It is time for my Friday Favorites!  I love Fridays and I love to share my favorites on Friday!

Favorite # ONE

Vacation Day #3

which happened on Friday, October 27th!

This wonderful day began with a waterfall.

I Love Waterfalls!

*Waterfalls in this publication and other waterfalls in this blog can be reviewed at RomanticAshville.com (an Insider’s Guide to the NC Mountains).

If you missed my Waterfalls and Walking Trails post, this post may seem uneventful.  Go back and read it, as you have missed a monumental moment in my life and great information should you plan a trip to the Mountains.

We left our Hampton in Franklin, NC and set our GPS for Highlands, NC.

Along the way we found a location that has been named “Bust Your Butt Falls“.  LB pulled over so we could investigate.

I had to change into my boots to be able to make the climb down.  We have enjoyed a lot of physical activity on this vacation. Luckily I didn’t bust anything.  After we had taken multiple photos at this location, we continued our drive to Highlands.  But along the way, there was another… WATERFALL to experience.

We almost passed it by, but at the last minute decided to stop.This waterfall is named Dry Falls

…likely because you can walk behind/under without getting soaked.(A view from under the falls)

Vacation Day #3 was a great day!

What an exciting find for us, as we had never heard of Dry Falls.  Dry Falls, also known as Upper Cullasaja Falls, is a 65-foot waterfall located in the Nantahala National Forest, northwest of Highlands, North Carolina (source).  After enjoying the beauty of nature, LB and I headed on toward Highlands. Highlands is a town within the Nantahala National Forest.  LB pointed out an interesting fact, Highlands is 4,118 feet above sea level.  This brings me to

Favorite # TWO

Colonial Mustard’s.It is a gourmet grocery store located at 341 Main St, Highlands, NC 28741.  This is a small shop with A WHOLE LOT of jellies, jams, spreads, dips, etc. that have been set out to sample on pretzels, animal crackers, and wheat thins.  Because there is a sign at the door stating children under 13 are not permitted, the result has been some negative reviews online.  If you spend some time in the shop, this request will make sense. 

The back door provides a place to announce your visit.Check out the bottom of the door. 

At Colonial Mustard’s, LB and I sample almost everything, and pay for it with our purchases.  We have a great time wandering through Colonial Mustard’s.  Even with all the boutiques to peruse, this shop is by far our favorite. 

Favorite # THREE

Frayed hem jeans…

I’ve seen them on Instagram, but found them in Highlands.

First at McCully’s…then at Lulu Bleu

and later online at BooHoo.com.

LOVE Favorite # FOUR

which is having my own personal CameraMan!LB follows me around with that cell phone camera and never fails to impress me with the most interesting photos from each one of our adventures!

Don’t be jealous!

Favorite # FIVE

Our stay at Hampton Inn and Suites, Greenville, South CarolinaA Beautiful Brand New Hotel!

I loved it!

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Kim

Vacation Day Two

Thursday, October 26th

would turn out to be a day for physical activity.

It wasn’t the plan and I certainly did not dress for the events to come.

Nevertheless

on day two of our fall vacation we awoke to a beautiful, cloudless sky at the Amicalola Falls (State Park) Lodge.

First stop: Breakfast.

As information:  Breakfast at this lodge is unbelievable… but it isn’t complementary.

The buffet has everything on a breakfast menu that anyone could imagine:  Grits, Biscuits, Sausage Gravy, Fried Potato Wedges, and more. What this man wanted most was COFFEE! Starting the day with plenty of coffee and a hearty breakfast turned out to be a good thing.

We left the lodge to check out the park.

There were trout homes to see… apparently.And I was curious to see the little guys. Nothing.

Then on to the top of the falls for a look downward.There are steps leading to the bottom of the falls, but alas, I was without stair climbing shoes…so LB and I drove to the bottom of the falls.

We found that the climb up would not be quite as hard as the climb down would have been.No matter… LB and I wanted to see the falls and started the climb.LB had a tendency to venture off of the beaten pathand I caught it all on camera. If you think he is adventurous here, wait till I tell you what he got us into later in the afternoon.

Amicalola Falls is beautiful!It is well worth the walk to see.So beautiful, in fact, I had to MAKE LB leave to go back to the car. After I convinced him to leave Amicalola Falls State Park, we intended to head toward the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Being that I was not so much into sitting in the passenger seat for another winding drive, LB had another plan in mind.  He would be taking me to see another waterfall.

He turned onto a shadowy road and this is what I sawAs if the roads in the North Carolina mountains aren’t scary enough for a girl from the flat state of Florida.Two miles of this single lane road.

Luckily we met only one vehicle along the way and everything worked out nicely.  When we arrived at our destination, another couple was leaving.

So… we were the only two people there.Rufus Morgan Trailhead.

Not wanting miss the opportunity to see a beautiful waterfall, we took a chance (against better judgment) and began the trek upward.Now that it is over, I am seriously amazed that I actually did this.  There were no trail markers and barely a trail.  As we started up, the pathway was somewhat clear.  However that minimal clarity soon became obsolete and was replaced by despairing thoughts such as “what am I doing here?” and “what if we can’t find our way back?” and “is that the sound of dueling banjos nearby?”

Then… there it wasOkay… there it is… we made it.

It is truly a lovely little waterfall.

Let’s get out of here.

I’m right behind you.

Go.