October in a nutshell

November is here, and that means that Halloween madness is over, it’s time to start brining the turkey, and most stores have their Christmas decorations up. I managed to back-up all my pictures from October and realized how small a slice I’ve detailed for this blog; from my writing, one would think it has all been Sapelo Island and the Blue Ridge Parkway. In actuality, we only spent two days traveling. October in Greenville hits both temperature extremes, but we’ve really been blessed to be able to take advantage of a most beautiful autumn here in the Upstate, and I would love to share some of our mini-adventures with you all, especially the grandparents.

The Greenville Open passed uneventfully, with no trophies won but also no injuries sustained. This is significant considering a handful of toddlers were in possession of golf clubs and golf balls for a good hour… (We’ve frequented McPherson Park’s mini-golf course several times in the last month. It’s a bring your own equipment course that is rarely used – ideal for fall playdates.)

Oktoberfest in NOMA Square was a fun stop, but not worth the hype. Guess who won the schnitzel-eating contest?!! (Hint: it wasn’t anyone I know)

Lauris has been earning some money on the side working with a house-painting outfit. (Our CAT Studio time in the beginning of the month was well worth the Living Social deal!)

The tomato harvest was a total dud this summer due to the rain, and my vitelotte and red potatoes rotted in the ground, but in addition to a great cucumber season the sweet potatoes did well. What is it about living in the South that makes one want to put brown sugar and marshmallows on your sweet potatoes?

We tried out the open play at Greenville Gymnastics with a group of friends. I was told the boys could wear their leotards… needless to say they didn’t. It was fun, but required far more energy from mom than I was expecting; we might do this again on a rainy day.

We’ve made it to Paris Mountain State Park a couple of times also. We have the place almost to ourselves this time of year.

On some nicer days we’ve taken the trains outside while Mikus naps. The inspiration (in addition to a lot of our other “train play” ideas) came from this blog.

We made ghosts using cheesecloth, starch and balloons; a flashback to crafts in girl scouts. The boys preferred popping the balloons to anything, but the finished product is adding to the Halloween ambience on the front porch.

Mikus got a new shoe, courtesy of Lauris.

Another day, another playdate, this one in the butterfly garden. I was surprised at how many plants were blooming, and although we didn’t see any butterflies the garden was abuzz with bees.

We’ve been to the zoo several times outside of our Boo in the Zoo experience, and enjoyed all the animal exhibits and Halloween decorations in relative peace. Kiko, the baby giraffe born right here in Greenville, celebrated its one year birthday, and a handful of new birds have been added to the pond area.

Here’s to November!

Too much Halloween (but the kids aren’t complaining!)

There, I’m done with Halloween. I know, it’s not until tomorrow – but still, I’m done with it. I’ll open the door and pass out candy while my husband goes trick-or-treating (with the kids, I think), but otherwise I’m Done.

pumpkin carving is a serious business, bandannas required

  

Friday we headed to Taylors for Enchanted Tracks. At the Greenville County Rec area “Pavilion,” the Safe Kids Upstate sponsored event was billed as a fairytale trick-or-treat experience. Typically the Thursday through Saturday before Halloween, the kids get to trick-or-treat with some of their favorite fairytale (read Disney) characters and play carnival games in a safe environment. We paid $5/child in advance ($7 at the door) and had a great time – but it would have been better had it not been freezing outside. The temperatures really dipped for a few nights only, and I regretted not taking gloves and snowsuits for the boys. They most enjoyed the ride on George the Train*, which looped around and through the woods for a spooky but not scary treat for children and adults alike. The lines were not too bad, although certain carnival games and the train proved a longer wait. I felt slightly let down by the treats, as I had been led to believe there would be more non-candy treats like stickers and trinkets, when in fact it was almost 100% candy. We might return next year, depending on the weather.

Saturday it was a neighborhood block party, complete with Halloween parade, giant blow-up bounce house/slide, chili cook-off, tons of games and good food. It was spooky how exhausted we were afterwards.

Sunday it was off to Boo in the Zoo. We went last year and learned a good lesson; buy tickets beforehand. This year we probably avoided a good hour’s wait in line by jumping in the "pre-purchased" line, and it was shortly after the gates opened (albeit on the last day of this two-weekend event; for more information on cost, times and schedules please visit the Greenville Zoo’s homepage). However last year I remember the crowds diffusing once past the front gates, this year it was crowded! It was hardly worth the wait to try and see any of the animals (since we are there almost once every two weeks anyway), and if it hadn’t been for all the amazing costumes I would regret going. The boys came home with a bag full of candy and little Halloween trinkets (which have mostly broken in the 48 hours since) as well as a couple of cans of Pepsi. Yeah, Pepsi. If we go next year I will buy tickets in advance and we’ll go the first weekend of the event.

Happy 1st birthday Kiko!

Yesterday we had tickets to SC Children’s Theatre’s “Tell me a Story Costume Party.” We enjoyed the Pirate production early this fall and often go to storytime, so knew we would not be disappointed with their Halloween Boogaloo! The boys (skeleton & dinosaur) stared wide-eyed as witches, robots, princesses and animals (and a full McDonalds set: fries, burger & shake) arrived, and listened with rapt attention to the two stories read and enacted. Audience participation and a Halloween parade got the kids moving, and children didn’t leave empty-handed; each participant received a Halloween-themed finger puppet to take home. I hope the boys want to go next year!

I was disappointed the Roper Mountain Science Center didn’t put on their environmentally-themed “Green Halloween” this year, but I’m not sure we would have been able to squeeze in another event. It’s lucky the boys haven’t overdosed, although the rate of sugar consumption in this household has increased in the last week. Let’s see if we can make it through the actual holiday to the weekend… Oh, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Bū-čas!

Had to put this one in here Monique...

* George the Train was originally built by the Kiwanis Club in 1952 and ran in McPherson Park (then known as City Park and just around the corner from our house) until the 1960s. In March of 2001 the Greenville County Rec department brought it back to Greenville from Hattiesburg Mississippi, and it's been running its route at Pavilion ever since.

Some sunshine on an autumn day

Thanks to Sara in Le Petit Village who nominated me for the Sunshine Award! Perfect timing, as it gives me an opportunity to take a break from reporting on the minutiae of the last week (and the stuff that needs to be done around the house), and instead spend a few minutes sharing some things about myself and then passing the sunshine on to a few other bloggers.*

 

First – eleven random facts about me.

1. I didn’t know Pittsburgh was an actual city until I was in high school. My parents always joked about “sending me to Pittsburgh” or lost items being “in Pittsburgh” and I thought it was a made-up place, like Never Never Land, Atlantis or Montreal.

2. I once scared a small child while dressed in a Smoky the Bear costume. Unintentionally.

3. Instead of buying the more expensive color-coordinated bag of M&Ms, I would rather sort out all the yellow/orange/browns to make Halloween cookies (and bisous to my husband for helping).

4. I’ve never been to Disneyland/Disneyworld/Disneyland Paris, but I really, really want to go!

5. My idea of fun in college was playing broomball with the Baltic Club, hanging out at a bonfire or selling Christmas trees with the Illini Foresters.

6. Speaking of college, did you know I played rugby? I was a line-out jumper for all of two months.

7. The longest inseam I’ve ever worn is 46, I prefer a 43 but most often make do with a 41.

8. Eight, eight, I forgot what eight was for

9. I'm a sucker for natural resource mysteries, like Nevada Barr, C.J. Box, Steve Hamilton & William Kent Krueger.

10. I'm a product of the Chicago Public School system.

11. I spent a month living out of an Audi in upstate Michigan while working with the Forest Service; ten years later my sister married my then-bosses cousin.

 

 

Next, I answer Sara’s questions

1. How would you describe your version of a perfect home?

Home is where the heart is! But wood floors, high ceilings and lots of natural light don’t hurt…

2. Tell me about your first date... what did you do, where did you go, and who was it with?

I’m not even sure, but I think junior prom was my first official date. Bart showed up in a tux (the average kid was wearing jeans and sneakers) with a wrist corsage for me, and we spent an awkward evening hanging out with friends on the playground, because the blaring rap that was being passed off as music in the school gym wasn’t our thing.

3. What was your favorite vacation ever?

Isle Royale, northern Italy, Greece, coastal Oregon… I can’t pick one, but I’m lucky to have someone to travel with and know there will be plenty of favorites to come.

4. Do you believe in ghosts?

                I’m not sure.

5. What accomplishment are you most proud of?

I’m very proud of paying off all of my debt 4 years out of university, and giving birth naturally to my second after a Cesarean with the first.

6. Twilight or The Hunger Games?

                Ha, I haven’t read either!

7. If you could try out any job for the day, what would you like to try?

                Coral reef scuba diver. Is that a real job?

8. If you had a €1000 gift card to any store in the world, what store would you pick?

                Amazon.com

9. Describe your perfect weekend.

Travel (near or far), good food, good company and a little exploring plus a little pampering. The way last week went the kids might stay home with grandmother.

10. What would you choose as your last meal?

An apéritif, clam chowder to start, smoked salmon, then scallops, steak, sweet potato fries as a main, a cheese course, a dessert of truffles and coffee-flavored macarons, coffee and finally le digestif.

11. You inherit 5 million dollars the same day aliens land on the earth and say they're going to blow it up in 2 days. What do you do? (Gold star to anyone that can tell me what movie this is from.)

(Sara, it’s from Heather’s – I had to google it but I want my gold star)

I splurge and pay someone to get rid of those pesky aliens. However, I think it would only take a million or so, the rest would go to travel and investments.

 

Next, I nominate:

I’m an Outlaw, not a Hero

Have Goslings, Must Travel

Inese Bokiša, Are you Happy?

Small Town Jules

The Misfortune of Knowing

Latitude Adjustment

Life in Dutch

Fit Anniversary

Hillside Lane

Queen of the Armchair, aka Dzintra Stitcheries

The Reedy Review

 

Your eleven questions guys–
1. If you could choose only one blog post to represent you, which one would you choose?
2. Name your favorite author, and favorite childhood author.
3. What is one thing you are most looking forward to in the coming year?
4. Your favorite accent? (for example, an Aussie speaking English)
5. (Repeating this one from Sara) What would you choose as your last meal?
6. Do you have a favorite spectator sport?
7. If you could spend one year living anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? (Pretend language and distance from family isn’t a barrier)
8. Name five things your refrigerator is never without.
9. What is your biggest pet peeve?
10. You win an all-expenses paid, week-long vacation to anywhere in the world – where are you headed?
11 Describe the favorite place in your home.

 

-------------------------------------------------

 

* The rules: 1. Acknowledge the nominating blogger, 2. Share eleven random facts about yourself, 3. Answer the eleven questions set by your nominating blogger, 4. Nominate eleven bloggers yourself, 5. Post eleven questions for your nominees to answer then let them know they're up.

Pisgah National Forest and the Balsam Mountain Inn

After our hike in DuPont State Forest we headed north past Brevard, NC and into the Pisgah National Forest. Just south of Smoky Mountains National Park, Pisgah (and its neighboring Nantahala National Forest) is full of things to do and places to see. For those wishing to get away from it all, Pisgah encompasses Shining Rock and Middle Prong Wilderness; we, on the other hand, had more easily accessible destinations in mind. First up, Looking Glass Falls, possibly the best known waterfall in western NC. Right off of Highway 276, an overlook allows those not able to climb the stairs down to the base of the falls to enjoy a scenic vantage point. Looking Glass creek falls 60 feet into a perfect swimming hole, and continues south to eventually flow into the French Broad River. Both the creek and the falls are named after nearby Looking Glass Rock, upon which water will freeze in the winter resembling a mirror. We enjoyed a reflective moment at the base of the falls before climbing back up the stairs and continuing north along 276.

 

Our next stop was Sliding Rock, a favorite summer destination for hundreds. A 60 foot natural water slide, the smooth slab of rock provides a swift slide followed by a plunge into the pool at the base. Managed as a Forest Service recreationarea, lifeguards and staff are on duty from Memorial Day through Labor Day and a fee of $1/person is assessed upon entering the area. The slide is “at your own risk” when no lifeguard is on duty, but we’re saving the experience for a later, hopefully warmer date.

 

The Cradle of Forestry had already closed for the day, and so it happened that we continued on to our hotel, the beautiful Balsam Mountain Inn. Chosen by our friends partly due to the mentions in Southern Living (here and here) and partly due to availability, we were able to reserve one of the last two rooms and enjoy this great find. Our arrival coincided with the last of daylight, and as the sun set over the mountains the lights clicked on one by one to illuminate the magnificent Victorian structure - beacon, high up on the hill. We enjoyed a delicious dinner in the grand dining room and ordered the specials; parmesan encrusted salmon, surf and turf, the local catfish, and don't forget the dessert (white chocolate cheesecake)! Finally, another stop in the library before retiring to our comfortable rooms.

 

Opened in 1908 to serve the highest railroad station in the east (3,500 feet), the hotel is conveniently located off the Blue Ridge Parkway, near the North Carolina Mountains-to-Sea Trail, and a short distance from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests. Inspired by the Inn at Saratoga (in Saratoga Springs NY), the hotel stood empty for some years until restored and updated by the current owner in the early 1990s. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, the 50-room hotel retains much of its charm with two 100 foot porches, a library (complete with fireplace), spectacular views, gorgeous heart pine floors and delicious meals.

 

We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and spent some time soaking up the sun and the view on the grand porch before heading out, for our cruise along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our experience in the Balsam Mountain Inn was short, but the experience memorable, and I recommend the hotel to visitors in the area. Between the late night reading marathon in front of the fireplace in the library, to the modest (but comfortable) rooms; from the games and puzzles in the front lobby area to the rocking chairs on the two porches inviting guests to mingle and share; from the hearty dinner to the included breakfast; our stay in this quaint inn (just oozing mountain charm!) was near perfect.
 

DuPont State Forest and its waterfalls

Although the main goal of the weekend was to catch up with our friends on the Blue Ridge Parkway, nothing could keep us from some sightseeing along the way. Western North Carolina is known for Asheville, the Biltmore Estate and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but it also has some of the most beautiful waterfalls in our little corner of the world. In lieu of the highways we took the straight route of back roads into the mountains, leaving the rain behind us after crossing the ridge of the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area and Caesars Head State Park.

Low visibility at Caesars Head meant the view from the summit was of fog

After the impromptu stop at Caesars Head our next destination was DuPont State Forest, just over the North Carolina/South Carolina border. Only about 40 minutes from Asheville and an hour from Greenville, this 10,000 acre state-managed forest has over 900 miles of hiking trails. I had scouted out a <3 mile route that would include three separate waterfalls but not prove too strenuous for those in our party with the shortest legs. Some of you might recognize these falls from the movie The Hunger Games, which was filmed in DuPont including around Triple and Hooker Falls, two of the falls on our itinerary. We parked in the Hooker Falls area, but headed first to Triple Falls.

Triple Falls from the overlook

Consisting of three distinct cascades and dropping about 120 feet total, these falls were also featured in the movie Last of the Mohicans. The first overlook was just a short distance from the parking lot, and a few hundred feet further is the spur trail that leads down to the large rocky area between the falls. We unpacked our picnic and enjoyed the spectacle – natural and human – before jumping back on the main trail.

Lunch at the rocky area at Triple Falls

Triple Falls trail and High Falls trail form a loop, but we chose to stick close to Little River on High Falls trail and cut out a bit of the mileage by doing a there-and-back. Triple Falls trail heads further west, hitting Buck Forest Road and intersecting with High Falls trail and the Covered Bridge Trail about 1/3 mile from High Falls; we didn’t get that far, instead opting to turn around after the High Falls overlook.

High Falls and the covered bridge from the overlook

We did however take the short River Bend spur trail that leads to the base of the 150 foot cascade. The largest of the falls in the area, there is a beautiful covered bridge at the top that was built as a part of a planned real estate development in 2000. After a lengthy legal battle the state was able to purchase the land from the developer, ensuring the three waterfalls would forever be available to the public. Another 2 miles upstream you will find 120 foot Bridal Veil Falls, but we were headed back to Hooker Falls.

At the base of High Falls

After crossing back under Staton Road and over Little River we turned west on Hooker Falls trail. Pausing at the observation area above the falls we then circled down around to the base of the 12 foot waterfall. From this cascade Little River flows into Cascade Lake, outside of the state forest’s boundaries. Although smaller than the previous, Hooker Falls was no less beautiful, and it took a steady drizzle to finally force us back to the car http.



Hooker Falls

For a detailed description of the trail options available in the Hooker/Triple/High Falls area as well as a map, please click here.