Adventures of a Mother's Day in the Upstate

The Hydrangea that Lidia and Sawyer gave their mama for Mother's Day

 

I know, I know, this is a little late coming. Time can slip through your fingers like water sometimes. So, before it gets away with me....I want to chronicle Mother's Day weekend with my grandchildren.

 

Emily had to work the weekend shift at the hospital, so I went up to keep Lidia and Sawyer for her. I like to plan activities for us and I've found that the upstate has a treasure trove of things to do. Untapped adventures, for sure!

 

A little recap.......

Saturday: We had planned to ride bikes on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. A rails-to-trails system that runs from Greenville, SC to Travelers Rest, SC.

 

We didn't know it at the time, but Greenville was hosting an Artist Festival and streets were closed to traffic in the area where we needed to get on the trail. So, we just drove to the Traveler's Rest end and got on the trail there. This is the neatest trail, which runs in part along the Reedy river and is about 17 miles in length. It's a paved path wide enough for multiple bikes or runners and walkers to pass each other. And, very scenic. Although, with two little ones in tow, I didn't get to see the most scenic parts. Their little legs can only go so far. But we had a great ride anyway. And after, we had lunch at a restaurant right beside the trail in Traveler's Rest called The Whistle Stop. I'm pretty sure it's an old train station.

 

The Swamp Rabbit Trail

 

 

The Whistle Stop Café...right beside the Swamp Rabbit Trail

 

 

Lidia and Sawyer outside the Whistle Stop Café

 

Sunday: We drove over to a very small town called Cross Anchor to visit an old Revolutionary War Battle site. Musgrove Mill Plantation was where this battle took place. Of course, the signs of the battle are no longer visible, but the history behind it was very interesting. And the grounds of the plantation itself is beautiful. I was concerned that the children might be bored, but they actually enjoyed it. That is until Sawyer's energy bottomed out. In the pictures you can see how his face looks like doom. When his energy goes.....it goes!

 

Lidia and Sawyer.......

Exploring the Musgrove Mill Plantation.

The site of a Revolutionary War Battle.

Exploring the trails....

 

....and making new discoveries. Lidia was intrigued by these flowers

that had fallen from trees along the trails. Can anyone tell me what it is?

Here's the face...his energy is starting to falter.

 

Almost gone.....

 

......Gone!

Even though his energy is gone and he is completely miserable,

sometimes I can still get a picture that makes me go......WOW!!!!!

 

After wandering around the plantation grounds for a bit and Sawyer's energy going south, we stopped for some nutrition. Good thing I brought PowerBars and water with us. Came in handy, big time. Energy restored.....and we were off to see the waterfalls that was on the property. We had to drive to that area.....good news for Sawyer.

 

 

 

We arrived to the waterfalls and met a few folks on their way back that warned us of snakes. It was pretty warm that day and I'm guessing the snakes wanted to cool off in the Enoree river just about as much as we did. But, I'm deathly afraid of them so we let the snakes have it. I did manage to get a few pictures of Lidia and Sawyer before my fears paralyzed me. By the way, we didn't see any snakes and the waterfalls wasn't much of a waterfall. But it was very pretty and the kids loved the thought of coming back when the snakes hibernate and exploring the rocks and waterfalls.

 

The Enoree River. So incredibly beautiful!

Having fun....

.....and really anxious to get in the water, but you know that thing about the snakes....yeah!

I was a fuddy dud LaLa, not willing to face her fears as Sawyer told me to do years ago.

 

We had a great weekend and I wouldn't have wanted to spend Mother's Day any other way. Adventures and exploring with my little Grandloves......AWESOME!

 

**********

 

Now, in case you were wondering:

 

I took a little break from running after the Divas Half Marathon and the Hell Hole Swamp 10K.

I had planned to get back to the gym more and get back on the bike this summer, but Whitney sent me a link to a half marathon in her neck of the woods (Denver).

 

And I was like, OMG!!! I have to do this race!!!

 

It is a 13.1 mile run from Evergreen, CO to Morrison, CO. It is all downhill with some of the most beautiful sights in all of North America. How could I not run this race?

 

So, as of next week.....I'll be back in half marathon training mode.

But, I'm thinking that since I am still somewhat conditioned from my last half

that I can still get a day in the gym and a day on the bike

and still have time and energy left to train for this downhill-half marathon

 in the Colorado Rockies.

 

And...and....Whitney is running it with me! Holler!

 

So, sometime after August 17th....I'll post about this one. I hope I can capture the beauty of the Colorado Rockies along the way.

 

Laurie