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!!
