Halloween: Trick-or-Treating and Pumpkins!

I have been pretty busy recently and it has created a back log of posts that should be up.  I will try to catch up over the next couple of days.  Things are going well, just busy.

Halloween (I know, still posting about October), was great this year.  It was one of my favorites as a child and as I grew older I have missed the excitement.  Fortunately for me, I have a 5 year old named Kaleigh that I get to spend time with!  Rightfully, she still gets excited about Halloween and I was invited to go trick-or-treating with her this year.  It was so much fun to see her run from house to house getting treats.  Things have changed a lot from when I used to go in rural Maine but it is still a blast!

A few days prior, Kaleigh, Ashley and I carved their pumpkin.  We did it free hand, since none of us are artists, we were fairly please with the results.  It also gave me the chance to make my Paprika Pumpkin Seeds, which Kaleigh gobbled up and even took a baggie to school the following day for her snack.

Smoky Mountains: Day 4; Clingman's Done & Cherokee

Sunday morning was another early rise for Ashley and I.  It was time to head back to Atlanta.  On our way out of the park we decided to stop at a very touristy spot called Clingman's Dome.  It is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and has several impressive overlooks.  We had not been there before and thought it might be worth a look.

The drive was dangerous, the fog was thick and we were concerned that once we got to the top, we would not be able to see anything.  It also looked like a storm might be rolling into the park.  When we got to the parking area, we clearly saw why this was such a famous spot.  Even in the dense for on a cloudy day, the views were spectacular.

We stayed up on the dome for quite some time and watched the fog roll from one side of the park to the other.  We saw the fight try to claw its way through the incoming rain clouds.  It was quite a morning.

After we left the dome, we went to Cherokee, North Carolina.  Cherokee is one of only 2 remaining Cherokee Indian Reservations.  The poverty as your leave the USA boarder and come to reservation territory is depressing.  It is amazing how much damage we have done.

In the reservation, there is another waterfall.  It is about 120 feet and is called Mingo falls.  We had been there once before but this time it was fairly crowded so we did not stay long.  It was time to head back to Atlanta, our mountain vacation was over.

Smoky Mountains: Day 3; Grotto and Laurel

Saturday was the last full day in the mountains that Ashley and I would spend.  We got up early in the morning, with sore legs we headed to the Grotto Falls hike.  It was a fairly short hike to a small falls.  Grotto Falls is unique in that you can walk in behind the falls.  It might be one of the few falls I have been to where that was encouraged. 

As we started our hike, the weather got incredibly cold and the fog rolled in heavily.  There were times where we could not see more then 30 or 40 feet in front of us.  It was intense but made for some really interesting pictures.  It was one of the better hikes i the Smokies that I have been on.  Very serine, despite it being extremely easy.

That evening, we headed out to another easy hike to Laurel Falls.  This is on a paved trail and is likely on of the most popular hikes.  The falls in nice and there are a couple of decent overlook along the way.  We turned in early due to the long drive the following day back to Atlanta.

Smoky Mountains: Day 2; Rainbow Falls and The Sinks

There are several benefits to getting up early in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  For Ashley and I, the two biggest are beating the crowds and having the pure morning sun hit the mountains and foliage.  The first light really makes everything pop.

Once again, we got up before the sign rose and headed into the mountains, this time the Roaring Fork Motor Trail.  We drove around it on our last day in the Smokies two years ago but never got to hike to any of the falls.  This year we made it a priority and our first trail was to Rainbow Falls. 

In the summer, the falls has an 80 foot straight drop and can form a rainbow.  This time of year, it has significantly less water and no rainbow.  Fortunately, the hike was gorgeous.

There were massive old growth trees jutting through the forest barriers.  Several had come down, we while we were talking some photos of on, Ashley spotted several deer walking right past us!

After the hike, we continued on the remaining portion of the motor trail.  People were flowing into the park heavily now and we both needed a nap.  After some nice pictures and scenic overlooks we headed out of the mountains to get some rest and eat lunch.

That evening, as the sun was waning, we went to a favorite spot of ours, The Sinks.  It is not so much a falls as just a spot of rushing water.  It is a relaxing and generally low population area that is accompanied by a beautiful drive.

Smoky Mountains: Day 1; Cades Cove

Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is one of my favorite spots.  Interestingly, I would have normally avoided a place that drew so many tourists and was mainly seen in a car but it has been a favorite for years.  The alarm went off at 5am, out the door at 5:30am, arriving at Cades Cove gate at 6:15am, Ashley and I were ten cars in and the gates did not open until 7:40am.

The Smokys are named after the dense fog that hangs throughout most of the morning, reminiscent of smoke.  We rode through the first time and got some interesting photos of the foggy sunrises.  We spotted dozens of deer and turkeys on the 11 miles loop.

 

We took a second trip around shortly after finishing our first and immediately spotted a bear eating in a tree.  The sun was fully up now, peering over the mountain tops splashing light onto the remaining foliage.  We saw a second bear down a side road and even spotted a coyote in a field!

That evening we went to a local pizza shop that had a vegan cheese option.  Nothing special but in the heart of eastern Tennessee, the pickings are slim.  That evening we returned to Cades Cove for a night hike.  We heard numerous coyotes howling around us and saw bats flying over our heads.  It was pretty amazing, we even saw a second coyote as we were leaving the park for the night.

This MoFo is off to the mountains!

Wednesday was my first day of my autumn vacation.  Ashley and I decided to go to the Smoky Mountain National Park.  We went a couple years ago at the peak of the foliage season, this year we were about a week late for the peak.

The first part of my vacation away from the jobby job was actually spend doing Real Estate work.  I have been keeping busy and it has felt good.  I then packed and made us some burritos so we could eat on the road.  When Ashley got out of class, we were en-route!  The night came quick and we drove the last hours or so on mountain roads in the dark.  Early to bed, we were getting up early to get some amazing sites!

Atlanta Halloween Parade and a trip to Dough!

I took a trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park over the last 5 days, that is the reason for my absence.  However, I do not want to skip around on my timeline so I will share the experience Ashley, Kaleigh and I had at the Atlanta Halloween parade.

Kaleigh wanted to dress up like a zombie, we of course obliged.  Zombies and kids should always mix.  She had a great time and got a bunch of candy and nick-knacks.

After the parade, we took a trip to the best vegan bakery in Atlanta, Dough.  They have a massive case of baked treats, we tried the upside-down pineapple cake.  We also got a couple sandwiches.  There bread is always fantastic,as are their deli slices (all made by the people there).

 

Pumpkin Picking!

Fall is such a great time to be a kid.  There are all sorts of wonderful special things kids get to do this time of the year.  When I was a child, I do not recall enjoying them as much as I enjoy the memories of them now.  This year, Ashley and I took her daughter Kaleigh through the rounds of autumn activities.

This weekend we took her pumpkin picking.  She loves to walk through the rows of vines and find her perfectly colored and shaped pumpkin.  She does a good job at rationalizing her choices, even at 5 years old.  She even factored in what pumpkin she thought would have the most seeds so I could make her more of my paprika roasted pumpkin seeds.

At the pumpkin patch, there was a lot of other random things for kids to enjoy as well.  We went in the corn maze, pet some farm animals, played on a slide, found a "sandbox" full of kernels of corn, all sorts of fun things.  It is always a great day and I hope Kaleigh remembers these as fondly as I remember the autumn events.

Netherworld 2012

One of the perks of Atlanta in the autumn is Netherworld.  Year after year, Netherworld is ranked as one of the top haunts in the country, it is also one of my favorite things to do in Atlanta.  Since moving to Atlanta in 2004, I have only missed 1 year of Netherworld.  It is always a treat for me.

As I get older I can recall my dad's passion for Halloween and the haunts around the holiday.  I think he would really enjoy Netherworld.  One day I would like to have home come with me, I can almost envision him walking from room to room with people, grinning.