Oakwood Inn Boone

... feel like they are hiking, but short enough that they don't get tired. The view at the top is amazing. We always head to the left at the top of the trail because the rock area is larger and I feel safer with the kids running around (even though we forbid them to run up there!)

There are tons of wild blueberry bushes up there too and that's the part Caroline likes best - picking the blueberries (even though they are tiny compared to the ones we pick ...

This morning I was sitting at the computer and, since it was mid-morning, was surprised to smell a skunk. The scent was fairly strong too. About a half hour later I saw our neighbor washing down her dog in tomato juice. Oh, oh. I guess it was second-hand skunk smell. Poor dog. It doesn't understand why it's been banished to the outdoors.

It's a cool day and looks like it may rain later. The creek is high from all the recent rains we've had.

... we went out to dinner. We must do simple things because of the kids so we went to Mellow Mushroom - a favorite for everyone. The kids enjoyed watching the guys throw the pizza dough in the air.

It was good to get out for a little while, but we headed back after dinner for ice cream cones at the cabin and a semi early bedtime.

... the Thursday night concert at the Banner Elk park. We went to one last summer too and it was really nice. They have vendors with food for sale and the playground and stream and there too. We let the kids play first and then we had dinner and sat and listened to the music.

... Grandmama & Grandaddy bought while we were in NC last summer) for the kids to float in the water and have boat races. They had a great time and got pretty wet too!

The afternoon was spent relaxing at the cabin, we even got a couple of rain showers. We had leftover night for dinner and then roasted marshmallows for smores on a little grill we bought.

... take on the river. There is a calm river in the park with easy access points. It's pretty shallow and lots of kids were wading and playing. The kids were a little scared at first but then they really enjoyed it. Grandaddy would get them started and then they would float a little ways down where David would take them out of the water and they'd do it again and again.

After that, we could tell David Andrew was tired ...

... enjoyed our food very much. After lunch we were ready to get back to the cheese shop. First we peeked in to see the progress on the cheesemaking. They had drained the whey from the big tub and were getting the molds ready for the curds. We got to watch them put the big scoops of curds into the molds. Once they used all the curds, the got cheesecloth (duh!) and put in on top. Then ...

... The picture makes it more real since honestly, it seems more like a dream/nightmare. We feel so blessed that God was watching out for us and protecting us today.

We went on with the rest of our uneventful drive and got into Banner Elk around 5 pm. We stopped at Lowe's food store and got spaghetti, sauce and garlic bread for a quick, easy dinner. We were all happy to get to bed tonight.

The art of wine is celebrated in mountain style during the 2009 Blue Ridge Wine and Food Festival, April 16-19 in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Featuring wineries from throughout NC, and fine cuisine created by Blowing Rock chefs, the Festival promises to please even the most discriminating palates. Be sure to make reservations for the Winemaker's Dinners, and book your Lodging ...

... building in the center. We circled the center of town and stopped at a local sandwich shop for a bite. After lunch, we were stuck in farm traffic hell. By the time we got to Shelby I was starting to see Pete's point about how hot the lowlands were. We changed plans (again) and headed for the hills. NC126 from Nebo to Morganton was an amazing revlatation of twists and vistas.