Two weeks ago, me, Landis, and Luke headed to Blowing Rock, NC with Mark and Melissa Leslie for a relaxing, fall vacation. Well, that is exactly what it was - even with a 2 year old, it was quite relaxing, gorgeous weather - the leaves were awesome - and, as usual, wonderful company.
Let me tell you about our trip...
On Friday, we arrived at our cabin just in time to unload the car and then load back up to head to Tweetsie for their after 3:00 entrance special. (If you buy your tickets after 3:00, you get in the next day on the same ticket so you really get 1 1/2 days in the park for the price you pay.) It's a great deal when you have a toddler that can't last in a park from 10:00 to 5:00 - you can just divide it into two days.
When we arrived at Tweetsie, the BIG train (the one with the cowboys and Indians) was just loading so we hopped right on. While we waited, a man walked around and made the kids play guns out of balloons. Luke was super excited about his balloon and the train UNTIL we came to the cowboys and Indians. As soon as the guns starting firing, Luke was literally trying to crawl under the seats. He did NOT like that part at all. Thank goodness we sat in the back train car (otherwise known as the caboose - LOL!) and no Indians climbed onto our part of the train. So...piece of advice....if you go to Tweetsie, which I highly recommend that you do, sit in the caboose unless you want Indians to sneak up behind you with guns! :) The train ride only lasted about 20 minutes and then we headed to the section where they had rides.
Luke wanted to ride the small airplanes first, so we let him. There was no wait so he rode them several times non-stop. Then, Luke wanted to ride the Ferris Wheel so we did. Me, Landis, and Luke rode in one car and Mark rode in another one. Melissa doesn't do rides! :) Luke LOVED the ferris wheel - he squealed and smiled the whole time! I LOVED the ferris wheel for two reasons - (1) it was the most beautiful view of the mountains from the top that you could get and (2) Luke liked it and I love seeing him excited. Now, Landis, on the other hand, HATED the ferris wheel - he was terrified that we were going to rock over and fall out. Just wait until you see the pictures of his face!
After the ferris wheel, Luke drove the old cars with Melissa. You know if it includes driving something, Luke will enjoy it and he did! After the cars, we rode the chair lift to Miners Mountain. Once again, Luke had no fear of heights - he thought the chair lift was the coolest thing ever and, boy, it was beautiful looking back on the mountains - I was too busy making sure Luke didn't fall out to take pictures of the view. :)
On Miners Mountain, Luke rode more planes, which he loved and we rode the mini train. He enjoyed the mini-train because it had a tunnel he could yell in and it had a little show to watch inside the tunnel and NO GUNS!
After doing all of that - it was almost 6:00 so we headed back to Blowing Rock for dinner. We ate at Mellow Mushroom, which ended up being quite greasy and gross - I don't recommend it for anyone! But, the good part - on the way back to our car, we found the coolest little playground for Luke to play on. It had a seesaw and a ton of things to climb on and, of course, a twisty slide - which Luke loves. It was almost dark when we left the playground to head back to the cabin.
When we returned to the cabin, Luke played with his trains he brought from home for a little bit and then went to sleep quite easily in his playpen. He loves his playpen. He calls it his "cozy bed." After he went to sleep, the grown ups stayed up for a round of cards. The boys beat us AGAIN - bummer! Win or lose - it was fun to have some grown up time.
Here are some pictures from Friday...
Driving the airplanes - that's a serious face...
The only smile Landis gave the entire Ferris Wheel ride...
This is what he looked like the rest of the time....
More planes....
Riding on the mini-train...
Waiting for a table at Mellow Mushroom - playing hide and seek...
Being silly on the deck of the cabin - the cabin was beautiful - we enjoyed it!
On Saturday, Luke woke up around 6:15 (which isn't too bad for him - sometimes he rises as early as 5:30am). While everyone else slept, Luke and I played with his tractors and trains and we also chased each other around the house. This house was built in a way that you could go through the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and living room in a big circle so it was perfect for hide and seek and Mark and Melissa's bedroom was upstairs so we didn't disturb them. Luke had a ball just hanging out at the cabin.
After everyone woke up, we headed back to Tweetsie. It still wasn't crowded. This time, we headed straight to Miners Mountain first and started with the petting zoo. Luke loves feeding animals and these animals (mostly goats) were very sweet. The feed they gave you was the neatest thing - the feed was inside an ice cream cone so after all the feed was gone, you gave the goats the ice cream cone and the goats would eat the whole thing. Luke's favorite part was watching the goats devour the ice cream cone.
There were a few llamas at the petting zoo. Luke didn't want to feed them but he was fascinated with how big they were. While we were standing there watching, the workers took two of the llamas walking along the path to a different pin. When Luke saw this, he stopped and said, "Oh my Lord, there is a llama in the road!" I thought I would die of laughter - it was the cutest thing and he was right, there was a llama in the road.
After we fed the animals, Luke rode the planes and the boats SEVERAL times - once again, with no wait, he could just keep on riding. He rang the bell on the boats about 100 times, grinning the whole time and then on the planes, he pretended to be driving somewhere. You could tell he was having a blast! He would wave at us with this silly little wave - it was cute!
After the rides, we saw one of the kids' shows starting in the mini-theater so we walked over and sat down. It was the cutest show with a lot of singing and dancing - Luke loved it and Aunt Melissa did too. She and Luke did the locomotion dance together - you will see the pictures below.
After the show, Luke played on the slides and playground for a little while and then we climbed this big Rapunzel looking tower to take a picture. Luke's favorite part was running around and around in circles in the tower.
Then, before heading back down the mountain, we rode the small train again. This time the train had more people on it so Luke wouldn't scream in the tunnel. He got shy! :)
After the train ride, we headed back down the mountain for some more rides. We rode everything again - we started by riding the ferris wheel EXCEPT for this time, Daddy didn't ride - Uncle Mark rode with me and Luke instead while Daddy sat at the bottom with Aunt Melissa praying for our safety. Again, Luke LOVED the ferris wheel and Mark and I enjoyed the gorgeous view. After the ferris wheel, Luke rode the cars again (with Daddy this time) and the planes again. Then, we headed to the Tilt-a-Whirl. They let Luke ride with me, Landis, and Mark. We were all squished into the cart so tight that we knew Luke wasn't going anywhere. Let me tell you what - Luke absolutely loved this ride. He squealed out loud the whole time - it was great! He liked it so much that as soon as it stopped he said, "I want to ride it again." "Oh me!" is what I thought (as I barely stood up from being so dizzy). We waited about 5 minutes and then rode it again - this time, just me, Landis, and Luke rode. Just as expected, Luke laughed and squealed the whole ride. However, this time, I wasn't laughing with him - the two times in a row of spinning around and around at that fast pace just about got me - if the ride would've lasted one more second, I would have been SICK! Not good! :)
I did manage to ride the carousel with Luke without throwing up. :) That one spins much slower.
After those rides, we spent some time in the arcade letting the big boys play a little and then we went to the big boy rides so Mark and Landis could ride a few things. They rode the big drop ride and one of those gravitron like rides - both of which I had no desire to ride! Landis and Mark had a blast on them and Luke enjoyed watching the big boys have a great time.
Our last stop in Tweetsie was the toy store. Mark and Melissa let Luke pick out several toys that they wanted to buy for him - he picked out several tiny trains and a small stuffed monkey that made noise. Luke was thrilled with his new toys. Matter of fact, monkey became cow's best friend and was a constant companion the rest of the trip. :)
On our way out, we stopped for a few photo opportunities and then we took our exhausted selves to eat lunch and then back to the cabin for a nap. It was great - we ALL took a nap - toddler and grown-ups.
After our naps, we headed to Tanger outlets for some shopping. We have learned that when we go shopping, it is best to split up and let each person go shop wherever they need to. Luke and I stuck together - imagine that! :) We invaded the Carter's outlet and Osh Gosh - they were having some awesome sales and I took advantage of them and bought Luke a new fleece coat, a winter hat, some gloves, and several outfits. Luke drove one of the car strollers while I shopped. While Luke and I waited on everyone else to finish their shopping, I let Luke ride some of the quarter rides and then we went to the ice cream shop and got Luke an ice cream cone. (I'm pretty sure that Luke ate at least one ice cream cone everyday on this trip - somedays I think he might have had two! That's what makes vacations special - more junk food allowed.)
Cute story here - when we walked into the ice cream shop, it was very quiet, there were hardly any people inside. I opened the door and let Luke walk in ahead of me. All of a sudden, Luke stopped right next to the door and said very loudly as he looked down at the floor, "Mommy, someone needs to clean up this mess. Look at it." After my face turned hot red, I realized what he was talking about - there were some crunched leaves on the floor and I guess that bothered him. There were 2 ladies sitting next to the front door and they busted out laughing at him. I just smiled my embarrassed smile and encouraged Luke to go choose his ice cream. :)
We enjoyed our ice cream together, met everyone else and then headed back to the cabin. By the time I got Luke dressed for bed, teeth brushed, books ready, etc - it was 10:30! Even with our mid-day naps, we were all exhausted and crashed soon after Luke did!
Here are the pictures from Saturday:
Playing with Mommy in the cabin...
Riding the boats....
And planes...
Playing in the arcade...
On the carousel...
The tilt-a-whirl BEFORE we started....
Trying to take a family pic....
The drop zone - Mark and Landis are in the last 2 seats on the right...
Photo op!
Playing at the outlets in his new hat and jacket....it got REALLY cold at night while we were there....
Enjoying ice cream....
On Sunday morning, we all woke up refreshed and ready for a fun day just exploring the mountains. It was a gorgeous day - our view of the changing leaves from the balcony was beautiful!
We began our adventures on Sunday by driving to Valle Crucis to visit the Mast General Store. This store has the greatest old toys and a HUGE candy shop. Luke, Melissa, and I went straight to the toy section, and, once again, Melissa let Luke pick out several toys. (If you haven't noticed, Mark and Melissa spoil Luke - they are so sweet to him.) Luke picked out a tractor book that had a tiny tractor to go with it and he picked out a classic book called, "The Big Red Barn." (Many of you have probably read it before.) :) I was pleased that this time Luke chose 2 books - he loves to read!
After Melissa paid for Luke's toys, Luke and I headed outside to the front of the store while the grown-ups kept shopping. Luke pushed his tiny tractor around the ledge of a large flower bed while we waited. He was so content and I enjoyed sitting outside on the perfect morning watching him play. Before we left the general store, I took Luke inside the large candy section. Luke was very sweet - he only picked out 2 packs of Smarties, a few suckers, and a pack of gum. We sat back down outside and ate our candy.
When the rest of the grown-ups were done shopping, we took a quick self-timer picture in front of the moutains. You will see the picture in a minute. :)
Our next stop was Kentucky Fried Chicken. We picked up lunch and headed to the Blue Ridge Parkway for a picnic. Luke fell asleep on our way to find a picnic spot and he had only slept about 30 minutes when we arrived at a park. When we woke him up, he was ill as a hornet! During our nice, peaceful lunch, he whined for about 10 minutes until Daddy gave him a stern "talking to" that cleared up the whining. Our picnic was very nice - I think Mark said it perfectly when he said as he was eating, "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now." Ohhh - that was sweet, Mark! :) It was a nice lunch!
After lunch, we headed back to the downtown area of Blowing Rock. If you have never been to this small town strip, you should go - it's gorgeous. They have the cutest little shops, a huge playground, and in the fall, the trees and decorations are beautiful. Luke and I went straight to the park so he could slide, dig with his "digging stick," climb, and swing. He loved his "digging stick" that he found so much that he took it with him to potty. :)
After quite a bit of playground playing time, Mark and Melissa met us at the park and we all started playing with Luke. We chased him around and around the trees - one of us would hold him and run while the others chased him. He thought this was the greatest thing in the world - all of this attention on him. Luke also decided that he was going to roll and do front flips all the way down the hill. I have a video of him doing this at the bottom. Funny story here - Uncle Mark decided that he, too, was going to roll down the hill. I wish I would've gotten that on video! As he rolled, he came about half a second from mowing over Lukester who was still sitting at the bottom of the hill. As soon as we all realized what was getting ready to happen, Landis scooped Luke up just in time. Poor Mark - he was ready to sacrifice his body to make sure he didn't hit Luke - it looked painful! :)
While we were in this beautiful park, we let Melissa take some family pictures of us that I'm going to use for our Christmas cards (which are already ordered). :) They are cute pics, especially to be taken with a family camera and not by a professional. :)
On our way back to the car, we stopped in a few stores and then Landis and Luke got them an ice cream cone (one each). I have the cutest pictures of them sitting on the bench eating their ice cream together. We sat on the bench and watched the people walk by while the boys ate. The ice cream that Luke ate must have given him the wiggles because all of a sudden, Luke stood up and started dancing to the music that you could hear playing. It was hilarious! He shook his hips, jumped around, and even danced in the bush (there is a video at the bottom). He was having a blast just being silly and we laughed at him for 30 minutes straight as he went up and down the sidewalks and steps dancing.
Before leaving, we waited on Melissa to order a hot dog for dinner. While we waited, Luke ran around the sidewalk, up the steps, through bushes, and all over the place. He was just enjoying the fresh air and we were enjoying his enthusiasm. He was so enthusiastic that, at one point, he drew an audience. There were several young couples sitting at the outdoor tables (probably enjoying a romantic couples getaway in the mountains - I remember those days) and thought it was the cutest thing ever to see this wild toddler -and, wild he was!
After our beautiful day in the park, we finally made it back to the cabin. We decided to eat leftovers for dinner. We all went out on the back deck and ate dinner, hung out, and watched Luke play with his trains and tractors. While we were sitting out there, we saw a family of deer playing in the woods - it was neat. We stayed on the deck as the sun went down - what a gorgeous day!
Luke went to bed fairly early so the grownups celebrated our last night of our vacation by hanging out in the hot tub for a little while. It was very relaxing. I always enjoy the time that we have to hang out with Mark and Melissa and catch up on grown up life. It truly was a fun day and night.
Here are some pictures from Sunday....
Luke and Landis walking up the steep driveway on Sunday morning...
Family Pic....
Lunch on the parkway....
Playing in Blowing Rock....
The digging stick....
I lOVE this face....it shows his crazy personality!
Like father, like son! This pic is priceless!
Dancing in the bushes....
Before I go, here are a few random pictures of Luke being silly one night last week. He decided to put his picnic basket cover on his head. Silly man! :)
Thanks for being patient on my posts and thanks for reading my novel! I have a ton of pictures to post that include a pumpkin patch visit last weekend, my birthday, and some fun night time adventures this week. We have a fun weekend planned - visit the Lexington BBQ festival and spend some time at the Hasty Elementary Fall Festival. We can't wait!
Have a good night everyone!
Toddy
Oh...I almost forgot....here are some videos....
(1) Luke feeding the goats.
(2) Luke dancing in the bushes.
(3) Luke rolling down the hill at the park.
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