Vacation Schmuck Style Part I

We had so much fun this summer. We took an unexpected wonderful vacation to the mountains for North Georgia and North Carolina and Tennessee.  In no particular order are some fun things my munchkins were able to experience.

The Nantahala River in North Carolina. The water was freezing. This river

is for rafting, not tubing. It's called class 3 with 4 rapids depending on the level of the water. The raft is manned by an experienced guide and up to six other passengers. When the kids get older this is something we might do. For now, we will play in the tame quiet lakes and streams.

The Ruby Falls Caverns of Chattanooga Tennessee. It is a constant 60 degrees year round. You take an elevator 270 feet down. That is 27 stories for those of us that need a visual.  Then you walk 1/2 mile down to the falls and back again. The history lesson that you get from your guide and the video is great. I loved watching and listening to my kids comments and I actually had to put on a sweater. It was 95 degrees in the parking lot where we just left and now I was cold. WONDERFUL.

I made this picture extra large so you could see the falls, but also the wind. The wind is blowing her hair. That isn't static cling. And notice the people behind my family? You are permitted to walk behind the falls on a very narrow wet carved out walkway.  They have a music and a colored light show that plays on the falls as you walk around. The changing light really messes with your picture taking skills. Here is the really cool part. They can not find where the water comes from. They can tell you were it is going, but they can not find the source of the water. Of course they didn't ask me.. I could have told them.

Last picture for this post. This is the giant rock that we climbed on at our picnic area after the walk to and from the falls.  This picnic area is just up the road, and in a great forest area so even though it was 90 degrees out here, we were comfortable with the immense shade. I am smart and brought change of clothes and change of shoes for the warmer sight seeing above ground.  By the way, the city of Chattanooga is a huge piece of our American Civil War. So the very rock I am sitting on, could have very well been walked on or used by the men who fought in the war.  More to come in the next post.

This is Girl Schmuck signing off.