Pumpkin Patches, Fall Fairs, Leaf Peeping, Halloween Events and more!

As I sit here writing this I can’t believe it is already the end of October. This year has flown by and the holiday season is gearing up. But before we head into the holidays, I wanted to share my favorites from the last month of fall fun!

The Fair Calls

We welcomed October by going to the South Carolina State Fair. We took the girls last year and had such a blast, we decided to go again. It is also about half way between our house and my dad‘s place, which makes it is a fun place to meet up and have some quality family time.

This year we went the first weekend of the fair and it was packed! Also it was the first fall like weekend weather wise we had in the Carolina's and that added to the appeal of going to the fair. We walked around some of the exhibition buildings and saw the amateur and professional art pieces that were submitted. We also saw beautiful roses and flowers. Abbie and I explored the agricultural building and saw some huge produce and unique scarecrows. We stopped to watch an acrobat side show and watched them juggle fire and do all kinds of flips and feats of strength as well. Then we went to our favorite part of the fair, after of course the food and rides, to see the animals. The girls loved looking at the ducks, pigs, the petting zoo, and of course the cows. Abbie and Gigi got to see a live judging of a group of cows and they loved it.

After the animals we got our grub on and ate some of our favorite treats - mini donuts and elephant ears! We were also told that pizza on a stick is a must but we didn’t find it. After we ate, Ken and Abbie went and had some one on one time riding rides. Abbie had a blast and got to ride the Ferris Wheel for the first time and loved it. Ellie and I stayed behind and hung out with Gigi, Papa and Cody (my sister, Tori’s boyfriend). Ellie was really interested in the Ferris Wheel herself and so Papa came to the rescue and took our baby on her first ride too, albeit a smaller version! The girls then went on a few rides together in the kid zone. This was the first time Ellie has been able to ride the rides at the fair and she was so happy and radiated pure joy. While the kids were riding rides, Papa got his game on and won both girls giant teddy bears, playing wack a mole. To say the girls were thrilled would be a huge understatement. They were beside themselves. Plus it felt good to be one of those people who walked around with the giant stuffed animals and know that I didn’t do a thing. We so enjoyed our night at the fair with family. I think this may end up being an annual outing for the Lucks.

Bring on the Pumpkins

Every October we like to take the girls to a pumpkin patch farm. They are always so much fun. We have been fortunate over the years to find great farms, with unique activities, that are very affordable.

This year we visited Wise Acres in Indian Trail, NC. There was no admission. The farm is fairly new, the owners have only lived there for about six years. The farm has strawberries in the spring, produces its own honey and grows hemp. They also have food there, they served wood fire pizza, made onsite which is delicious. The farm has a variety of pumpkins: giant carving pumpkins, to heirloom pumpkins and white pumpkins. All pumpkins were 69 cents a pound. You could also rent space for birthday parties. They had swings throughout the property {the girls loved them}. They had a barrel train, corn pit, maze and a hayride. It was a quaint little farm with lots to do. So if you are from around the area and are looking for something to do in the fall, keep this place in mind. Also they are already advertising for a lights tour next Christmas, so something to keep on your radar and look out for.

The Mountains Are Calling

Out of the blue one morning Ken came to me and said would you like to go chase waterfalls and also look at the leaves changing in the Smoky Mountains. He had a reward from one of the travel apps we use on Hotels.com, for a free night stay at a hotel and all we had to pay was the room taxes. I was game! I absolutely love the mountains! I have so many wonderful memories during my childhood, hiking and camping in the Rockies. Someone once said go where you feel the most alive and for me that is the mountains. It is also where I feel at peace. For me everything disappears when I’m in the mountains. All of life’s stresses and problems seem so distant and small when you are standing on the mountain. The breeze through the air seems to be blowing the weight of life off and all you feel is stillness. I love it! It’s refreshing and reinvigorates me every time. Also there is just something breath taking about the NC in the fall.

We got up Saturday morning and started making our way to the mountains but it was very overcast. Some might be disappointed by it but I actually liked it. It created this fog on the mountains that made it seem like you were stepping into something enchanted and you aren’t suppose to be there.

Linville Falls

This was our first stop. Theses falls have two viewing areas. A lower level and an upper level. Because of the damp weather and Ellie only being two, we decided to just do the lower path. It was about a half a mile walk in. To start you cross over this bridge that immediately opens up to the river and a very beautiful background of vibrant fall leaves on display. From there it is just a short walk to the lower viewing area. It was really crowded as it was last weekend toward the end of the peak season for the leaves but we also had some rain that week and the waterfalls were very impressive. We took our pictures and walked back to the car. As we were leaving the falls and heading toward Elk Falls, we encountered fog so thick that it felt like we were in a scene from Sleepy Hollow. All that was missing was Ichabod Crane and the headless horseman. It didn't last long though.

Elk Falls

Again the walk to see these falls was very short but the views were amazing. The first stop on the trail was to a walk out above the waterfall. No matter where you turned on this lookout on the river the views were amazing. Once back on the trail you make your way to the next lookout. This stop gets you the best view of the largest section of the falls. They cascade into this little pool, that on a hot day would be very inviting. The rock was a little precarious and slippery as it was sort of at an angle. We could have gone down to one more landing, which would have put us on the riverbank, but we were satisfied with what we saw with the girls. The walk back to the car was easy and it took maybe ten minutes to get back. Once we were back in the car we headed to Boone, NC to go check into our hotel.

Boone: Coyote Kitchen

Boone is a quaint mountain town that is home to Appalachian State University. We didn’t really get to explore it because it started pouring rain as we were getting into town. I had asked a friend of mine, who went to school at App for restaurant recommendations and she suggested several but the one we selected was Coyote Kitchen.

This was cool place to eat. The fare is burritos and tacos but it was made with fresh ingredients. We picked this place because this type of food is always a hit with the girls. Ken and I each had a type of burrito boat. The base was coconut rice and from there the toppings varied. I had the Yucantan. It had shrimp, chorizo, onions and peppers. I had on the side some mild salsa and their habanero cream cheese. The flavor was so good and I would highly recommend it. Ken had the Texicali. It was similar to mine but it was with beef and had corn. He enjoyed his and then finished what was left of mine! (Hiking works up a good appetite!)

Grandfather Mountain

The next morning we got up, loaded the kiddos back into the car and started to Grandfather Mountain. This attraction does have an admission fee, but it is well worth it for the views and activities. The route we decided to take had us get on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This day the weather had cleared and the mountains were so “smoky”. It was such a contrast with the morning light reflecting off the wet leaves and this smoke literally coming off the mountain in a light swirl of sorts. Very hard to put into words but the views were breath taking. See for yourself:

One if my favorite stops was were this waterfall was on the side of the road. It was so beautiful and reminded me of some of the ones Ken and I saw on our honeymoon in Hawaii. You could also hike around it but we didn’t.

When we arrived at Grandfather Mountain we were told there was a cloud at the top but by the time we drove up to the top it had cleared. Every time I go to the top of Grandfather Mountain it is windy and cold. I am sure it has something to with it being a mile above sea level. There is a bridge you have to cross to get to the highest point on the mountain. It is a metal suspension bridge that makes you nervous to cross: first, it is high and second it is windy. As you cross it you hear the wind through these pipes that makes it seem like the mountain is singing but it is so worth it. The views of the lake below and the surrounding mountains is stunning and so picturesque. We took our pics and head down the mountain to the nature museum and to the animals they house on the mountains.

There is a bear, cougar, otters, bald eagles and elk that are housed and cared for on the mountains. They have been rescued and rehabilitated but can’t make it on their own in the wild. It’s a nice way for kids to see these animals.

One of my favorite places on the mountain is the fudge shop. The fudge is handmade and fresh. They have a variety of flavors and will allow to sample some. We left with some Reese's Pieces fudge and it was heavenly. Not a bad place to stop if you are hiking any of the various trails the mountain has. There is also a restaurant on site.

This was an unexpected but welcome weekend away. We love our trips to the mountains and this one will always be a favorite memory of mine.

Trick or Treat

There were many great events leading up to Halloween. We took the girls to the fall festival at Carowinds, Ken also went back for it's haunted Scarowinds event with Abbie, Ellie had a festival at her daycare, and the kids went to a trunk or treat. All of these were enjoyable and good time to celebrate the season.

For the last three years Ken and I have dressed up with the girls with a family theme. The first year we did this we were superheroes, last year we were Frozen and this year our theme was Toy Story.

We have always had great trick or treating weather, but this year the threat of storms looked to delay Halloween. Fortunately, the weather, while not great, did allow for trick or treating to be done on Halloween. So we got ourselves and the girls ready and along with Nana took our mandatory pictures commemorating this years festivities.

Ellie still isn’t up to the task of a long but rewarding haul of candy, but Abbie was in it to win it this year. Abbie, along with her friend Mary, tacked in a descent haul. I personally think this was due to many people not thinking they would have many trick or treaters and were being extra generous. Abbie ended up being home about as much candy as we bought to give out. This is way too much candy for us. If you find yourself with this same dilemma, look into donating part of the haul to our troops who are overseas. Abbie is going to be giving away some this year and I know it will be appreciated by the ones giving up their Halloween with their kids or family so that we can enjoy moments like this with ours!

I'm starting to plan my Thanksgiving menu now and will be sure to share recipe ideas in my next post!