A Week in the Mountains

We just spent the most perfect week in the mountains. Mom, Shannon, and the four of us rented a house just outside of Boone, and after several trips we have finally got it down to a science. We planned meals and activities before we went, packed in everything we needed for the first 24 hours, and built in enough down time for people to actually relax and have a little space. Perfection.

We started our vacation on July 4th, and our back deck was just perfect:

Before we got to the house, we had lunch and spent some time shopping in Boone. Issa found some great new clothes, which was fun. We went back to the house to settle in, have dinner, and watch fireworks from the hot tub.

Monday, we went into Blowing Rock--starting with a trip to see the actual rock:

Evan is part mountain goat and really loves climbing rocks:

Nana and prefer him far away from edges:

We did some shopping in Blowing Rock and made our one grocery trip for the week, then we went back to the house for dinner and s'mores. Evan is getting great at starting camp fires:

Tuesday, we went to Grandfather Mountain. We started our day with the Woodlands Trail, which has activities along the way, including rock climbing:

And shelter building:

And exploring the woods:

We got to see the bears up close in the little nature preserve:

And the elk:

Before we did the hike up to the mile high bridge:

We all made it across, although Nana and I were not too sure:

And we made the hike back down:

On the way back to the house, we stopped at a fun antique shop, and Issa found a tiara:

And like pretty much every night, we ended it in the hot tub:

Wednesday, we went for a float down the river:

Which included going under a very low bridge:

I had a blast--clearly:

Thursday, we went gem mining and then watched the storms from our deck. Friday, we went on one last hike at Moses Cone National Park:

It was a bit longer than the kids bargained for, but the views were amazing. We also enjoyed the crafts in the house--especially the pottery. I have a lot of new inspiration for the studio.

Saturday, we packed up after a great week of making memories: