We're FALL-ing and it makes us feel so UP.

Hi, all,

Wow. What a great day. The pop song "Perfect Day" keeps running thru my mind. Huge thanx to Jack and Mary Ellen Farrar for pointing us to DuPont State Forest outside Asheville. There are short-hike trails which lead to spectacular waterfalls - all free. I just kept staring at them thinking "really LOOK at these - this is REAL - not Disney-created tricks". The combination of falling leaves (it looks like maybe our timing really IS good - bright leaves swirling down from the trees so it is "FALL") and the quiet solitude crunching along together on the trails - holding hands - and the beautiful waterfalls - made for a magic day.

OK. Back up a little. Great breakfast in our hotel (yeah, I know I get WAY too excited about food, but waffles AND biscuits and gravy and sausage AND orange juice get me excited!). Then ask Leila to find the DuPont forest. About a half-hour's drive and we found a little turn-off parking lot that just didn't look like much. But there were 5 waterfalls within "less than mile" hikes of that little parking lot. Enjoy the photos rather than my descriptions. Remember that you can click on any photo to get a bigger version of it. This next one just looks like a postcard or a picture puzzle.





Thanks again to Kelly for the loan of her good camera.


We wore out the battery, so had to pack up and head out. Bot another battery at Best Buy on the way home, then headed to Biltmore Mansion - figuring that we'd "do" the grounds today as well - but they close the gate at 3PM - so we were too late for today - but now we know where it is (again).

Great dinner at Texas Roadhouse (they keep the salads really COLD in seriously-chilled bowls and the salad just tastes SO much better that way - not to mention the cinnamon-butter yeast rolls which you could just feast yourself to death on) - and back to the room to catch up.

Just a perfect Fall day - looking at Falls - and avoiding any falls in the process - despite some slippery footing near the Falls.