Posts tagged brevard 2010

Summer trip to Brevard, NC

When I first promised my brother that I was going to visit him in North Carolina, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  He lives in the same state as my in-laws…how far could the drive be? 

It turns out that North Carolina is as wide as Illinois is tall.  As we got closer to vacation, Gretchen started (rightfully) questioning the wisdom of our decision to go.  Our vacation was short enough, but Jeremy and Audra lived 8 hours from the Outer Banks.  Maybe we should postpone…

But in the end we decided to stick to our promise…and it turned out to be a trip that none of us will forget soon.  Jeremy and Audra had moved to the area because of it’s natural beauty and had explored a lot.  In a short time, Jeremy had biked in and around the Pisgah National Forest and found many of the hundreds of waterfalls in the area.

It was great to spend time with them in their home.  Jeremy and Audra are gracious hosts and they have four wonderful children.  The kids loved spending the time with their cousins and we had a great time.  It turns out that we should have planned to stay longer.

Click here to see more blog posts on our trip.

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Audra and Jeremy saved the best waterfall for last.  The water falls beneath an old mill and there was shallow water, gentle rapids, and rocks for the kids to play on and around.  We stayed here the longest, trying to soak up the beauty and it seemed like a perfect day was slipping away too fast.

Mikayla played in the shallow water making rock sculptures.  Lars explored on his own and was the only one who went under the big falls.  All the kids and adults rode the water through the rapids and downstream.  Jeremy and I lounged on the rocks and watched the fun.  

We only left when it got too late and the kids started to get hungry.  Then we got back in the car, drove down the mountain and back to Jeremy and Audra’s for a wonderful meal.  Everyone seemed tired and happy.

[Flash 10 is required to watch video]

This is the third waterfall that we visited that we visited during our visit to Brevard.  Jeremy and Audra led us down the mountain and out of Pisgah and we parked next to what looked like a nice cabin on a stream on the side of the road.  Then it was a quick hike down a dirt path to one of the most amazing waterfalls and rock formations I have ever seen.

The amazing thing is that we were there all by ourselves, which made the day even more like a dream.

We stopped at another scenic overlook that had blackberry bushes growing behind a fence.  Below the bushes was a path that leads down to a stunning cliff overlooking a valley.  Gretchen followed Danielle and got this picture.  Obviously, neither has the same fear of heights that I have. (Click on picture to make it larger.)

We stopped at another scenic overlook that had blackberry bushes growing behind a fence.  Below the bushes was a path that leads down to a stunning cliff overlooking a valley.  Gretchen followed Danielle and got this picture.  Obviously, neither has the same fear of heights that I have. (Click on picture to make it larger.)

After sliding rock, we headed up to the top of the mountains.  The trip served two purposes.  First, we got to see the natural beauty of the area.  Jeremy told me that the top of the mountain offered a different perspective on the area that you could get anywhere else.  He was right. Secondly, Jeremy wanted to show us the path he took on his Wednesday bicycle trips.  The path upwards seemed to go on forever.  He already had my respect as an athlete, but he earned some new bragging rights on this trip. We got this extraordinary picture at the top of the mountain.  It reminds me of a picture of a band.  Everyone’s personality comes out here.  (Click on the picture to make it larger.)

After sliding rock, we headed up to the top of the mountains.  The trip served two purposes.  First, we got to see the natural beauty of the area.  Jeremy told me that the top of the mountain offered a different perspective on the area that you could get anywhere else.  He was right.

Secondly, Jeremy wanted to show us the path he took on his Wednesday bicycle trips.  The path upwards seemed to go on forever.  He already had my respect as an athlete, but he earned some new bragging rights on this trip.

We got this extraordinary picture at the top of the mountain.  It reminds me of a picture of a band.  Everyone’s personality comes out here.  (Click on the picture to make it larger.)

[Flash 10 is required to watch video]

The second destination of the day was Sliding Rock, which is a flat waterfall where kids can slide down a huge rock into a pond.  Below the waterfall, the water is a gentle stream (remarkable again for it’s stunning beauty) where little kids can wade and swim and have fun.

The first thing we did on our visit was head up to Looking Glass Falls (named because the falls freeze in the winter and the ice looks like a mirror).  By the time we got there (mid-morning), the cars were lined up on the side of the road. As beautiful as the falls are - and they were stunning - it was only a start to an almost perfect day.

The first thing we did on our visit was head up to Looking Glass Falls (named because the falls freeze in the winter and the ice looks like a mirror).  By the time we got there (mid-morning), the cars were lined up on the side of the road.

As beautiful as the falls are - and they were stunning - it was only a start to an almost perfect day.