Once again, our day in the North Carolina mountains exceeded expectations. This really is a remarkable state.

All week long we have promised the children some water play. So today we had just the one destination. We went to the Dupont State Recreational Forest, spending the morning at Hooker Falls and the afternoon at Triple Falls.

Home run. Twice.

The priorities on our agenda were as follows: Waterfalls; water play; rock hopping; splashing; stunning photography; the option of swimming. Check, check, check, check, check, and check again.

The other important must-have was accessibility for Rebekah. She is, after all, still in recovery from the double break, and any walking at all is a challenge. However, she made it all the way to Hooker Falls, then most of the way to Triple Falls. I’m not sure if her Physical Therapist is going to be proud of her, or if Rebekah’s going to be in trouble. Regardless, she was able to watch the children have an amazing experience.

Again, most of my images are on the Nikon DSLR, waiting for me to download sometime next week. But I did manage to grab a few with the iPhone, including – once again – a fairly decent video.

Best of all was just watching David and Beks play. Climbing around the waterfall, building – or trying to – dams, jumping in the water, appreciating the beautiful views, helping their grandmama when it was hard for her to walk, being patient with both of us when we were slow, being grateful for the new experiences. They really are great kids.

Loud, yes; but really great kids! The best.

This morning we are hitting the road again, driving slowly through the bottom portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway before spending a night on route to Orlando.

I’d say, in terms of introducing the grandchildren to the mountains, and national parks in general, this has been a resounding success.

Oh, and I have the pictures to prove it! Enjoy. Peace and blessings – DEREK