My Favorite Vacation EVER! Over and Over Again to Recharge and Reenergize!

Florida-the land of Disney World, beaches, palm trees, sand, and UGH!  Yes, that’s right, UGH!  I live in Florida and this time of year is literally UGH!  You go outside and you instantly break a sweat.  If your palm tree isn’t trimmed high enough, then you get either covered in the water that is dripping from it because it has rained and made the 100% humidity become 200% or the spines in it stick you and it hurts!  Oh, and it’s only 8:00 a.m.  That’s right, 8 a.m. and it hits you like a ton of bricks!  So, you spend most of your time in the ac, avoiding the beach because it isn’t much better out there in the salt flavored bath water (no kidding-today it was 87 degrees in the water!!!).  No, I did not escape to Florida for my favorite vacation-I’m easier to please!   I escaped to my favorite vacation ever-over and over again-ever!!!  North Carolina!

You see, I’m easy to please.   I have lots of ideas for my favorite vacation ever-England, Ireland, Australia, Alaska-and notice, most are cooler places, but I haven’t been able to do those and may never be able to do those, so I go with easy, and cool, North Carolina.  Why, well, here’s why:

 1.  A cabin, a REAL cabin!  We are always blessed to find an economical location, but this one is my favorite-a REAL cabin!  No insulation, no luxury, no protection from bugs and other things-a REAL cabin!  Did I mention it is strikingly similar to the cabin I stayed in when I was in elementary school in Canada for two weeks every summer?  The only thing missing from this and my childhood memory would be the great big lake that we had in Canada, but there is a replacement.

2.  A WATERFALL-

In fact, many if we wanted to wander further out, where there would be lots of people!  Instead, we headed to Schoolhouse Falls (can’t ever escape that word!)  When we got there, only two people were there and they were sleeping in hammocks!  Cool water, beautiful sight, no one to bug us!  YES!  Exactly what I would call FAVORITE vacation detail! 

3.  History! 

I am slowly discovering the fun of Florida’s history-we camp a lot when Florida is friendly to its residence-but there really isn’t anything like this! Biltmore, home to one of the most financially influential families in America!  I could easily put my entire house in the library of this home!  And kids were FREE this visit!  YES!  And, my two teenaged boys like it! They LIKED IT!!  We even visited the flower garden and they liked it!  Did I mention that part of the reason why this is my favorite vacation EVER is because of the…

 

4.  Plants.  

I know that many people love the tropical “loveliness” of Florida’s tropical plants.  Well, not so  much here!  I’ve learned, over time, to find things I like, but, in North Carolina they have real trees, real grass, and really, really, really beautiful flowers!  I could spend all day looking, just looking at plants and flowers and loving them! 

5.  Walks!  

I have an adventurer and I am one too, so walks are so great for us!  We can find so many things on our walks-like REAL rocks that have mica in them and real trees, REAL TREES, and mountains!  In fact, we can go up so high on our mountain walks that we are looking at the mountain tops that were up above us before!  Long walks that make our legs hurt, but not enough to not get back to the cabin.  Walks that still allow you to run down the hills to the flats where you are out of breath with fun, even with your little dogs with short legs along, who have just as much fun as you, walks.  Did I mention how this is my FAVORITE over and over again!

6.  Mountain Air-

This is down at the Lake.  Take off about 5 degrees in the Mountains!  

Cool, cool mountain air, so cool that at night it makes your teeth chatter because it is in the 50’s and it is July cool.  So cool that you have to sleep in winter pajamas cool.  Enough cool air to soak in and make you think about it over and over as the wind blows and you stand with your arms stretched out, soaking every bit of it in , knowing you won’t feel it again until December, if you are luck, cool!  Feel it, remember it, cool! 

Trying to stay warm in the rain!

7.  MOUNTAINS-

Mountains that you can see sitting on a porch that was built just for that, just to look.  Reading on that porch is a distraction because you can’t help but look, rolling into one another, off in the distance, but wondering if anyone was looking at your mountain, thinking the same thing.  Watching the clouds roll over those same mountains and, then, watching them disappear as the rain rolls in and brings the cool mountain air that makes you put on a jacket. 

8.  Fireflies-

Waiting for dark to come, just so the bushes will light up. There are fireflies in Florida, if you know where to look.  Last time we went camping we saw one.  Here, they light up the yard.  With very few other bugs to bug you!  So great to walk out and watch.  Sadly, my boys are beyond the age of trying to catch them-but that didn’t stop my sad attempt one night, or my adventurers the last night.  No luck, but worth every second. 

Today, I have commented on 3 different photos of people visiting other mountains in North Carolina about how much I wish I was still there.  It helped to clear my head.  It helped to refocus my thinking.  It helped me to get mentally aware of where I need to be and where I need to go.  It helped me be me, to find me again.  It put me in a FAVORITE place-peace. 

If you are blogging, and you have time, take a few moments to share your favorite vacation on the linky found at I Heart 3^rd Grade!  I know it made me want to sit down and jot things out.  It was a great way to get me back into my blog and reflect on a great vacation all at once!