Family Style

Our vacation plans got changed up a bit, for the better. My Man decided not to go to Alaska after all, instead he’s coming with us to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Yea for family vacations!

We leave tomorrow morning, on the train. It’s a 12 hour trip to Atlanta, but we got a room (they’re cheap during the day) so I think the train trip with kids will be a blast. We spend the night in Atlanta, then rent a car and drive north to the Foxfire Museum and then on to Bryson City, North Carolina, at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We spend one night in town at a cute looking historic bed and breakfast (full breakfast and dinner included!!! Now that’s what I call a vacation!), visit a model train museum, then head up into the park for two nights of campground camping. We did briefly entertain the thought that maybe we could just hike in a little ways for some real camping, but fortunately thought better of it. A few more years. Just a few more years….

But get this– Clingman’s Dome, the highest peak on the Appalachian trail (6,000 and some feet) has a road going almost all the way up it, with just a half mile trail taking you all the way to the top! I’ve never been grateful for a road up a mountain before, but this means we can “hike” a part of the Appalachian trail, and get a view! Awesome. Hooray for progress.

The 4yo is looking forward to some fishing. She asked for a “princess fishing pole” for her birthday, and although she plays with it lots at home and has figured out how to cast pretty darn good, we’ve only been out real fishing once. The campground has a stream right there, and I suspect there will be other good spots to toss in a line. I’ve never been much for pole fishing myself, back home we use nets, but I can see the appeal for a little kid.

After our little national park adventure, we head back to Atlanta, then back home on the train.

6 days of action-packed family vacation. We’re really excited, we haven’t had a fun trip like this in I don’t even know how long. It’s going to be exhausting, but I think I’m ready for it. Sometimes you want a relaxing vacation, sometimes you want adventure. I’m ready for some (kid-friendly) adventure.

I’m dying to tell you about my new and improved hobo stick stove, but I feel it should be a seperate post. I’m going to hold off a few days, just to titillate you. Otherwise, I’ll catch up with y’all next week!