  Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

Meile Micro-Man Regatta!

This past weekend was dedicated to moving and boat races.  Prior to leaving the campground, we decided to hold the first ever Meile Micro-Man Regatta.  We each made our own boat out of cardboard, duct tape, water bottles and whatever else we could find to make it float!  Each boat was to have its own micro-man (a GI Joe type action figure from the Dollar General).  The winner of the Regatta is the official Meile Micro-Man for future Micro adventures!!!  We were one action figure short for the race so Lauryl drew one for Dave's boat...aptly named Micro-Ray!  

The kids began their designs on Saturday, making several test runs to see if their creations would float.  Dave and I waited until Sunday to put together our water crafts. We all talked a lot of smack, convinced we each had the best boat for our Micro-Man.  All this happened in the midst of moving our stuff over to the cabin we will be living in for the next several months.  We have fallen in love with the little town of Brevard, NC.

So, back to the race.  Lauryl was also in charge of video taping the event.  I went first.  My boat spent more time backwards, but made it a good ways before it got hung up in a strainer.  Lauryl and Grace did not have the same luck. Grace's boat hit the side, flipped upside down sending micro-man to the bottom.  Both boat and man needed rescued!  Lauryl's skateboard design got hung up early too and needed retrieved from the other side.

It was Camden's raft like design and Dave's packing tape kayak that had the most success.  Both made it down the stream with only some minor hang-ups, each taking the lead at different times.  Micro-Ray had the largest cheering section and was declared the official winner, but since he was only paper and slightly soggy following the race, Camden's micro-man took the title!  To top it all off, the kids were pleased to claim school time for the project.  We will now be on the lookout for another micro-man adventure so stay tuned!

As a side note, we completed the move to the cabin and we are enjoying it immensely!  We will be heading back to PA for the Thanksgiving holiday but it is only a quick trip to see friends and family and to pick up a few things. Happy Thanksgiving to all...the adventure has only begun!

Through the Looking Glass

Hi it's Grace, Camden and Lauryl today. Well technically, I'm the one writing it but they each had input. On Monday we went on an outing with our rock climbing club. The trip was to Looking Glass Rock in Pisgah Forest.  We went there to go bouldering. 

When we first saw Looking Glass we couldn't believe it!  We probably didn't have the best view on Monday because it was overcast and rainy, but it was still impressive. There were only three other members of club team there so we got a lot of help from the coaches. After a bit of a hike, we reached a field of boulders at the base of Looking Glass. Everything was kind of soggy so we were limited in what we could do, but it was still fun. To quote Camden "It was awesome!" 



Now technically Lauryl hadn't joined the team so she couldn't really climb, but she wanted to sooooo bad that afterwards she decided to join the club too.

The bouldering was interesting because we were probably only 2 feet off the ground most of the time. We spent most of the time just trying to work our way up the side. After practicing on some boulders we took a hike up to the actual base of Looking Glass.  It was really neat!  About five feet of it was climbable but everything above that looked like you'd have to be spider man to do. We stayed in a five foot area, but we did a lot of traversing.  Traversing is when you move side to side along the rock rather than up and down. Our coach also put some white chalk in certain areas so we could try to reach there. By this point in the trip, even Lauryl was trying to do some climbing.  She just couldn't resist!


Once we finished our bouldering trip, we went back to the rock gym for club practice, and by the end of it we were all exhausted. Now Lauryl didn't actually come to the rock gym because she still wasn't a member, but she did go to zumba with my mom.  It was a super fun day.  Tonight we have club again in the gym and Lauryl will be joining us.  We all can't wait!!!!

Learning life in Brevard

Yesterday I had the privilege of talking to someone who lived their whole life in this area of North and South Carolina.  I learned that the neighboring town of Rosman is actually prounounced "Rozman" by the locals.  It reminds me of how we can tell a non-local when they call Lancaster "Lang-caster" or "Land-caster".  I also got some good local history.  Brevard use to have two major manufacturing plants in town, Dupont and Ecusta Paper Mill.  Both left several years ago and therefore there are not nearly the jobs available that use to be.  According to my source who worked 35 years for the papermill before it closed, part of its demise was due to "that Glatfelter plant in Spring Grove.  After looking into things further, I learned from an old article in the Associated Press that the mill had been sold to Glatfelter in 1987 and they in turn sold it to Purico in 2001.  After a bitter labor dispute, Purico closed the doors to the Ecusta plant.

Today we took a 9 mile bike ride on the bike path through Brevard.  During our trip we passed the huge empty field that once held the Ecusta Paper Mill.  It's a strange moment when the life I knew growing up intertwined itself with this new place I am only beginning to experience.  As a teenager I toured the Glatfelter plant, and just a few short months ago, I watched my niece play soccer on the Glatfelter soccer fields.  Today, I got to experience just another moment in their timeline.


Our bike ride also took us into the Pisgah Forest along the Davidson River.  The Davidson is suppose to have wonderful trout fishing, although it is only catch and release in some areas.  We had a great ride and we weren't even tired when it was all said and done.  I don't think there is a bad view in the county.  It all is truly breath-taking.

For those of you who may not have heard, we will be renting a cabin here in Brevard starting in little over a week.  We will be up on a mountain nestled in the woods with a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  It will be the place we call home until the end of March.  Today we had the privilege of meeting the owners of the cabin and they seem like truly lovely people.  We also discovered that there is a mountain biking trail into Dupont State Forest only a mile or two up the road from where we'll be.  The only caveat will be based on the amount of snow we get this winter.  Our road is a series of switch backs up the mountainside.  It could make for interesting blog updates in the months to come.  We will at least be well stocked in our beer and wine.

My last update is on our activities and social life thus far.  I went to my first Zumba class at the Rec Center here and it was wonderful!  Everyone introduced themselves and I felt incredibly welcomed.  The instructor was wonderful too. She is 61 and no slouch.  She kept me sweating the entire time and I have no problem becoming a regular in her class.

All three kids tried a session at Brevard Rock Gym.  It was both challenging and fun for them, but Camden and Grace especially enjoyed it.  They are planning to join the youth club the have and we will going on a boulder outing with the club this Monday.  Camden said he already started making friends.  Grace's hands are sore and she is looking forward to the challenge of it all.  Lauryl is sticking to dance. She is scheduled to start a hip hop tap class at Pisgah Dance Academy on Monday.  She is so excited!  She got to take dance when we were in Destin and  she has missed it over the past month or so.

So that is life in Brevard thus far.  Dave has made some connections with some local kayakers and he is anxious to get on the water this weekend.

I'm sure we will have much more to post in the days to come.  Thank you for continue to follow our adventures!

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Music in Brevard

Hey people who read this blog. This is Grace, and I get to tell you all about what we did yesterday. It was amazing. After we finished school we went out to see a piano performance done by Craig Nies. He is on The Vanderbilt University music faculty, and teaches for the Brevard Music Center. He played seven wonderful pieces starting with Mozart and finishing with Chopin. It was really amazing to hear. Also, in case anyone would like to know, they hold free concerts the first Monday between October and May at Brevard College.

There were pretty sculptures in the hallway and a beautiful pipe organ behind the stage.  He performed on a lovely grand piano which sounded magnificant.

After the show, we went driving around to check out some sport stores. We learned some great information and all I have to say is that you will hear more from me on Thursday...stay tuned! Afterwards, we went for a walk in Pisgah Forest. We walked their exercise trail which winds through the woods along the Davidson River. Everywhere we go it is simply beautiful! We had a ton of fun and everyday there is a new adventure. Right now, I can't wait until  Thursday!!! Write more then.

The Green River Narrows

Hi, this is Grace again, and I get to write about one of the coolest things I've ever done! My dad, sister, and I went to see the Green Race in Saluda, NC. It was a 45 minute drive to where the Green Race would take place. There were lines of cars parked on the side of the road so my dad just parked at the first spot he found. 

We figured we'd just walk up the road to the trail that would lead to the race. Big mistake!  We started walking and walking and still walking. It was interesting though to look at the license plates because a lot of them were from different states. The farthest ones were from Wyoming, Colorado  Massachusetts, and Maine. 

After about twenty minutes, we reached the actual trail to walk down to the river.  We walked along a beautiful trail and it was so much fun. The best part was near the end though, well it was fun for me anyways. At this part we veered off the nice big trail that was fairly easy to walk on and took a very steep hill down. It was great because I love to climb. At the bottom we jumped a little creek and after walking a bit more, we sat down to watch the race. 

It was amazing!!! Now note we weren't watching from the beginning of the race, because it was very crowded, so what we got to see was someone suddenly coming around a corner and penciling down the waterfall. They'd disappear for a couple seconds then suddenly we'd see them again at the next rapid. 

This rapid was interesting because there were three sections of water going down each one with different levels of water rushing through. In one funny instance, a boater reached this rapid and was planning to take the one with the medium amount water,but a previous boater swam there and his boat was now at the bottom of that rapid. So the boater refused to go down there. Then one of the safety guys went over and pulled him over to the rapid with the least amount of water. There was even a boat with a messed up nose.

After watching from that vantage point for a little while, we decided to walk up a little farther. It was so crowded that Lauryl and I couldn't see a thing. So I found the best seat in the house and laid on this leaning tree to watch the boaters go down. After watching for several hours we decided to head home for dinner. Apparently everybody else did too because we got stuck in a traffic jam in the middle of the woods. 

We finally made it back up the hill we originally went down, which wasn't as fun to climb up as down. We then had to walk the whole way back up the trail and the road before we reached the truck. We stopped for dinner at The Waffle House on our way home. When we got home we were all exhausted. I have to say though, it was totally worth it!  You can look up the Green Race on facebook or check out the website at http://greenrace.amongstit.com/ .

Trunk or Treat?

Hey everybody, it's Grace again, and yes I get to write about Halloween!!! I absolutely love Halloween!  You not only get to wear a crazy costume, but you also get free candy. For Halloween I went as the poem, "The Raven," by Edgar Allen Poe, Camden went as Skeletor, and Lauryl went as Pinkalicious. We were extremely excited because we were getting to trick or treat in Transylvania County.

One unique thing we learned pretty quickly was about a tradition called Trunk-or-Treat.  On Halloween night, numerous people park in a parking lot downtown and set up like a football game tailgate.  At each car there was a person handing out candy. It was a really great idea since a lot of people live in the mountains rather than neighborhoods.  By doing it this way, everyone gets to participate and there's an awesome sense of community!

While at the Trunk or Treat, we met up with my parent's new friends to go trick or treating. They have two kids, a six year old girl and a two year old boy.  They were both dressed as pirates. It was so neat because everyone in the county came down to trick or treat right on the streets of downtown. We just walked down Maple Street and it was so crazy.  First of all they actually block the streets off to traffic.  So, at pretty much every house there was a line of kids 10 to 20 deep, waiting for their candy. It was great!  There were kids of all ages too, not just little kids.
It was one of the best Halloweens I've ever had. I loved getting to trunk or treat and trick or treat with some friends even if they were younger then me. Definitely worth doing again. Transylvania..you rock!

The Land of Waterfalls

On Sunday we decided to take a drive and check out our surroundings.  We made our way to the Pisgah National Forest visitors center where we got a tremendous amount of information about the area.  It was raining, so unfortunately we didn't get to do a hike.  We did get to check out several of the grocery stories.  All of them had incredible service and the prices weren't any worse than anywhere else we've been.

Monday we went to the laundromat and we also checked out a few more stores.  We took a drive looking for the Dupont Forest but didn't quit find it. We did, however, find the Brevard music center.  I don't think there is anything around here that isn't beautiful!

Tuesday, we finally made it to Dupont State Forest. We decided to check out two waterfalls that were only a short hike from the parking lot.  The first waterfall we saw was Hooker Falls.  It was simply beautiful

The next waterfall was Triple Drop.  It is best known as being the waterfall in the Hunger Games movie.  Apparently it is the spot where Katniss found Peeta buried in the mud.  It was truly the prettiest waterfall I've ever seen, and we've seen a lot of waterfalls!  There is another waterfall in Dupont that was used in the movie, but we ran out of time, so we will be going back soon to do more exploring.  Dupont is also known for having great mountain biking.  Dave is anxious to find someone that can teach him the ins and outs of the forest when it comes to riding.


We are still doing school in the midst of our adventures and Dave continues to work hard.  We have so much more to see and a month doesn't seem like it will be enough.  There are over 250 waterfalls to be seen in this county alone.  Each day is a new adventure and we are anxious to see what's around the next bend.

Flight of the Vampire and More Halloween Fun

We began our first full day in Brevard early.  Grace, Lauryl, and I ran in the annual Flight of the Vampire 5k held on the campus of Brevard College.  The weather was perfect and it was a spectacular way to see the homes around town.  As we were waiting for the race to start, I met a sweet woman who was also fairly new to the area from Florida.  We talked the whole first part of the run and we met up after race and introduced our families.  Not even in town 24 hours and we made friends...craziness!  


Following the race, which was a blast, we saw our first white squirrel!  They are truly spectacular and bazaar all at the same time.  They are all over the college campus and we've even seen them other places around town.  The tale is that they came to the area from a carnival animal truck that overturned back in the 40's.  A pair of the squirrels were found and given to a local resident that tried to breed them unsuccessfully.  The squirrels eventually escaped and began breeding in the wild. They can now be seen throughout the town of Brevard.   According to the town website, biologists know of no other species of all white squirrels in the world.  They are not albino as they are white with some gray fur and they have brown eyes!

They next adventure of the day was attending the Halloween festival downtown.  We all dressed up for the occasion and Grace and Lauryl decided to enter the costume competition.  Grace took second place in the storybook category with her rendition of the poem "The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe.  With Raven feathers and lines of the poem written on her arms and legs, she embodied both the raven and the lost Lenore.  It was a great way to show she really learned something when we studied the poem.  Lauryl dressed up as the character from the children's book Pinkalicious.  Camden went old-school as Skeletor, donned with a glow in the dark hand painted mask he made.  Because Grace won, we all got to walk in the costume parade through town.  Way to make our mark already!

After the parade we got lunch at Mayberry's.  They have the most delicious sandwiches and it's a place that truly embodies the essence of the town.  The kids did some trick-or-treating at the stores and we ran into our new friends at the pumpkin roll.  In the evening there was a music festival "Osktoberfest" sponsored by Oskar Blues Brewery,a new brewery coming to town.  We ate Brauts and drank  beer while listening to an awesome band. The kids even got to play on the inflatable slides. Once again we met up with the couple we met earlier in the day to bring the day to close.  What a wonderful introduction to a wonderful little town.  We are becoming fast fans of this area!

Brevard, The Friendliest Place on Earth

Friday, we arrived in Brevard, North Carolina to our new campsite at Adventure Village Resort.  Our site is next to a little stream nestled in the mountains.  We came in without our camper since we stored it in South Carolina.  Dave and Camden headed an hour south to pick up our home, and the girls and I went into town to get lunch and explore.

The first thing we noticed about the town of Brevard was how extremely friendly the people are.  I stopped at the bank and was given a plethora of information not only from my teller, but also a nice gentleman standing in line.  I got pointers on where to eat and what to see.  No one was in a rush, and they talked  freely like I've known them all my life.  It was pleasant and refreshing.

After the bank, we drove downtown to find a place to have lunch.  Downtown Brevard consists of two streets; Main and Broad which run perpendicular to each other.  We had no problem finding parking on the street and there are no parking meters to be found!  You can actually park, not pay, and enjoy shopping in town without fearing for your life.  


We had lunch in a little deli and enjoyed true southern sweet tea.  The service was slow and relaxing and they even made note of it on their menus saying they were not a "fast food" restaurant.  We walked around the downtown area visiting the various stores.  It was like walking back in time.  They have a traditional soda shop that makes a rockin' black and white malt,  and an old-school toy store with an entire wall dedicated to legos.  Many of their stores are made up of individual vendors with awesome artistic gift items.  Grace liked the store called Gravy since it is the nickname her dad gave her.

After leaving the downtown area, we stopped at the Save-Mor grocery store to pick up some things.  Again, it was like walking back in time.  We got up to the check out and the kids got into their normal grocery shopping stance of unloading then bagging.  To our surprise, a friendly high-school boy took over bagging and started talking to us again, like he's known us all his life.  The high-school girl checking us out and the boy bagging starting sharing about their school rilvary, all with friendly banter.  The gentleman behind us in line also chimed in, sharing about Brevard's football team.  Once everything was bagged, the young man offered to help us out to the car.  I asked him about how he gets tipped and he informed us that they won't accept tips it's all part of the service.  No freakin' way!  The girls were practically cheering when we got to the car because they are always the ones who have to bag and load the groceries.  So far we are loving Brevard!

A brief stop in York

It's amazing how cold, cold really feels after spending two months in Florida.  We made our way back to York with a long drive from South Carolina and we felt the bitter cold the whole way to our bones.  Our bodies adjusted over the two weeks in PA, but it was definitely a transition.

Our time in York went quickly.  We went apple picking, carved pumpkins, hunted archery, and hiked at Rocky Ridge.  It was nice to truly experience the things we so love about Fall.  It was also nice to pick up some warmer clothes!  Swim suits and shorts were not warm enough for the temps in York! We also got to stop by our land along the Codorus.  We did some clean up and enjoyed a cook out while getting to see some friends. It was definitely different being back in the fast paced life of York.  That was something none of us missed.  We have come to enjoy the relaxed pace life on the road has offered us.

In a whirlwind trip, we were back on the road again heading south to North Carolina.  Our first stop was at Misty Mountain Campground in Charlottesville, Virginia.  Since we didn't bring our camper this trip, we were camping out old-school.  It was fun camping in a tent again, and the campground was beautiful and extremely nice.  I think we'll be staying there on our next trip north. 

We took the next day to visit the campus of the University of Virginia.  It is a beautiful institution with so much history.  Founded by Thomas Jefferson and the school of Edgar Allen Poe, it was a place I got to visit as a kid since my aunt and uncle attended there. We had a delicious lunch and we also explored the bookstore.  We drove around the city, but honestly we were tired from traveling and just didn't have much sight-seeing energy.  We picked up some food and went back to the campground to relax.

Our next stop heading south was Bristol.  This is a unique city split between Virginia and Tennessee.  It is know as the birthplace of Country Music.  For those Nascar Fans, we stayed less than a half mile from Bristol Motor Speedway.  We were the only camper in the campground which is normally bursting at the seams on a race day.  We didn't have time this trip, but we hope to do our tour of the speedway soon.

So after Bristol, we headed over the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina to settle in our new home for the next month.  Welcome to Brevard!

From translyvania to the bat cave

Hey everybody, its Grace. A couple days ago we left Florida and entered south carolina. When we first arrived we were a little upset because it wasnt all we expected.

We set up like normal and decided to eat at a buffet we had seen along the way. They had good hush puppies and cherry pie. After we left the resturant we went to a stand along the road hoping to get apples. We not only found apples,we got apple butter, cinnamon pecan bread, and... wait for it, fried peanuts! Yes, fried peanuts that you eat the shell and all. Surprisingly, or at least I was surprised, they tasted good.

The next day we took a trip through the town of Bat Cave pn our way to see Chimney Rock state park. Upon arriving at the park we learned the fee would be around fifty dollars! We decided to skip that hike and instead we stopped at the little town with the cheesy tourist shops. It reminded us of what we thought Gatlinburg would be like but wasn't.

After our visit to Chimney Rock, We also checked out a little RV park where we are planning to stay when we come back down in a few weeks.

The third and final day of our visit was the best!! We decided to drive to another state park in South Carolina called Caesars Head. After months at the beach, We finally used our jackets! No more bathing suits for us. I did make the mistake of wearing shorts however, which was chilling!

Anyways, the drive there was gorgeous and along the way we stopped at a rock outcropping. It was covered in spraypaint but thats not what caught your attention. It was the view! You could see all the mountains with the beautiful trees turned gold and crimson for fall. It was also neat because at first you thought the rocks ended in a cliff but really it was just a steep hill. We climbed down one of the less steep parts and if you walked over to the side there was a little waterfall.

We then left there and continued up the mountain. It was a rainy overcast day and the clouds were hanging low so we got to drive through them. It was pretty cool. In fact, the visitors center was right in the middle of a cloud.

We took a short hike to see a waterfall which was great exercise. The drive leaving the park was really cool. We went through Transylvania county and it was beyond beautiful. It had a really homey feel to it. It was forest on forest with cute unique houses spaced out from each other. We really liked it.

When we got to our resturant in Hendersonville "The Dugout," the place was packed. We barely got a table but the nice thing was we were able to watch the Raven's game; who for the record beat Kansas City.

Afterwards we headed home and got ready to leave. We really liked it and are definitely heading back in November

Heading North to the South

Yes its been some time since I last wrote. Truth be told, we had an amazing time in Florida and I just wanted to take it all in the last few days. We went snorkeling, fishing, and the kids did more surfing. We ate at great restaurants, swam in the pool and enjoyed the pleasant change in the weather. I feel so blessed to have had this experience and to share it with my kiddos and hubby.

We are now on the road to South Carolina. We will be staying in the small town of Travelers Rest just outside of Greenville and an hour south of Asheville, NC. We made an overnight stop in Auburn, AL again. It's a beautiful campus and reminds me of some of the finer days at Penn State so many years ago. We ate dinner at Moe's again and we drove past the football stadium watching fans and alumni setting up camp for Saturdays game. The people we've met in Auburn have been some of the sweetest most loyal fans. A tough and heartbreaking reminder of the rough year the Penn State community faced, but a blessing to experience too. The rivalries of the SEC are like no other. It was amazing to experience this first hand living in Florida. It makes this college football season exciting for us in a whole new way!

We don't know where this journey is taking us. We will be back in York for a time and then back to South Carolina for the month of November. Can't wait to get fresh apple cider and eat butternut squash again while watch the leaves change to beautiful shades of crimson and gold.

Thank you for coming along on this journey with us. We love to hear that you follow our adventures and we love sharing our experiences with each of you.