Where Peeta Walked

Congratulations to Sheila who correctly guessed in the last post that we were  in DuPont State Park, the filming location of Hunger Games.    Although we knew about the Hunger Games connection before we went there,  our purpose in going there was to see all those beautiful waterfalls and gorgeous forests.  It was funny though, because we met some very confused hikers who could not understand why on earth there were so many teenagers traipsing around a state park.  At one point, we walked by a group of  100 or so teeny boppers who apparently were on some kind of pilgrimage to "walk where Peeta walked".

 Let me tell you though….

it wasn't all that glamorous!

The Western North Carolina scenery, though,  was absolutely glamorous and then some.   It is a gorgeous part of the world and we would definitely come back for another visit someday.  

Here are a few more of our favorite photos from the vacation, then  I will only have one more vacation post to go, so I can finally get back to blogging about current events again….like the fact that school is in session!

Enjoy….

Super Hard Quiz: What Movie Was Filmed Here?

Can anyone guess what movie was filmed in this location?  

Here are a couple of views...

and a hint.  

Here are two more hints...

and one more view.  

 Can anyone guess without looking at google or asking a teenager?   

First correct answer will win adoring praises and the first gazillion dollars I earn. 

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The Best Part of Vacation….

….besides not cooking, getting plenty of sleep, and enjoying the glorious beauty of Western North Carolina…

was just being together as a family! 

With Glen working long hours lately, it simply was just nice to be together without a busy schedule each day. 

We walked,

we talked, we laughed,

we played, we fished, we explored….



 and ate ice cream together almost every day.   

The only thing we were missing was Spencer... 

who was already back to school.   

  

While we relaxed and had fun on vacation, he was gearing up for Organic Chemistry and other such brain frying academics at JMU! 

And whatever you do, please don't remind me that this time next year we will be dropping off Cami for her freshman year at wherever university.  

It makes me feel sad and old just thinking about it!    

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Where Are We?

This home has 34 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and it's filled with one of a kind furniture and artwork from all over the world...

There are over 8000 acres of stunningly gorgeous rolling forested hills...


including acres and acres of beautifully manicured gardens...

a vineyard and a greenhouse!

So did we hop on a plane and fly to England to visit an old manor house? 

Nope!

We spent the day at the home of George and Edith Vanderbilt in Asheville, NC!
George is the grandson of the railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt and clearly had inherited an awful lot of money.

It's called the Biltmore Mansion.
"Bilt" from his ancestral town of Bildt, Holland.  "More" from the old English term for hilly countryside.

Built in 1895, it is the largest private residence in the United States.  It was completely overpriced and over-the-top opulent, but still worth the visit.   The attention to detail was amazing and it was quite the American version of a European castle.    We actually looked into seeing if we could buy it, but it was a tad out of our price range.   Plus I decided that needing a map to get around our own house might get a little old after a while.

Since we can't stay here and make it the  "Gooldmore", I guess we will head back home tomorrow.
It's been a fantastic week of vacation and next week we will spend slurping up every last bit of summer we can get, because school starts the next week!

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CAUTION: Llamas on Board

Taking a hike can be invigorating and satisfying, but it can also be long and tedious….

especially if it's hot and you have to tote around a gazillion water bottles on your back.  

Yesterday we had a hike along a creek to a waterfall planned, but the weather was hot and oppressively humid.    So what did we do?  

We hired slave labor (i.e. llamas) to tote our food and drinks for us! 

Meet Taylee and Rocky...

 JJ and Blackfoot,

and White Lightning and General Jackson! 

They made for hard-working and entertaining walking companions. 

Sure, they also had stinky breath and insatiable appetites...

but they were also lovable...

and oh so cute!  

They brought us up to this waterfall where we had a picnic lunch...

and then over the longest swinging bridge in the whole USA!

 It was a hike we won't soon forget!

Thank you to Steve at Smoky Mountain Llama Treks for an amazing experience!

Ellie is already asking when we can come back! 

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