Our First Camping Trip

Ok individually speaking, this was not our first camping trip. But it was our first as a couple, and God couldn't have blessed us with a more beautiful and relaxing weekend. We realllly needed to get away, just the two of us, and since we both love the outdoors and have a mild severe case of wanderlust, hiking + camping was a very fitting remedy. Kyle got super excited about planning everything, and after a few dead ends {apparently folks like to go camping in October, something about leaves changing and stuff?} he was finally able to reserve us a spot at a good campground close to some Blue Ridge Mountain trails.


Here we're at the access area for the Cedar Rock Mtn. trail. There were a TON of mountain bikers there that day, and it kinda made us feel not so hardcore.




The view from Cedar Rock Mtn. God is so good!



We then found the perfect little lunch spot {below} and talked about the changing seasons and how mind-blowing creation can be sometimes. And of course we dreamed some more about getting a Weimaraner.







After our hike we checked in at Black Forest Campground and set up our home for the night {we got the tent for 20 bucks and the folding chairs for 5 bucks each at Academy Sports + Outdoors. We are huge fans of Academy now!}.





I snuggled up in some blankets and read my Harry Potter book while Kyle went to find some firewood {I offered to help, but he said he enjoyed doing it by himself. It was a man thing. Ok hun!} He was successful in getting the fire going, and soon we were chowing down on some heart-warming chili {we made it the night before and just used our cast-iron dutch oven to heat it up. Kyle's idea!}




And of course no camping trip is complete without s'mores. But I took it one step further and had one for breakfast, too!




On Sunday, I really wanted to spend the afternoon in Hendersonville, a quaint little town near Bonclarken,NC {my absolute favorite place on earth--I went there every summer growing up}. Kyle had never been to Hendersonville before and I wanted him to experience it, but he said he needed to get home and get a head start on some schoolwork. As we were driving back down the mountain, he suddenly turned around at Ceasar's Head State Park and said "What the heck, why not?" It was a great moment! And the overlook at Ceasar's Head even turned out to be better than Cedar Mountain. So soon we were on our way to Hendersonville, where we proceeded to have a delightful lunch at Mike's on Main {my favorite--it's a soda fountain converted from an old pharmacy}, discover the most wonderful place to buy vintage books, find the perfect wood benches for our future cabin in Colorado {p.s. that's waaay in the future}, and drool over jars of homemade peach butter and wildflower honey at the Mast General Store.



All in all it was a great adventure, and we were so glad to put the camping gear we got as wedding presents to good use. Now Kyle is thinking a little bigger and planning this massive camping trip out West after he graduates from PT school. Guess I better start training now!

Love,