I took a few days off to head south and west with my younger daughter to the mountains of North Carolina. I don’t often have the chance to spend some time with just one of my teenagers in this way, so the idea was to make the most of the trip and make some memories for a lifetime.
I’ve been to Chimney Rock State Park before with all five kids. Several times actually, when they were much younger. Our last visit was about 11 years ago.
One thing we never had a chance to do was hike up one of the trails to the waterfalls. It’s classified on the map as a “moderate” hike and maybe that would have been the case 11 years ago when I was in much better shape and younger. LOL. The hike on day two was nothing short of moderately exhausting. Whew! I had to stop a few times to catch my breath for sure.
It was her idea. I want to see that waterfall, Mom.
I’m not sure I can make that hike right now, I told her at first. The temps throughout the afternoon of day one were so hot. Maybe it’s not reasonable for this trip.
But, we looked at the cooler temps in the early morning hours of day two and decided if we set out when the park first opened, and plan ahead for any needed rest breaks for me, we could do it.
We did it! And it was completely worth it.
Not just the beautiful and precious time with her, chatting it up on the trail, sharing a water bottle, and promising me she would “deal” with any snakes we might see along the way in her perfect sense of humor way to address my unspoken but moderate concern about the matter, with all the snake signs around… but the breathtaking view once we finally ascended the final rock stair case to the waterfall landing. It was absolutely beautiful. We made friendly conversation and connections with the other people who had decided to take that path and make that hike today as well, on the exact same day, at the exact same time. Magical really, if you think about it. Our paths may never cross again, but they crossed today. Literally.
Look at that, I told her on the much easier hike down… we just did something you have never done before and I have never done before.
Yeah, we will remember this one for the rest of our lives she said, as she gave me a little high five.
Here are a few photos from our summer of 2021 days in Chimney Rock, NC. A quick little trip from her Grandma’s house where we are staying the week. Two days and one night.
We had the “time of our lives.”
“Fun facts” for anyone who may have missed the reference of my blog post title or some of the “Hollywood” history of the area. A little “campy” movie came out in the late summer of 1987, starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. I wrote about that summer in the blog post “Out Here on My Own” but I wouldn’t see the movie until years later.
I was just two years older then, than she is now. Some of the scenes from that movie were filmed at Lake Lure, NC.
Headed home in another day or two, packing up all our delightful memories with us when we leave.
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