Cloudland Canyon State Park - Rising Fawn, GA

Georgia seems to have missed the memo that it's supposed to be winter. And what does that mean? Hiking!

It was a little chilly, hence Bibby's mildly unamused expression, but we really did have a good time.

Cloudland Canyon is in the Northwesternmost corner of Georgia. It is part of the Georgia State Park System. The feature of the park is its rugged, yet absolutely breathtaking, geology on the western edge of Lookout Mountain.

Looking over the Canyon is as simple as parking near the Interpretive Center (open seasonally, NOT in winter, even if it's not cold and there's a bazillion people there) and walking the easy paved trail.

Amazing vistas can be found anywhere along the trail. If you walk all the way down the hill, you come to a viewing platform that offers a canyon view with less tree obstruction.

If you're up for going down, 600 stairs to be exact, and back up again, with a total round trip hike of 2 miles, there are two waterfalls that, according to other people's photos, look quite stunning. We didn't do the falls on this trip, but I'd certainly like to at some point.

My mom has been wanting to camp in a Yurt. They seem to be the latest trend in camping, and Cloudland Canyon has quite a few. They also have cabins, campgrounds, and walk-in tent sites.

With plenty of hiking opportunities, picnic areas, the Interpretive Center, playground facilities, and the simple glory of Mother Nature herself, your family is sure to find something amazing here at Cloudland Canyon! Whether you come for the day, or make a camping trip out of it, bring your camera! It's beautiful!

 

Build-a-Bear at Hamilton Place Mall - Chattanooga, TN

Today we set out to spend our accumulated Build-a-Bear gift cards, and I'd say we were successful.

The first trick in using gift cards is to remember to actually bring the gift cards with you. Check! (I'm not admitting to how many failed attempts we've clocked for this particular endeavor.)

Actually, that's really the only trick. Otherwise, it's pretty easy to spend money on teddy bears.

Everyone else in our crew has 3 Build-a-Bears, and Ribby only had one, so we decided it would only be fair to even it out.

Over the Christmas shopping season, we were NOT impressed with the selection in any of the several locations we visited. But, apparently Valentine's Day is an AWESOME time to Build-a-Bear! These animals were SO precious! And there were a few others we'd still like to add to the collection some day...

So, without further ado, meet Lubbas the Bear and Lisa Leopard!

Lubbas' super-soft pink and red hearted fur is scented in a sweetness reminiscent of old-school Strawberry Shortcake Dolls. It definitely conjures up many a childhood memory for me! While smelling the bear directly, the scent doesn't strike me as being too overbearing.  (he he!)  Within a matter of hours after bringing Lubbas inside Ribby's room, however, the entire 12 x 12 area smells like a Strawberry Shortcake doll factory. So far, I'm okay with this. After all, Ribby's room is a bakery. So, the scent works great for us. But, if you or your little ones have any smell sensitivities or issues with fragrance, you might want to give the fur a good, solid smell test before purchasing.  

Lisa Leopard, in all her rainbow spotted adorableness, is named for Lisa Frank, the iconic 90's graphic artist and designer of all things 90's kids HAD to have. We are HUGE Lisa Frank fans, and are anxiously awaiting the second coming of the Lisa Frank empire. I have collected tons of Lisa Frank items that I'm in the process of framing into wall art for Ribby's Room. In the mean time, of course, we HAD to have this Lisa Frank-esque stuffed Leopard, and are saving pennies again for her black and rainbow cousin Zebra, also currently available at Build-a-Bear. We would have bought both today, if Lubbas the Bear hadn'ta been so darned irresistible herself.

 

All in all, we had a good time. But a lot of that has to do with the fact that we adore anything that makes Ribby happy, and Ribby was pretty happy to get her new bears.

The ladies manning the store location were perfectly functional cashiers, but there was no magic whatsoever in their construction of either animal. I miss the days when Build-a-Bear employees made the whole building-a-bear experience feel like the kids was actually building a darned bear. They used to speak in sweet, happy voices. They'd talk the kid through pressing the foot pedal on the stuffing machine like they were filling the bear's crevices with a magic like no other. They'd let the kids rub their hands together and warm each heart before it was kissed and placed inside to radiate love for an entire childhood.

Now, it's just, "Do you want $100 worth of extra stuff crammed inside? Nope, well, press this pedal and shove some fluff in the animal's tuchus."

Yep...  We definitely miss the Build-a-Bear magic touch. But, watching your baby girl give it all she's got to carry her new buddies through the mall is still worth it!

French Broad Chocolate Lounge - Asheville, NC

Oh, my!

If you love chocolate, your mothership has landed!

I've read a few reviews that call this place expensive and refer to the staff as being pretentious. While it isn't exactly cheap, it isn't overwhelming. Although, anything adds up quickly when you have 4 kiddos.

Most importantly to note, though, the staff was PHENOMENAL. One young guy in particular, was probably the friendliest, most enthusiastic, most attentive service employee I've seen in years. I wish I would have caught his name, and I could kick myself for not having given him a bigger tip!

All in all, we ordered:

Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa
Salted Caramel Drinking Chocolate
Triple Layered Chocolate Ganache Cake
Cookies and Milk Ice Cream
10 truffles, with a few duplicates

The hot cocoa was our safety net in a comfortable flavor. Heavy on the milk, but still plenty of chocolate. I thought $4.50 for a hot cocoa was a little much, but you're talking to someone who has never been to Starbucks. They have tons of custom flavors and options available, so I guess if you go for something more exotic, the price tag isn't terrible.

The Salted Caramel Drinking Chocolate was the hit of the evening. I've never experienced drinking chocolate, and none of us had any idea what to expect. Oh. My. Heaven in a cup. It's a little hard to explain. It pretty much is melted chocolate with a bit of steamed milk. Heavier in substance than cocoa, but it still flows perfectly when gently sipped. They refer to it as a Melted Truffle, and it wears this honor well. Again, you have tons of flavor options, so have a little fun with this one! You'll be oh-so-glad you did! $4.50 for a cup of the drinking chocolate felt like a smart investment. And one I definitely hope to make again as soon as possible!

The Ganache Cake was yummy, too. The outside layer felt like it could have used a touch of freshness, but the inside ganache was perfect...  They had several options of cake slices, but this one was a definite winner for our collective palates. Next time, I'd like to try the Olive Oil Chocolate Cake, as it also looked amazing and sounded unique. Most of the cake slices ran around $5-$7 each. They weren't as generous as, say, slices from the Cheesecake Factory, but they were definitely larger than you'd get in the average casual dining restaurant.

Ogie is a little less brave, so the Cookies and Milk ice cream was his selection for the occasion. The lady who waited on him was quite patient as he sampled a few choices, and then she loaded him up with a generous double scoop that kept him quite happy. The kids portion was $2 and change, but the double scoop was more our speed at $5.25.

Ogie tried three of the truffles, but they were a bit too exotic for an 8 year old; so we divvied them up amongst the ladies instead. The girls aren't quite as brave as I wish they were, so we didn't get anything vastly avant-garde from the truffle selection, but we each got to try Peppermint, Hazelnut, Turtle, and Sorghum. The kids all gravitated towards the Peppermint and the Turtle. Mama Bear loved them all, and one day will definitely try some of the more unique flavors from their Signature or World Collections, like the Indian Kulfi, Masala Chai, Mole Negro, Earl Grey, and the Canela Picante...

Oh. My. Mothership, take me away!  

I'd love to list all your options. From truffle flavors, to cakes, to ice cream, to other cookies and desserts, to all the hot drink choices...  But, you'd be better off visiting www.frenchbroadchocolates.com

Or, you'd be even better suited to go there. Now. Literally. Don't even get dressed. Just jump in your car and drive. To Chocolate Heaven.


PS... Happy 12th Birthday, Bibby!

The Biltmore Estate - Asheville, NC

Welcome to Biltmore!

The largest private home in America!

At 175,000 square feet, Biltmore, located in Asheville, North Carolina, boasts over 250 rooms, including 43 bathrooms!

We were looking for something special for Bibby's 12th Birthday. It's always been a bit of a challenge to have 4 winter birthdays within 3 weeks of Christmas. Between weather, finances, schedules, and everything else that life throws at you, it isn't always easy to navigate so many holidays at one time. Historically, it was always our goal to give all the "stuff" at Christmas, and save birthdays for going special places or doing unique things. Some years we've done service projects, other years we've taken day trips or overnighters to places like St. Louis, Indianapolis, Georgia, Legoland, Disney World...  It doesn't always work out that way for all 4 kids, but on this particular day, it did. ;)

This year, we decided a day in Asheville would hit the spot. We've had several annual passes to Biltmore over the years, but Bibby was pretty young the last time we went, so we knew she would be excited to visit again. I'm a huge admirer of the Vanderbilt family. We've visited multiple Vanderbilt homes over the years. This past year, I've also decided that The Men Who Built America is my favorite documentary ever, as it highlights several of my personal idols, including Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and Henry Ford.

As are many of our trips, this one was a surprise. We left early enough that the kids slept all the way to Asheville. Upon waking, it didn't take Bibby long to figure out where we were. And, yes, she was pretty excited.

Upon entering, I was super stoked to get a much better deal on our new annual pass than the price that was listed on the internet. I have no idea why. She didn't explain it to me, but, hey, who am I to question? :)

The beauty of visiting Biltmore the first week of January is the perfect timing of it. The home is still fully decorated in its Christmas splendor, but all the crowds are long gone. You pretty much have the place to yourself.

We grabbed lunch at the Stable Cafe, which I will review in a separate post, then we continued on to the house tour. Luckily Ribby is a good kid as far as her behavior. I can't imagine taking a tour through a historic home, especially through 4 of 6 levels of a 175,000 square foot home, with a child that isn't prepared to behave. Everything in Biltmore is original and painstakingly preserved. They DO have alarms. They WILL go off. So, if you are a parent of a small child, definitely know what you are getting involved with before spending the money to see the home.

With that being said, though, Ribby still doesn't have the longest attention span in the world before getting antsy, so the home tour goes a little more quickly when you're trying to keep the Mommy ride moving. Mommies with small babies don't necessarily get to appreciate and absorb as many of the breathtakingly intricate details of each room. When Bibby and Bear were younger, I would keep them interested in the house by challenging them to enter each room and look at the floor, the ceiling, and then find an animal. Between paintings, decor, and other accessories, they can usually find one.

During the holiday season, you can also keep younger kids occupied with counting the Christmas Trees. Biltmore offers a "Scavenger Hunt" booklet full of rhyming clues that correspond with most of the main rooms in the house. It doesn't require any writing, but it keeps the mental wheels turning.

When visiting Biltmore, allow yourself plenty of TIME. If you just go for the house tour, you're really missing out on the full experience. Walk the grounds. Make a wish in the fountains. Stroll through the gardens. Enjoy the greenhouse. Maybe you'd like horseback riding? Be sure to tour the farm and the equestrian center. The winery tour is fascinating, and offers tastings for grown-ups, and grape juice for the kids. Obviously, there are many gift shops, offering everything from kitschy souvenirs, to boutique toys, to Victorian-era decor. You can even hike, walk, jog, or bring your bikes and partake of the many miles of hiking trails, and riverside riding pathways that traverse the property.

Our favorite outdoor activity at Biltmore? Just letting the kids run across the expansive front lawn! (see picture above!)

There are several restaurants and cafes throughout the property that offer everything from counter service and outdooor seating, to spirited Bistros with live music, to fine dining where you need to know which fork is which.  Choosing a restaurant onsite definitely enhances the Biltmore experience, but there are an absolute plethora of exciting meal choices anywhere in the Asheville area.

At the end of the day, even though it was a bit chilly outside, we all enjoyed ourselves immensely. If you visit Biltmore, we hope you have a great time as well!