On our recent adventure trip to the mountains the kids all got to choose something they have never done before to try. Zane, Will and Kayla all tried bull riding on the mechanical bull in Cherokee, NC. The operator was great he was gentle on Kayla and Zane, but tried a little harder to throw Will.

Ansley wanted to try the Haunted Mineshaft, because she has never been in a haunted house before. Mattlyn went with her even though she goes to the haunted houses every October with me and Billy. There was one guy that worked it everything else was animated but I guess that guy was good at his job because she came out crying and swearing that she would never go to another one.

Melanie didn’t want to ride the bull or go to the haunted house, but she did try something new along with all the other kids. There were these giant beach balls that the kids got inside and were rolled into a pool. Standing was apparently very hard because none of them were good at it. If they could maneuver their ball enough they could bump into each other. They had a lot of fun and we really enjoyed watching them fall all over the place.

During this trip Melanie and Ansley also got to go up and rain dance with the Indians that perform in the middle of town. They had a ball! Thanks to their rain dance we found ourselves making new friends with all the motorcycle groups that also found themselves parked under the hotel and gas station awnings trying to avoid drowning. You meet some very nice people on the road sometimes.

Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway is beautiful all year round.  We took this trip in June.

 Here are all the kids lined up for one of many photo ops.

 

Sisters!

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 The Parkway is incredible, our pics don't do it justice.

                                                 On the road again!

 

I recommend a visit to http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/index.php#

Stumphouse Tunnel Park and Issaqueena Falls

Whenever we can we take the kids and a couple Jeeps and head toward adventure.  On this trip we set a goal for the kids to all try something they had never done before.  This part of the trip was at the Stumphouse Tunnel and Issaqueena Falls, near Walhalla, SC.

Walhalla is beautiful.  It is in the mountains, there are a number of water falls,and parks, it is just a great place to take the kids.

Zane

Ansley and Melanie

Kayla, Mattlyn, Melanie, Ansley, Will, and Zane



If you live anywhere near Walhalla, SC pack a picnic and go visit.



For information on Stumphouse Tunnel Park and Issaqueena Falls visit http://www.oconeecountry.com/stumphouse.html

Progreso, Mexico

Our first stop was in Progreso.



Our bus driver said this road was wiped out in a hurricane a few years back.



Progreso has a super long pier, so you have to get on a bus to ride to the end. On the bus they played American songs but with a Spanish accent.  It tripped me out. 

Once we got off the pier the town was small and kind of rundown, but you could see that it was once a beautiful place.

We did the most fun thing and probably a little of the dangerous side, we took a double-decker bus tour.  That is where most of these pics were taken.





We were very close when we passed cars, trucks or people.  It was a little scary.





The power and phone lines are pretty low in the town so while we were riding along on top of the bus, the tour guide would yell "DUCK!"  The lines were really only inches over the top of the bus.  It was crazy!

That is a school behind our tour guide.  He said it was an elementary school in the mornings and a high school in the afternoon.

I just love this pic.

The rest are just some sights from our tour around Progresso. 

Mexico part 1

So Billy and I took a cruise to Mexico for our honeymoon.  (Thank you Kelli, Phillip, and Clairise C. for keeping the kids for an entire week, you guys are the best). 

If you have never been on a cruise you should really try it, there is nothing like it! You have food, entertainment and a hotel all in one.  If you drink or stay out later than you should it is easy to get home

 (your room).  AND best of all -no cleaning!

This time we left from Mobil, AL.  All our other cruises we have gone from Florida. It was a little harder to find this port because you could not see the water.  The GPS said "you have reached your destination" , and we looked around like where? We had to go up to a gas station to ask directions, which sent us right back to where we were.  The boat was so huge it looks like a building, so we were right beside it and didn't realize . LOL

These are from the inside, in the atrium of the Carnival Ecstasy.  Beautiful ship, and the staff was incredible.  You just can not believe how nice these people are.

I don't know if Billy is taking a picture of the room or of himself.  Our room was nice, we had a window and a comfy king size bed.  What more can a honeymooner ask?

The water has the most unbelievable shades of blue.  It is just amazing to me that this color exists in nature.

This was in port at progresso. There was another Carnival boat docked beside us.  If you look at the people walking you can kind of get an idea of how big these boats are.

Thats me ready for a day of adventure.

Places to see

Did you know there is a Hell, Michigan? People go there to mail letters from Hell.  It looks like a very interesting place to visit.  It may have to go on the bucket list.