It was going to be a water falls day. It was rather a day to remember and laugh at. We started off with GPS to Catawba Falls. I was determined for Jodi to see some falls, darned it. We got off of US 40 and drove ,and drove, and drove even onto gravel. NO falls. Finally we sort of (but not really) gave up and decided to head to Black Mountain and at a gas station near US40 I said should we give it one last shot and ask for directions?
Yes, so in I went and the person spoke limited English, but she said it is right there, at the Exit, it is tricky, just on the other side of the exit but before the overpass. We drove by and could not figure out how to do it, and drove by the other way and could not figure it out, pulled into McDonalds to scope it out and still was not sure, so finally we did it, with seriously tense anal sphincters. It was sort of a « y » on a « y » in reverse, if you will. Tricky was right. Now the rain that we were hoping to elude was seriously threatening so we sat and piddled hoping for a break in the weather, I suggested we dine, so out came the ham and cheese and we picknicked in the car, hoping it would pass over, and it never really did. We decided to pack umbrellas in my backpack and give it a go.
It started our lovely all covered forest floor a reasonable path, but I guess it was naive to not take into consideration that a falls has to fall. It started going up hill. NO problem, I am with Jodi and she is not a general when we climb. But I began to notice that her back was bothering her again. I wished we had brought out golf chairs as a sit seems to help, and they make not great but reasonable walking sticks. I had considered this but not suggested as I was not sure of the environment and how feasible it wouldn be.
But I was kicking myself later. On we kept walking, sweating, getting wet from the drizzle that has started and my sweat ( which I HATE to do). It was lovely, but one cheeky little bastard made some comment as they were passing us going down, beware of slippery rocks and snakes and then I was obsessed about snakes. I mean we are in North Carolina and Jamie got bit by a snake in Outlander in NC, right? I know, I know but I am just not rational when it comes to snakes. We went to a Dinosaur Train ride with the kids a few weeks ago and there was a reptile exhibit there. The kids loved it, but I kept a respectable distance while keeping an eye on the kids, I do not went to even be close to them! The Snakes. Anyway I am walking watching my footing, looking for snakes and worrying about what we are going to do it Jodi falls how we are going to get out of there and here pops up a sign that says 0.3 mi to go. We are both rather deflated as we felt we had been ( or at least I can speak for myself and say so) walking for quite a bit already! We discussed going back and Jodi said « we got this far let’s keep going », until we got to some rocks, uphill and wet, and just scary. We decided to pack it in. We tried to joke about getting old, asking people passing us back down for a pic of the falls, and wishing we had brought the golf chairs. The trip down felt maybe as long or longer, ( OMG the owners just suggested that this couple that just left go to Catawba Falls and he has back problems too) but we made it without incident.
There was a family that had been fishing and this little guy had a couple 6 inch trout on a line, dragging them on the ground behind, he was so cute! So lesson, learned, next time A walking Stick or Golf chair! I don’t care if I think it might make us look old!!!
This house had some amazing yard art, I just had to stop and take pictures, I am thinking the birds nest might be a fun WC.
Next was ice cream at a shop we had encountered in Black Mountain, Jodi had honey and I had Chocolate salted Carmel, Neither of us felt it was a do over, but it was good enough and a rest! These workmen were on the corner , sharing the LOVE I guess.
We decided then to shoot for Mount Mitchell as the B&B guys has suggested this. The GPS ( Jodi calls her Delores and I have another name for her now Jodi says Crueloola, but that was not what i had in mind.) took us to to the Blue Ridge Parkway by means of a road called Old Curtis Creek Rd. It started out o.k. about 10 miles to the parkway. The area was sparsely populated, but eventually there was a sign stating that the road was not supported by the NC Highway department ahead and then it turned into gravel and then it turned in the sounds of Dueling Banjoes. The road was one lane, multiple signs said that the coming bridge was one lane, and I got tickled, the darned road was one lane! The road was full of hairpin turns, barely there road, washout ruts, and uphill. I was terrified that I was I was going to encounter another car on one of those turns, we did encounter a car, thankfully not on one of those hairpins though. Needless to say poor old AS ( Anal Sphincter) got a workout yesterday . We had had somme difficulty earlier in the week with GPS, we were trying to find the parkway and Delores said to turn down this road that was clearly a driveway with a sign that stated « Your GPS lied ». So I began worrying that we wold meet a dead end rather than the parkway, imagine my relief when we actually encountered the parkway!
I said to Jodi, at least we did not do that in a stick!
We did get to The Mount MItchell overlook, accidentally, it was rather hidden, I said to Jodi, want to go back to that overlook we missed, she said sure and we were glad as it was what we were looking for.
It was a nice look and as we were meandering the parkway we encountered sunset and it was lovely, overpopulated, but lovely.
At. Least the young people there drinking in the « No Alcohol » zone a Montepulciano rather than Boones Farm or Olivers Red! Home at last our old creaky joints did not really want to move nor climb stairs on arrival to the B&B. It was a glad of wine and a nice hot ( yes hot) bath in the cute slipper tub in the room, and BED!
This mornings offering is a tropical fruits salad with oranges, Kiwi, Pineapple and yougurt with cocoanut! The bites with pineapple are like a mini pina colada in my mouth!
This was followed by french toast and bacon. Which was also tasty, my food until dinner! I am gonna save myself for another French meal
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