For some reason our air mattress kept deflating during the night. Brandon and I tried re inflating it around 2:00 am, but it still flattened out after that. Despite that we still slept pretty well. What's really nice is that in the morning the kids woke up and entertained themselves on their side of the tent while Brandon and I slept for about 30 more minutes. That's unprecedented.
We got up and had cereal and the last of our milk for breakfast. Then it was time to get dressed for the day and start cleaning up our campsite. It was bittersweet to be leaving our campsite. I was happy to know that I'd sleep in my own bed that night, but I was sad to say goodbye to a place that had been so much fun.
Our tent kept sending signals that it was done with this trip. The side poles caved in about three times as we worked to get all the clothes put away and the sleeping bags rolled up.
Charlotte was super helpful with packing things up and carrying them over to the car, but Lydia wasn't in the mood to help. She laid on the tent and talked to me while I worked.
Veronica couldn't seem to understand that we were getting ready to leave. She made a big bed for herself and insisted on laying on it until the very last possible minute.
Derrick ran around for a little bit, but then he climbed into the car and waited patently while everything was packed around him.
Charlotte helped me take down the tent and then Brandon helped us roll it up. Then he put it up in our car top carrier along with the other gear he'd placed up there. We were basically ready to go.
Here the kids are saying goodbye to the campsite.
Drove the two miles back to the country store and turned in our campground gate key.
Then we stopped off at the restrooms brush our teeth.
We were right next to the nature center so we went in there to say good bye to all the animals.
And then the kids wanted to all sit in these rocking chairs.
Then we got in the car and drove not even 200 feet to get to the trail head for the last waterfall that we needed to find in DeSoto State Park. This one was located behind the sewage treatment plant. But don't worry, that's not where the water came from.
I really liked how most of the waterfalls were super close to the trail head. It made them easy to get to with small children. Here's everyone standing on the bridge above the waterfall.
Then we hiked down to see the waterfall from the bottom. This one was called Indian Falls.
The kids thought it was so fun to see another waterfall.
Here I am with the waterfall.
And then it was time to go back to the car.
We got back in the car and started driving south on the Lookout Mountain Parkway to Gadsden.
One thing that I never quite got about Lookout Mountain was how few lookouts there really were on the mountain. Sure the home owners with property on the brow of the mountain had great views, but from the road you had hardly any idea that you were on top of a mountain. This is what it looked like most of the time.
Lookout maintain ends (or begins depending on which way you are travelling) in Gadsden. It was kind of weird to just be driving on the Lookout Mountain Parkway and then suddenly end up in the middle of an urban area. The parkway ended at our destination for the day - Noccalula Falls Park. We parked in the parking lot and headed to the entrance station.
I was really looking forward to this place. We came here to two reasons. 1. It had a waterfall. And two it had a train that we could ride as often as we wanted to. All we had to do was pay the admission price of $6 for an adult and $3 for children over 4. I knew Derrick would love riding on that train.
I was right. As soon as the train pulled up into the little station the kids excitedly piled on board.
We rode the train around the while park which took about ten minutes. I was surprised at how many things there were to do in this park. I'd really stopped paying attention to the guidebooks description of the park after I read waterfall and train. I didn't know that there was also a little zoo, a pioneer village, some cool rock formations, a trail to the river, a botanical garden, and more. This is one of those amazing places that I love writing about on my travel blog. It was a great price and full of cool things to do. I knew we'd found a wonderful place to spend the last day of our vacation.
So after we went around once we got off at the stop for the zoo.
They had lots of animals that were cool to see.
They had an indoor exhibit too with more fun animals.
One of our favorite parts was the tortoise.
For about two weeks Veronica has had an imaginary turtle that has followed her every where. She keeps saying, "Mommy, turtle coming." in a really excited and slightly scared voice. Then she'll say, "Snake coming too." So it was funny to finally be able to say. "Veronica, there is a turtle coming."
There was a little petting zoo area and the kids loved that.
Then we got back on the train and rode over to the area where we could see the waterfalls. This part of the park is actually open to the general public, so the train driver opened a gate to let us out. On the other side of the gate there was a penny pressing machine. It was Derrick's turn to crank the handle this time.
Then we walked over to the edge of the falls and were impressed by what we saw. I didn't realize how tall these waterfalls would be.
Legend has it that an Indian Princess named Nocculula jumped from this spot rather than marry a man she didn't love. There was a statue on the edge of the falls to remind us of that.
Here's the view looking down the canyon. It was so pretty.
We had a quick snack and then we went back into the park. The kids wanted to get on the train, but Brandon and I wanted to explore a rock maze called Fat Man's Squeeze. So we made the kids got over there.
It was really cool to walk in these narrow spaces between the rock walls.
The kids loved climbing all over everything.
They were all having a great time.
Brandon and I were so proud of our adventurous kids.
Here's Brandon in the deepest part. None of the kids wanted to follow him down there.
Here they are running along the rim.
And finally coming up the stairs at the end.
Then we walked over to the pioneer village. All the buildings had come from a town in Tennessee. This covered bridge was relocated from a nearby town.
Then it was time for a few more rides on the train. At one point we went through a tunnel and I took this picture of Derrick. I love the look of pure glee on his face.
Charlotte and Lydia sat in the front seat and the train conductor would let them say, "All Aboard" into his microphone.
While I was riding the train with the kids, Brandon ran back to the car and grabbed more water and more snacks. When he got back into the park we decided to try to take the kids down the gorge trail to see the water.
The trail was paved at the very beginning, but it was also really steep. The kids all started out trying to slide down the trail.
All week long I'd been trying to get a picture of the wisteria that was hanging in the trees. I finally got a good picture.
The trail was really cool. I loved how shady it was. I liked hiking next to cliffs.
And everything was so green. I think I finally understand what the word verdant means.
Veronica did really well on the hike. Two words that describe her best are tenacious and scrappy. She loves to walk and even if she trips she just hops back up and keeps going. She'd hold my hand and sing songs to herself while we walked. Her favorite song to sing was "Happy Burf-day to Leedia."
I wasn't really sure where this trail led. I assumed it went down to the river, but it seemed to be curving around towards the waterfall. Soon we could see it through the trees.
And soon we were under the overhang and had an amazing view of the waterfall. I had no idea that we'd be able to get this close to it.
Another picture just because it was so cool. I always thought we'd have to go to Hawaii or Havasupi Falls in Arizona to see a waterfall like this. I never thought we could do this in Alabama.
I love this picture of the kids looking at the waterfall. We'd had a great vacation, and every day had been really fun, but this trip to the waterfall was my favorite part. I was so happy with how adventurous the kids were and how well they'd done on the hike down there.
Here they are eating their well deserved snacks. (And the snacks insured that they'd have energy to get back up the gorge trail.)
Here is a video that gives you an idea of what it was like to sit near that waterfall. Powerful.
Brandon hiked a little farther and took more pictures for me. I would have done it myself, but I knew the kids would follow me and I was worried about them slipping on the wet rocks.
Brandon took this one of me in front of the waterfall.
Then it was time to hike back out. We'd given the kids granola bars so we knew they had about 45 minutes of energy still in them.
I love this picture of Charlotte and Lydia hiking together.
We came out of the gorge and headed straight for the train stop. We plopped down on the benches and rested while we waited for the train.
Then we got on it and rode a few more times around the park. The kids were still thrilled about that train.
The park closed at 5:00 and by now it was about 4:00. We'd seen everything there was to see and so it was getting time to leave. After one last ride on the train we said goodbye to the park and went back to the car.
The kids were falling asleep within minutes.
Soon they were all completely passed out.
Brandon drove us all the way from Gadsden through Birmingham and we were halfway to Montgomery before the kids woke up. And then the twins kept telling us that they hadn't fallen asleep at all. (The above pictures say otherwise.) Around 7:00 we stopped to eat at a Burger King. All week long I'd been looking forward to this chance to eat fast food.
The kids played in the play place for a little while and then we got ice cream. This was a reward for not whining at all that day.
Then it was back into the car for the last two hours of the drive home. We pulled into Fort Rucker just before 10:00 and we went to one of the main buildings so Brandon could sign in.
Then we came home. It was so nice to walk in the door. I love camping, but it sure makes me appreciate the little things like my stove, my washer and dryer, my bed, my carpet, my lights, my closet, and well really the whole house.
Veronica headed for bed as soon as we were in the house. I had to pull her back out and help her get into her pajamas. Derrick was right behind her. Those two hardly ever stay up late. The next day they slept in until an unheard of 7:50.
Charlotte and Lydia went to bed pretty easy as well.
Brandon and I took showers and then we fell into bed. Of course we had to read a little bit of Calamity, but I think we cut that a little short and fell asleep pretty fast.
It had been a great day and a great week.
I'm so glad that we had a chance to get away and spend some time as a family.
We needed it too, because on Monday Brandon started BlackHawk Training and so we are all back in the daily grind of flight school.
