We returned from Utah and did our best to get back in the swing of things. It was a rather cold and wet winter and it has seemed to take forever to turn into spring. We’ve managed to find adventure anyway. Parker and Ansel continued with their swimming lessons at the YMCA. The weekend afternoons were spent working on an economics project for Parker’s class. In a unique assignment, the class had to make a product and sell them at an economics fair. Parker, being a Harry Potter fan, decided to make Harry Potter ties. We made 15 and all of them sold for school money which was earned by doing good deeds in class.
The kids (all three) have been eyeing a minibus for several years and when the hybrid battery in Kristie’s car died, it was time to pull the trigger on it. We are calling the white Honda Odyssey the Adventure Mobile until a more permanent name sticks. The extra room sure has made road trips easier. The weekend after we got the van just happened to be a rare, warm, and sunny day so we drove up to Peak and walked on the Palmetto Trail. It was great to get out. The following weekend, we road tripped to Conway. And the next weekend we were off to Charleston to attend the wedding of one of Kristie’s coworkers.
Finally, it was Spring Break and we were ready for an extended trip. We left Lexington early Friday morning and headed up to Roan Mountain. We arrived in time to down a couple of pizzas at Smoky Mountain Bakers and then it was up the mountain to the cabin. The evening concluded with a ceremonial hike up to Round Bald through some very string winds. Saturday, Parker and Ansel played on the Roan Mountain State Park playground. Then we headed to Elizabethton for the Easter Vigil service. We got the times wrong and ended up taking a slight detour to Johnson City for dinner, but made it back in time for the service.
Sunday was the big day of the trip. Last year, we bicycled the Virginia Creeper Trail and it was so much fun that we were eager to do it again. This time, Ansel would be peddling herself. We woke up, looked at the thermometer, which read 34 degrees, threw on some more clothes and headed out the door to Damascus, VA. As we got to the bottom of the mountain, the temperature, usually 10 degrees warmer, was actually 10 degrees colder than the top of the mountain. We arrived in Damascus and it finally warmed up a little. We checked in and hopped on the shuttle to be taken to Whitetop Station to begin our journey. It was a beautiful day out on the trail and both Parker and Ansel were amazing on their bikes. Watch the video below to see everyone in action.
Our standard hike at the Roan usually involves starting at Carver’s Gap and hiking northbound to Grassy Ridge. On Monday, we decided to spice it up a little bit and hikes south to the old Cloudland Hotel site. When we got up there, it was very windy and started to rain, but we all enjoyed being out. The trail was beautiful and it ended up being a good choice because visibility was limited.
The forecast for Tuesday included rain, rain, and rain. We enjoyed relaxing, reading, playing games, and sitting on the porch watching the clouds roll by. Late in the afternoon, Parker and Jay went back up to Round Bald to stretch their legs.
Wednesday marked the end of Phase 1 of Spring Break. We packed up our things, took a brief hike up to Jane Bald, and then headed back to Columbia. A few hours after we arrived in Columbia, we were greeted by G-Daddy.
It was time for Phase 2 of Spring Break. Parker, G-Daddy, and Jay woke up bright and early and made a guys’ road trip. The destination was the old Homestead in Douglas, GA. The trio arrived Wednesday afternoon. After visiting with Charles and Nancy, other cousins and family started to trickle in. We had a great cookout at the farm and enjoyed seeing, and in some cases, meeting the family members. Parker in particular had fun playing with Charles’s dogs. Friday morning, Parker’s great-grandfather’s cousin Elias drove around with us and gave us a tour of the area and told us about the family. He was a wonderful story teller. He took us to the cemetery and then took Parker to see a chicken farm and to pick strawberries. After lunch, we rested for a few minutes before heading to cousin Carol’s for supper. It was a great bonding trip for the boys and we are all glad that they were able to go.
We headed back Saturday morning to recover and get ready to finish up the school year. But Parker and Ansel still found time to jump in the pool on what was finally a warm weekend.
