The Truly Simple Life

Traveling down the road from our cabin into town. The leaves are changing and it only seems to make the green even more lush.

My first full day in NC. Always wanting to try out the local vittles, we made our way to the closest town, Bryson City and had breakfast at the Bryson City Restaurant. I was the only one in there, until a group of 6 came in a few minutes after us and I was wondering if the locals liked the charm of breakfast out on the weekend. My waitress was from Florida and only did seasonal work in this small town, which apparently during the summer is host to a variety of visitors.

We trekked down the revene to this river. Though it wasn't rushing full force, thankfully, it ran to keep up with the wonderment around it. I caught the sunlight peeking and captured the morning moment to refresh my senses of how crisp, clean and quaint this whole day was.Ronn always finds a way to make new friends. This pal and his honey-hued companion romped in a field by Ronn's friend's house. Once day I would like to stay there and watch the horses in the morning as I sip my coffee.

The restaurant was big and decorated with photos taken by their patrons from the necessary cute kitties to landscapes and even artsy montages of the local interests. Plus they do a live radio broadcast on Saturday mornings. The show is dedicated to America and American veterans. Being a “bleeding-heart liberal” I sometimes get a bit scared about such things since I have met so many yeehaws in my life with blind faith in this country that they scare me, plus they are the ones who think Bush is doing a great job and find Palin well-equipped for office. But I had to change my point-of-view since this show was educational and informative and interesting in a history kind of way. (Now who was being closed minded?? Me.) There was even a trivia contest with questions regarding our fore fathers. I had the answers, but I didn’t want to seem like a know-it-all so I kept my mouth shut and just enjoyed my pancakes. These pancakes were awesome, to die for. Even without any butter, syrup or jelly, they rocked.

A lake by his friend's house. Our original plan had been to go up in July and then we could have jet-skied on this glass-like surface, but in October it is too cold (for me at least), but sitting by the lake gave me a touch of home. The mossy smell of the air replaced the salt aroma from Florida, but the distraction was worthwhile.
Changing leaves were just one of the reasons I came up here. The contrast of the reds and oranges against a cloudless blue sky only drafted further poems in my brain. How lucky I am.

This was enough to fill me up, both body and soul and I set out on my first excursion. I drove through mountains with a Native American CD soundtrack playing to complement the view and scope of this majestic place. A couple stops provided me with a climb down to a stream which was inspiring enough to make me weep, meeting some biker guys from Florida who were enjoying not only the change of season but the twist and turns of the roads and hanging with their biker brethren, a waterfall that was slow, but still lovely and some car enthusiasts with their Ferraris.

Birdhouses and other handmade crafts are plentiful in this part of NC. These are from his friend's home and I just loved the symmetry and wear of the wood. I am thinking about having a similar montage in my own backyard since I have a plethora of trees and a touch of country would be nice.

Bridal Veil Falls. You can actually drive under the falls. The rivers and lakes get sort of drained at this time of year preparing for winter so they weren't running as vigorously as I hoped, but it was still nice. The cool water felt nice on my hand and though I was tempted to drink it I held back.

Getting lost in the woods could be a good thing as long as their is water, light and a sight to see like this one.

My tummy rumbled even though breakfast was big, and we found a cute little hot dog stand. I was craving salads (trying to stay healthy on the trip) and this stand had about 30 items to accentuate the dogs with from chili and sauerkraut to artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes. Unfortunately, the premise was better than the follow-through. But this is an idea that could really be worked out. A better dog, bun and handling of the accoutrements could really make it shine. Keep an eye out for my hot dog party folks, it will be a wiener. (bad but fun)

Peeking mini daisies or some such flower. There are wildflowers everwhere in NC, along the highway, country roads, rivers and streams. Ronn said that the state actually plants the ones on the highways so would they still be considered "wild"? In any case they are lovely to look at.
I didn't want to leave the spent buds out of this either. Spotting this thistle and thinking of the McGovern sisters, I had to take a photo. Even in its withered state, there is still a hint of pink and the whistle of the whiskers to take into account.

I started my habit of getting back to the cabin before nightfall since the road was treacherous in the dark. This also allowed me to cook dinner each night and enjoy my time in this wonderful place. Since it was vacation, I scavenged from the local store and picked up things from roadside stands. I really enjoyed cooking and even though the utensils were sparse, I found a way to cook a full good meal of steak (using the new steak sauce we bought), roasted red potatoes marinated with store-bought Newman’s own, zucchini and farm-fresh tomatoes, and a salad.

We carried on the ritual of the night before and had cocktails as we soaked in the hot tub. Eventually I rested on the front porch swing and listened to the music of nocturnal animals and the babbling brook. Heaven.