Day 3: Toccoa River Swinging Bridge

We hit another must-see spot for our outing on Day 3. After seeing the highest waterfall east of the Mississippi, why not walk across the longest swinging bridge (270 feet) east of the Mississippi? We left Garcia at the house for this outing, and the four of us had the best time! The website warned that the 4 mile dirt/gravel road leading to the bridge was rough, and it was! Thankfully it hasn't rained here in the past few days, so we didn't have to worry about getting stuck in the mud. We laughed as we bumped along, with the windows rolled down to enjoy the fresh mountain air. The hike from the car to the bridge was short and perfectly do-able for all of us, and the view from the bridge was beautiful! It was cool to see how much Ryder and Harper appreciated it too, because they both commented on how pretty everything looked. After crossing the bridge we meandered through the woods and found some good spots to sit, have a snack, and enjoy the view. It was such a nice way to spend the day outdoors, and the kids never once complained about being tired or asked how much longer we were staying. They really enjoyed it as much as we did!

Harper found the perfect walking stick to begin our hike.

a huge tree trunk chair

The path we followed was marked with white diamonds, so we told Ryder to be on the lookout since he was in the lead.

dipping his feet in the cold mountain water

Harper decided it was time for some water...

...and an apple. :)

looking up through the trees

I was concentrating on each step, while holding Miss Harper's apple.

ready to go back across the bridge

collecting some river rocks

Harper managed to fall down and get her entire rear end soaked!

Back at the house, Ryder collected some HUGE leaves and found some string tied around a tree in the woods. He asked Andrew to help him make a mask, and then he found the perfect spear to complete his warrior getup. Ha!

He walked around the backyard...

...and pointed his spear at imaginary bad guys. What an imagination!

After dinner, Andrew caramelized some fresh Georgia peaches we had picked up at a local farmer's market. Combined with Breyer's vanilla ice cream, it was the perfect dessert!!

UNO and hot tub fun

Just some fun family time at the house!

"Please don't make me draw 4!"

He may have just won...he looks awfully relaxed and happy with himself!

Yes, he's peeing off the deck. The advantage of being a boy in the woods!

The kids have never been in a hot tub before, and we had to remind them to sit still because Harper especially just wanted to swim around. They had the cutest flushed little cheeks when we got out!

Garcia's favorite place to be in the whole house. Ha!

Day 2: Amicalola Falls State Park

We are attempting to do one outing each day this week. Andrew and I want to be able to see the area and expose the kids to some new experiences while also giving everyone plenty of down time at the house to play and relax.

On Sunday we drove just under an hour to Amicalola Falls State Park. We went primarily to see the waterfall, which is the highest waterfall east of the Mississippi (729 ft). There are lots of other hiking trails too, including the Appalachian Trail. We took Garcia with us because the trail to the waterfall is a rubberized path. He did ok until the kids wanted to go down the wooden stairs to stand at the base of the waterfall. I knew there was no way he would go down all of the stairs, and there were crowds of people, just adding to his anxiety! I walked with Garcia back to the parking area while Andrew and the kids did the 175 steps down and back up again.

heading to the falls

From the path you can see this old truck up in the woods. I would love to know the story behind how it got there! Probably a car accident years and years ago?

down they go!

at the base of the waterfall

and back up again!

We drove up to a parking area near the top of the waterfall, and there is a creek where you can feel the cold mountain water. We told Harper and Ryder to take their shoes off and wade around in it. :) The only water they know is the warm water in the Gulf, so this came as quite a surprise!

a view from the top

They loved these stepping stones.

They both ended up getting wet up past their knees!