Land of the waterfalls

Tomorrow the younger daughter and I kick off her 1100 mile college road trip, moving her into the dorm early so she can participate in sorority rush. I'm wrapping up my North Carolina trip blah blah now before I'm gone for the next eight days and forget everything.

The area where we stayed in southwest North Carolina is known for all of the beautiful waterfalls. Seriously, they seemed to be around every corner. We kicked off the waterfall touring with a private guide, Craig, who took us to see all of the off the beaten path waterfalls. We hiked on private lands and unmarked trails, braving yellow jackets and rainy weather to experience the roar of rushing water.

This is just one of several signs we passed while hiking to the public waterfalls... duly warned!

After two days of serious hiking - see my Pacer step tracking info for hiking day 2 above - we took a daytrip on the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad out of Bryson City. It was nice to sit on our butts and enjoy the pretty views.

How cute is the Nantahala Brewing Company facade, seen above, that looks like the silhouette of a vintage travel trailer? And below... Lord have mercy, there were several spots along the train ride where the kudzu covered everything.

Our train route took us by Fort Lindsay, which was where the Trail of Tears commenced.

When we stopped for a leg stretch at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, I enjoyed watching what appeared to be a kayak rollover and save yourself from drowning lessons on the rapids.