Yep. We survived the visit from the relatives. We were all exhausted but had a blast! Last year when they were down, it rained the entire week. This time, it only rained in the afternoon.
We went to several places:
Cradle of Forestry
North Carolina Arboretum
Blue Ridge Parkway
Douglas Falls area (the road was closed)
Unfortunately, my wheelchair malfunctioned and I was stuck in a manual chair all week. 😡 This limited what I could do with everyone else.
At the Cradle of Forestry, we went through the center and the kids did a scavenger hunt in the main exhibit. There were a lot of things up some stairs and a cool tunnel, neither of which I could view. I did, however, get out of my chair and go up two steps to “ride” in the fire helicopter. It is a real helicopter–main body only–with a video screen, realistic noises and movement, and a video taken of a real fire survey done in Idaho. The kids (Kevin, Colleen, Ryan, and Kelli) went on a guided hike while Lorna and I chilled out. I could have gone on it if I’d had my power chair. Lorna and I want to go back soon and do both trails.
At the NC Arboretum, we went through the Bonzai Exhibit. Wow! What a treat! We also went through the Quilt Garden although the photo on their site is not what it looks like now. (Colleen sent me a bunch of images from their week here. I’ll upload them soon.) The Information Center is excellent. While we were there, my kid bro saw the Segway tours and was drooling to go. However, they were full so already we have plans for next year! The “kids” went on two of the trails while Lorna and I lounged in the air-conditioned center. They came back soaked in sweat from the hot and humid day!
As always, the Blue Ridge Parkway is a relaxing place to cruise. We used it to go to the Cradle of Forestry. It was raining when we came back by the Pisgah Inn. Colleen wanted to take some photos from there. But even without the rain, the fog was thick. She did get some great photos from the Parkway and I’ll let you know when/where I upload them. We took two vehicles due to the 6 of us and the winding roads. We all fit in their rental car but none of us wanted Colleen to barf. Lorna and I had the kids which was, well, interesting. At our first tunnel, for some reason Ryan decided to scream “We’re gonna die!” which set me and Kelli to screaming too. As soon as we were out of the tunnel, we all stopped at the same time. It was cool! And yes, we did this for every tunnel, all five or six of them. Lorna took over for me because my throat was not working right.
Last year, Lorna desperately wanted to take the kids hiking. This year, she got to. She wanted to take them to Douglas Falls where she and our friend Lori went a few years ago. It is an easy .5 mile trail. However, the road to the parking spot was closed so she and the kids found another trail nearby. They had a blast! While they were there, Kevin, Collen, and I went to the laundromat and then to Blue Mountain Pizza for a leisurely lunch. Less than ten minutes after we ate, Kevin’s cell phone rings. Lorna and the kids are back in Weaverville and want to eat. But Lorna has no cash. So we turned around and joined them at Waffle House.
We also did a lot of sitting around and playing Uno. It is our favorite group game. None of us are overly competitive so it is relaxing too! Last year when it rained so much, we played a LOT of Uno.
I wish they were still here. I love those four. Ryan and Kelli were wired to the max and wore the four adults out each day. We missed them though, after we got a few days of sleep.
The calendar says July 23, 2006. Your countdown meter say 911 days till we’re rid of W. That is 9 1 1, as in 911. Unfortunately, the damage he has done will outlive his Presidency and certainly will outlive those he has condemned to lives of pain, suffering and death — much of which could have possibly been avoided by a different stroke of the pen.
My brother and I both agreed that the man is very scary. Kev is afraid of what will be left of the world when his kids grow up.