May 15-16, 2016......Enjoying scenic NC

Sunday May 15, 2016-  A day of relaxation!
Not everyday of the trip will be filled with activities, today was one of those, "Let's do NOTHING Days!" The last thing I heard the weatherman say before going to bed was....add an extra blanket on the bed tonight! Look what I woke up to this morning!!! Yep....it was that chilly!

Lennie, who has a sleeping disorder....(I can't imagine having that problem?) was up way too early, but good thing as he plugged in the electric heater to take the chill off! So I rewarded him with pancakes!!!! It took awhile to convince myself to take a shower! Lennie went first, I wasn't convinced it was warm enough in the coach to take a shower. He came out dressed in blue jeans & a long sleeve T-shirt. I can't believe I'm putting blue jeans on already!?! I was saving them for October!!! 

We decided with this chilly day, it'd be the perfect day to make bean soup, I still had my Easter ham bone with ham pieces! after breakfast clean-up & Otis took care of his morning duties....I started working on the soup!Then it was warm enough in the coach to take a shower!!!!

The soup was in the crock pot, let's just relax!

I caught Lennie & Otis napping, he claims to be watching the NASCAR race! I usually knit on off days, but today I decided to do a page in one of my Adult Coloring books!?! Those books are all the rage right now!!!

Something on the race must have caught Len's attention, he woke up long enough to ask for & enjoy popcorn!!!

We took a ride into Maggie Valley, it was a quick run to the grocery store for just a few items, actually being a Sunday, it was a"safe" day to go into town, as not a whole lot was open!!!

Definitely a scenic ride into town

I'll be back later when there's more open!!!! Like the fabric store I always go to when we're here!

Back at the RV the bean soup was really smelling good! I made a salad, popped some biscuits in the toaster oven....15 minutes later we were enjoying!!!!

By the time dinner, dishes & Otis' potty walk was over, it was time to plug the electric heater back in! Just to take the chill off before going to bed. Lennie was busy going over the plans for tomorrow! It's going to be an adventure!!!  See you tomorrow!!!

                                      "I don't want to be a big boy & sleep in my own bed.........."

Monday May 16, 2016-  A real adventure today!!!! Before we went to bed last night Lennie told me the plans of today!(That's so nice of him to keep me informed!!!) After our oatmeal breakfast, we're packing a picnic lunch & heading out to see some waterfalls!This all sounds good, one thing I'm not crazy about.....it's blue jeans weather again!

             I ask Otis if he wants to go with us! What a silly question!!! Course he wants to go!

 Historic Waynesville, we've walked around here before but.....I want to walk around here again! Right now we're just passing through!!!

 As we drive through all the lush greenery, I already envision the trees alive in red, orange, & yellow, their fall colors, I don't want to rush the seasons but....fall is soooooo beautiful!

Our picnic & waterfalls destination today is DuPont State Recreation Forest. We've been in this area before but never to DuPont State Recreation Forest. To reach this State Forest, we have to drive through Pisgah National Forest. This one we've been to several times, but since we have to drive through it to reach our destination, if something catches our eye.....we'll HAVE to stop! Like Sliding Rock. We have been here before, more than once!

 In a few weeks, when the weather warms up & the Life Guards take their station, you can see people(mostly kids) sliding down Sliding Rock on their butts having a great time!

Otis was a little nervous here, he thought that was way toooooo much bath tub!!!

Another spot worth repeating!

Lennie takes a look from the first landing, then him & Otis decide on a bench while I walk down to take MORE pictures!

My first view is really not bad at all....

                       Considering I have to go down these stairs for any further views....

                                     Now I have to go back UP the steps, but it was worth it!

                     We need to get a move on, it's getting closer & closer to lunch time !

We've reached our destination, time to picnic!

Otis & I wait in the car while Lennie gets a map & inquires about a picnic spot!

Nice spot n the woods!

                                                            Now we start hiking!

                                                                     "Andy & Opie"

I'm glad we weren't here in the woods when this tree fell! It is taller.....this is all I could fit in my view finder!

Bottoms up! 

                                                                 Look at those roots!

                                                               Which way do we go!?!

Look what's coming down the trail!?! I can't wait to see how Otis reacts when he sees these horses on the trail! The only horses he's familiar with is....Amish horse & buggy horses!!!

Otis did react,but not like I thought he would? I guess he's saving that energy for the Amish when we reach Shipshewanna!?!

                                                 Hiking on we reach HIGH FALLS!

High Falls slides 120 feet down an inclined plane of granite.

I feel I take tooooo many pictures! Especially when I like something!

 HOOKER FALLS: The Little River drops off a 12 -foot ledge at Hooker Falls before flowing into Cascade Lake further downstream.

 TRIPLE FALLS: 120 foot waterfall features 3 cascades with picnic shelter & stairs to the center of the falls. From Hooker Falls, this was only a 0.3 of a mile hike, to which I remarked....PIECE OF CAKE! Boy was I wrong!!!! This was the roughest 0.3 of a mile I've ever hiked!

                                                    So far this has all been easy-peasy!

                                                                       Now we begin.....

Lennie is always ahead of me, why.....he has Otis for that extra propulsion!?!At this point I wasn't sure if I wanted to go any further!

 But finally I made it & the falls were worth the hike, I bet I have a "CHARLIE HORSE" tonight!

                                                    Now......time to go back down.....

                                                            Look at the terrain!

                                               AAAAH, our car! What a welcome sight!!!!!

We're heading back to Creekwood Farms Campground. Otis may have kept up with Lennie the whole time, but I think he's just as tired as I am!!! As we leave DuPont State Recreational Forrest, we leave the highway for a gravel road. Lennie read there was suppose to be another waterfall, Mary's Waterfall right off this gravel road?

 This is NOT Mary's Falls! We drove for miles on that gravel road, mainly looking for a place to turn around! We finally came to the dam at Canyon Lake. It was definitely photo worthy!

We had gotten turned around & on the way back down the gravel road.....there we saw MARY'S FALLS!

                   

                                                    Well hidden, but we found them!

Now back down that gravel road heading home!

 One last photo opt on the way home. My legs are too tired to get in & out to take any more pictures!

Here's Historic Waynesville again. We just made a big circle!!! I still want to walk around this old square but NOT today!

I hope Lennie goes a little easier on us tomorrow!?!