Table Rock's Carrick Creek

While I set out on the 7.2-mile, 2,000ft ascent up Table Rock Mountain, Roberts and the boys had their own adventure on the moderately strenuous, almost-2-mile Carrick Creek loop. The trail holds special memories for me, as I was about 8 months pregnant with Lauris when I hiked it the first time! My krustmāte and cousin Līga were in town on spring break, and among other sightseeing we did up on the Blue Ridge Escarpment, the Carrick Creek trail was our longest hike; in my experience this is a great hike for a dad soloing with the three boys while mom tackles the more difficult ascent up Table Rock.

My 8mo preggers self w Antra and Līga - photo credit Antra

Turn north into Table Rock SP from Highway 11, and soon you’ll pass a nice turnout that has great views of Table Rock Mountain (the trail that heads up to the summit of this Upstate icon also leaves from the Nature Center, sharing the trail for a short distance). The parking area for the Carrick Creek trailhead is across from the Nature Center, and after registering at the center (or the kiosk) you’ll set out on a paved path that heads north along the creek.

During the summer months, the creek, its various cascades and the pool beneath the falls will be filled with visitors looking to cool off in the cold mountain waters. There is a multi-level deck with some seating situated along the creek oriented to allow for viewing of the waterfall, and stones in the stream just beg for rock-hopping exploration. On this warm October day the pool was sprinkled with orange and brown leaves mingling with the reflections of blue skies and still-green leaves on the trees above.

Photo credit: Roberts

Just beyond the waterfall and the several smaller cascades, the trail reaches an intersection. To follow the Carrick Creek loop clockwise you make a left, following Pinnacle Mountain Trail, the Foothills Trail and Carrick Creek for about a half-mile. Our you can complete the Carrick Creek loop counter-clockwise, and follow Green Creek and the Table Rock Trail to the right – your choice. My boys opted to turn left, while I went right – but that is another story!

Photo credit: Roberts

The Carrick Creek Nature Trail loop is marked with green blazes and is easy to follow. The banks of Carrick Creek are mainly populated by rhododendron and mountain laurel, and in addition to dozens of small cascades and falls there are plenty of opportunities for creek exploration if the weather allows. The boys had a great time exploring the chutes & rocks in and around the creek; in dad’s words “it didn’t feel like a hike to a waterfall, it felt like a hike along a waterfall.” The next intersection is where Pinnacle Mountain Trail splits off for Mill Creek Falls & Pinnacle Mountain, and to follow the Carrick Creek Nature Trail one must turn east, away from the creek.

Photo credit: Roberts

Here the forest is dominated by oaks and hickories, the mast year for acorns evident underfoot. By now you’ve reached an elevation of about 1,520’ (up from 1,160’ at the Nature Center) and the trail mostly levels out until you hit the intersection with Table Rock Trail and Green Creek (a tributary of Carrick Creek), at which point you’ll start making your way back down towards the trailhead.

Photo credit: Roberts

The last ½ mile is a swift descent along the creek, a few bridges bringing hikers back and forth across Green Creek. After passing numerous small cascades you will close the loop at the intersection with the Foothills Trail, and the last little bit is just retracing your steps past the waterfalls to the Nature Center.

Photo credit: Roberts

Know before you go!

This loop is 1.8 miles, and is rated moderate due to the steep sections, the creek crossing and uneven trail. It is a good hike for families, as the kids will be distracted from the climb in elevation by their explorations in Carrick Creek. My recommendation is to travel the loop clockwise, as Green Creek isn’t as accessible as Carrick, and so it is better viewed on the descent. If there is more energy to expend once you’ve finished the hike, you might want to try the playground across the road from the Nature Center – just follow the pedestrian walkway across the bridge and you’ll see stairs going down.

Photo credit: Roberts

Vilis is 2!

The littlest of the boys is not so little anymore! Vilis turned two yesterday, although we’ve been celebrating for a whole week; the krustvecāki and the grandparents flew/drove down for the occasion!

the birthday boy blowing out his candles

On this particular birthday there wasn’t a set ‘party’ – it really spanned the whole weekend – but there was an afternoon spent decorating the house, setting the table and baking a cake and kliņģeris. I chose a woodland animals theme for Vilis, inspired by a visit to Ikea on our recent trip to Charlotte, and the Överlägsen party collection we found there. I didn’t buy the complete party kit, however I did splurge on invites, paper plates & cups, napkins and wrapping paper.

a new backpack and a new monkey!

We extended the woodland theme to the table with a nature-themed centerpiece consisting of pinecones, rocks, moss, Toob animals, a fern and lanterns with candles over a burlap runner. The contrast between natural and Ikea was interesting!

Anna and Andrejs put up streamers and balloons, and before too long balloons were being batted around by three enthusiastic party-goers, the rowdy carousing interspersed with pops when balloons were overinflated and overhandled.

the balloons definitely went with the theme...

We kept the menu simple. One night we had pasta: shells stuffed with ricotta, sausage from our Farm Tour visit to Happy Critters Ranch, parmesan, mozzarella & romano cheeses, and topped with marinara and parsley. For the party I had cooked up a big pot of chili out of Joy of Cooking, a filling dish that let me spend less time in the kitchen and more time with family.

now that he's two he'll be served like Lauris and Mikus

Of course there was traditional Latvian birthday bread, kliņģeris, prepared by the fantastic duo of Andrejs and vecmamma Inga. While they were busy doing that I was working on the cake…

a toblerone hedgehog cake

The recipe I used for the hedgehog cake is one of those that appears on epic-pinterest-fail blogs, but I forged ahead in a naïve belief that my attempt would be different, as well as the knowledge that Vilis is two – he wouldn’t remember a cake disaster. Switching out whipped cream for cool whip lite seemed like a good idea until the time came to smooth out the nose, and I’m pretty sure I could have used a whole bar of chocolate for the frosting, as the color of mine was closer to an albino hedgehog than the tan one in the recipe. However, the result was actually edible, there was just enough for the 10 of us, and the cake didn’t take as long to prepare as some of my previous undertakings. Plus, it’s the thought that counts, and I was thinking hedgehog.

Lauris getting a little help with his model racecar

As we shared memories of hilarious childhood moments and played cards long into the night, the hours quickly sped by until we were once again shedding tears at the departure of: the readers of books, givers of tačka and piggyback rides, fixers of technology, bakers of kliņģeris, experts at dīdīšanās, tellers of jokes, givers of the best gifts, blowers of balloons and all 5 million other titles earned over the weekend. If only it wasn’t such a long drive and complicated flight for everyone, we could do this more often…

the first reading of Sušķi no Šmucciema

A note for my vecmamma and other loyal readers - I hope to upload more of the pictures from the weekend over the next few days… I’ll be in touch!

A hike up Glassy Mountain

It might seem as if all we are doing recently is hiking… and it isn’t far from the truth! This time of year it feels as if there is such a short window before the summer heat makes trudging through the woods unbearable, and so we are taking full advantage of every beautiful spring day! With guests curious to see more of the area and a small group of moms dedicated to getting out on hikes, we set our sights on Glassy Mountain – part of the Carl Sandburg National Historic Site.

Located in the town of Flat Rock, the park is three miles south of Hendersonville, NC on Little River Road. You might find the route familiar, especially if you’ve visited Sky Top Orchard to pick apples. We parked in the designated lot and packed up our gear, then headed a couple hundred feet down to the ‘contact station’ to meet the rest of our group. The station sits adjacent to the dam on Front Lake, and while we waited we took a look around. The Front Lake Loop trail departs around both sides of Front Lake from this point, and the Kids in Parks TRACK Trail kiosk is at the entrance. We were happy to see that since our last visit a brand new TRACK trail had been installed, the “Citizen Science TRACK Trail” being the first of its kind in the program (it was opened on April 27^th, and features pH and other measurement stations around the lake). We chose brochures more appropriate for our hike, ‘Nature’s Hide and Seek’ and ‘The Need for Trees,’ and then took in the view from the bridge over the dam.

While we spotted a few snakes on our way in, it was on our way out that we were treated to quite a sight; two brown water snakes were mating; it was fascinating watching these large reptiles in their natural habitat from the safety of our perch high above the creek.

The short, ¼ mile road that leads up to the Carl Sandburg home features a view of the pasture while climbing the 100 feet in elevation to reach the main house. Carl Sandburg and his family lived in the house from 1945 until his death in 1967. A tour is available for a fee; see the Carl Sandburg NHS website for schedules. The park’s Visitor Center is located on the lower level of the house, and this is where you can purchase tour tickets as well as browse the gift shop and obtain brochures. We were headed past the house to the dairy barn, home of the resident goat herd.

On previous trips to Carl Sandburg we made note to return in the spring to visit the baby goats. Mrs. Sandburg owned and operated a premier goat dairy from 1935 to 1965, the Grade A milk being distributed to local dairies and sold in stores around the community. The goat breeding program that produced champion goats continues today at the historic site, with three breeds of goats calling the park home. Our timing was perfect, as we were able to meet a half-dozen kids, ranging from 10 weeks to 10 minutes old.

This kid had just been born!

The goat farm is unique in that visitors can walk in the pasture with the goats (and in the enclosure with the babies!) as well as explore the barn, not only meeting the goats, but petting them and watching them feed & interact. Although the birth of a kid was just luck on our part, if you visit in the spring you will get the chance to pet some baby goats, and watching them wobble around on uncertain legs was the highlight of this hike.

We spent an hour at the goat farm before heading past the vegetable gardens to the apple orchard. Here at the trout pond Orchard Trail intersected with Spring Trail, which would take us up to Memminger Trail Loop and the Glassy Mountain Trail.

The trout pond

From the House to the Glassy Mountain overlook it is 1.25 miles, a 523 foot elevation change that just doesn’t quit. Although there are several other options for reaching Glassy Mountain from the parking lot, they are all about the same length with the same workout. We paused often, taking the kids’ minds off the climb, which although not extremely steep is steady; there are no breaks other than the ones taken stationary.

It was with profound relief that we reached the top of Glassy Mountain and dug out our snacks, enjoying a long rest to explore, snap photos and soak in the view. The exposed rock makes for interesting plant communities in the various seeps, and the overlook is the only spot in the park with a view of the mountains.

When thunder rumbled off in the distance we were quick to pack up and start our descent. Although getting stuck in a rainstorm wouldn’t have been the worst thing, we didn’t want to be caught on the mountain with lightning nearby. We were back at the trout pond before we knew it, and soon enough the kids were back in the goat barn petting the baby goats.

Our guest tracked our hike and ended up with a mileage of 4.5 miles – about 4 up and down Glassy Mountain with another ½ mile of scrambling after the boys (the best online map of the trails I found was this one on National Park Planner). This hike definitely required a little more oomph than our usual hikes, and with the time spent at the goat barn totaled over 4 hours. The feedback from those with shorter legs was unanimous – not hiking this trail again! The general feeling was that the goats were the main attraction, and although the view from Glassy Mountain was beautiful, similar vistas can be had in the Upstate without the steep hike. Although I enjoyed the hike, I didn’t enjoy the prodding that came with it, and think I would be able to enjoy the scenery along the trail better on a hike without the kids.

A pink lady slipper orchid

We piled into the car for the short ride back into Flat Rock for a stop at the bakery. Along with some pizza baked in the brick oven in the back, we can also vouch for the coffee, croissants and various breads - definitely worth the stop on your way home after a day at the Carl Sandburg National Historic Site!

A whirlwind tour of Greenville and the Upstate

The mountain laurel is blooming!

We might not have discovered this, if not for our guests… Included in our tour of the Upstate were stops at Wildcat Wayside (Wildcat Branch Falls), Bald Rock and Caesar’s Head State Park – where these gorgeous flowering shrubs were in various stages of bloom.

Nauris and Kristina arrived on the Lauris’s birthday, and after an evening celebration involving ice cream, presents and (possibly) more ice cream, we retired to ready ourselves for a long day. The itinerary was ambitious, but we were intent on showing off our corner of the world, which this time of year is at its prime.

In the morning I headed to Beechwood Farms to pick strawberries with the boys, our guests meeting us in the field just in time to head further north, to Wildcat Branch Falls. The weather has been rather dry and so the upper falls were running low, but with the laurel blooming and the warm temperatures conducive to splashing around in the lower falls, the boys (and hopefully visitors!) were content.

On to Bald Rock Heritage Preserve. We had the rock pretty much to ourselves, and with the sun directly overhead the view stretched for miles.

As our guests continued on to Caesars Head State Park, Vilis and I headed back to town to pick Lauris up from school. After a quick snack we regrouped, then jumped in the car and shot to the zoo in effort to beat the thunderstorms.

With only a few hours left until the zoo closed and impending clouds on the horizon, the zoo was empty. We met the baby giraffe that was born in early February, Tatu. The name means "3^rd child" in Swahili, being that Tatu is Autumn and Walter's third calf. Luckily only a few drops of rain fell, and by the time we made it out to the playground the sun was shining again. Then it was on to downtown, for a tour of Main Street and Falls Park.

Artisphere started yesterday, and so downtown was already filling up. With a show at the Peace Center and various other events going on, things were really hopping for a Wednesday night and we joined a stream of people on an evening stroll through the park. An extended stop at the falls, and then our incredible beech tree with its exposed roots – a full circuit of Falls Park ended with empty stomachs, and we headed across the streets to eat dinner at Chicora Alley.

As long as the day had been, the following was even longer... we were headed to North Carolina to hike up Glassy Mountain!

Guntis does Greenville

The world-renowned Baltic languages professor was in South Carolina for a conference, and was able to sneak in some time with us. In addition to the usual tour of downtown that we offer guests, he also got to take a special trip out to Furman University with the boys.

The Furman clock tower

Dr. Charles Townes statue, downtown Greenville

The famous Falls Park beech tree

Chihuly, Falls Park

Spring in Falls Park

Max Heller, downtown Greenville

Liberty Bridge, Falls Park on the Reedy River

Taking a break in M Judson bookstore

Searching for the Mice on Main

Falls Park on the Reedy River

See what all you can do in a couple days’ time? Currently accepting reservations for the months of April and May…

Gen. Nathanael Greene, downtown Greenville

See Ruby Falls!

Chattanooga is about a four/five hour drive from Greenville, depending on which route you take; too far for a day trip but close enough for a weekend road trip. I’ve had my eye on the Tennessee city as a possible destination for some time based on feedback from friends who had made the trip, and although I had driven through it many times on my way from Chicago to Georgia (when I lived southeast of Atlanta) I knew very little about this town rapidly gaining popularity among outdoor enthusiasts. With the grandparents in town we decided to head west to the “Scenic City” to see what we could see.

Our first day in Chattanooga was a cold, dreary, rainy January day. The plan was to visit the attractions on Lookout Mountain, but seeing as the only thing that could be seen from the summit were clouds, we opted to stay indoors. Well, sort of.

In 1928, Leo Lambert and a team of excavators found a breathtaking waterfall located 1,120 feet below the surface of Lookout Mountain. They were attempting to drill an entrance to a cave off the Tennessee River that had been sealed when a rail line was built, and instead encountered a previously unexplored opening. Crawling into this chasm the team discovered an underground waterfall, later named after Lambert’s wife, Ruby. Opened as a public attraction in 1930, Ruby Falls draws thousands of visitors each year.

We parked and entered the “Cavern Castle,” constructed entirely of limestone excavated in the 1920’s when installing the elevator. After purchasing our tickets we waited for the next tour to begin, and soon we were assembled near the elevators to start our descent into the heart of the mountain.

From the elevators it is about ½ mile through a narrow, winding path to the falls. Interesting stalagmite and stalactite formations were marked and illuminated, some more interesting than others. It was about 60˚F underground, warm enough that we could leave our winter coats in the car, and the passage was well-illuminated albeit rather uneven, the largest hazards being a stumble or a bump on the head for us taller folk (or the need to use the facilities, as the closest restroom is back on the surface!). Vilis rode in the backpack carrier, a tight squeeze in a few places but still preferable to carrying him on the hip, and the guide was chatty and knowledgeable while a short video emphasized the historical points of the cave. Finally, some 40 minutes later we arrived at the falls.

Ruby Falls is illuminated by a light show which is automatically turned on and off for the various groups. When we arrived it was off, the waterfall audible but not visible. Once the light show started we had about 5 minutes to jockey for position at the railing to take photographs and admire the falls – then the lights went off and the guide started herding us back. In my opinion the ticket prices to this attraction are rather steep, and although I understand that there must be a high overhead for all employees, insurance, lighting etc., I feel that we should have had a little more time at the falls – it was disappointing to feel rushed. The light show also means that you don’t get the view of the waterfall that is shown in the brochure – instead it is fluorescent purples and pinks and blues – also beautiful, but more emphasis placed on the theatrical rather than natural wonder.

Upon emerging aboveground we climbed the tower to see if the weather had cleared. It hadn’t. However, we had a great view of the solar panels that power LED light show. If it wasn’t raining we could have spent some time on the playground, but as it was we headed down the mountain to find lunch. Ruby Falls has snacks for sale, a ziplining adventure, gem mining for kids and various other side attractions, and they offer special events such as lantern tours, holiday lights and even weddings – see website for details.

While there are dozens of caverns and caves in the region, Lookout Mountain is the only one with such a spectacular waterfall. According to the website, it is the tallest and deepest underground waterfall open to the public. In addition to the great views of the Tennessee River valley, Ruby Falls is on the National Register of Historic Places, a rather famous attraction for almost 100 years. However, the passage to the falls was mostly excavated, so although there were some interesting natural formations, the cave itself didn’t compare to other caves we’ve visited (such as the Cave of Antiparos) – it was the waterfall that made this attraction. Finally, if it weren’t for the super-short time at the falls I would recommend this as a must-see in Chattanooga, however based on our experience I instead suggest this as a rainy-day adventure or an excursion offering something different once you’ve exhausted the outdoors options available on Lookout Mountain.