On the third day of our Tennessee trip we decided to brave another hike. We didn't like how many people we ran into as we hiked to Grotto Falls on our first day of vacation so we decided this next one would be a farther drive and a longer distance. It Worked! We met with a family on our way in and another family on our way out and no one was at the waterfall while we were there. It couldn't have worked out better.
The waterfall's name was Henwallow Falls and it was about four and a half miles from the trail head. The area was gorgeous with lots of streams and bridges to cross. It was all uphill on the way in which made it more strenuous than the hike to Grotto Falls, but it made the trek back take half as much time, which was nice, because by that time we were all pretty tired and warm.
Oh, and did I mention that I LOVE waterfalls?
There were dozens of these little waterfalls hidden away all along the trail. They made me want to write a story about little people of some kind that could lay out in that thick moss or bathe in these masterpieces of nature. One thing about me: Things that touch me are often channeled into a work fiction because I feel that once it's in words on paper it's mine to own and nothing can take it from me, not even time or memory loss.
We took this picture with the timer on my camera. We're all pretty tired in this picture, which I'm sure is pretty obvious. What isn't obvious, is that we're not really that far from the falls, maybe half a mile? But we didn't know that then ...
This sign made me so happy!
Henwallow Falls!
Henwallow? I have no idea where this waterfall's name comes from. Did the early settlers come here to bathe their chickens long ago? If it were me, I would have named it something a little more majestic or dreamy.
Here At Last!
We picked up a little pamphlet about the possible hikes and waterfalls to go and see and it said that Henwallow Falls is over eighty feel high. It was just beautiful to see, not just because I love waterfalls in the first place, but because we had to work so hard to see it.
We all took turns taking pictures of each other in front of the water
The sister just younger than me was the most daring. About a mile away from the falls she and I were walking together and we were both pretty warm. The sweat was running into our eyes and our shirts were sticking to us. When I asked if she was going to get into the waterfall once we got there she declared. "Well, since I'm already a waterfall, why not?" She ended up more wet than any of us, but that's just who she is: Enjoy the moment before it passes!
It feels great to do something hard all together as a family. It increases trust and strengthens ties between individuals. Plus, there will be other, harder challenges down the road that our family will have to endure, but because of past experiences like this we can lean on that trust and pull through. I am proud to be a member of this family!
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| On The Way Home |
What a fun vacation! It was a great break from all the canning and yard work right before the school year. But it was good to get back because we missed our friends. We all came home excited to get back to work and dig into school books.
See you around!
