Beckle Speckle’s Zany World

We survived vacation in North Carolina and returned safely on Sunday.  The first evening (Sunday) was spent unpacking and getting settled.  We used Monday to go to the store and then took the kids to do some ‘gem mining’ and putt-putt golf just to get them out of the house and moving around.

On Tuesday we headed to Cherokee, NC.  We stopped in the visitor center there, which is a great location on the water and is staffed with very friendly, helpful people.

We went gem mining again and found the Oconaluftee Islands Park to have our picnic …

the Fun Factory to appease both small and big kids (but when can you appease a teenager? – tell me…!)

On Wednesday, we went horseback riding and then visited the water park area in Cherokee (near the Cherokee Coney and Cream Ice Cream Shop – mmMMMmmm!)  The horseback riding was very traumatic and Bug screamed and screamed, so they took us back while the others continued on…

Thursday took us to Asheville.  Everyone went to visit the antique car museum/sculpture garden, but then we split up.  Bug and I went to the North Carolina Arboretum to see the bonsai and quilt gardens.  Everyone else went to the Biltmore.  I’d been there and never care to go back.  They now agree with me (told you so!)

Enough for now…