Summers are my favorite. Not my favorite season, not by a long shot. But they are my favorite time of year because the boys are home from school and I really love planning day trips and outings and themed days and just spending intentional time with them. This summer has been very different-- and I'm planning to devote a separate blot post to talk about that a bit later-- but one day last week we were able to get out for the day and go to the Cradle of Forestry in the Pisgah National Forest and it was a fun day out with friends and a good example of why I really love summer days.
The Cradle of Forestry is a place we first visited last summer and I immediately knew I wanted to head back again this summer. It was founded in 1916 and is described on the website as the first location of science-based forest management. It is educational and historical-- two things I love to share with the boys. There is an inside exhibit area that has a scavenger hunt that the kids enjoy, then we head outside and usually do two trails that also have accompanying scavenger hunts. On the trails we can see the original buildings that were part of the Biltmore Forest School's campus, sawmills, and an old locomotive. We always stay and eat at the cafe that uses local ingredients in their menu-- and it is very, very good.
We went with Becky, Ande, and Graham, and we had a perfect day!
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| The old schoolhouse. |
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| Carver pretending to be the teacher. |
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| Here is a fun side-by-side of the kids in the same spot both years we have gone. It is amazing how much they grew in just one year.
P.S. Mom-- you would love it here-- we must go the next time you come up!
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I would love to go!
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