Summer Adventures 2015, Part 3

Let's see...where was I? We just changed locations from NC back to TN to the Ocoee.  This time, we set up camp riverside.  Here were our sleeping arrangements. Who needs a noise machine? We had all you could want--flowing creek, insects, trees rustling...

June 19th

This day turned out to be a day of "firsts." John Gannon had been begging to go down the Ocoee in the duck. We were hesitant, not really sure if he would be ready for such a task. Just as a point of reference, you must be 12 to raft with a commercial company. Two years prior when we all paddled the Hiwassee River he flipped in a rapid and panicked and that rapid wasn't a big deal. All the rapids on the Ocoee are big deals. We finally said we would give it a try. So, after a little gathering of things together they were off...

They ran it perfectly until the last large rapid (Hell's Hole). They flipped the boat but within a few seconds, John popped up. Johnny got on top of the flipped boat, pulled JG up and they paddled the following rapid on top of the upside down boat. The good news-John Gannon didn't panic and was ready to do it again! Jackson and I played at our little favorite spot at Go Forth Creek while they paddled the river. After lunch, we were off to our next adventure.  Jackson was pretty upset that we didn't allow him to go down the Ocoee. He was adamant. So, we took him to the upper (the strongest section of the river) to paddle his kayak (don't pass out--the dam wasn't running). We all swam and watched Jackson own the falls!

 They guys explored the underwater rock caves.

 And of course, there was lots of jumping around. 

June 20th

The morning started off with some peaceful thinking/reflection time.

John Gannon and I rode about 14 miles on the Brush Creek Trail System we rode a few days back. Johnny and Jackson explored the trails by foot and found the old bridge JG and I discovered. They also ate lots of wild blackberries during the stroll. When we got off the trail, we found them sitting on the tailgate playing a game of heads/tails. It was such a sweet sight! We loaded the bikes and headed back to camp.  It wasn't long before they jumped in the duck and headed to the dam. 

 By the time they made it to the dam, someone decided they needed a swim.

 And Johnny and John Gannon were off on trip 2 down the Ocoee. They were hoping for a flawless run this time!

And were they successful at Hell's Hole this time? I'll let you watch and see!

 I bet you can't guess where Jackson and I played. Yep--our favorite spot!

After lunch, the boys wanted to go swimming so went to the White Water Center while Johnny rode some bike trails. They wanted to play in the waterfall we played in the previous day. However, the dam had only been off for about an hour and a half and the current was too strong. So, they played around at the center and we found a still area we could play in. Johnny joined us when he got off the trails.

 In my first post, I think I mentioned how I cherished the smiles of our two boys so many times. I hope they have as many wonderful memories about their childhood as I do! And just for the record, they irritated each other many, many times. They argued over foolish things and got frustrated with each other. But beyond all that-they are best friends. 

We spent the rest of the evening packing up everything so we would be ready to hit the road to our next destination the following morning. 

June 21st

We got up, packed the hammocks, said a final goodbye to Roxe and headed to a hotel in Chattanooga for the night. (Just FYI-we stay at the Hampton Inn, downtown. On Sunday nights, the room is about half price of a normal stay). We stopped at McKays--my favorite used bookstore. I picked up lots of things we will be using for school this year at excellent deals. My favorite deal-I wanted to get these audio cd's of a particular world history curriculum. I found the entire volume for only $12! I was too excited! After McKays, we checked in and I bet you couldn't guess where we headed. The only beauty in these waters are the people. I definitely prefer natural water to the chemical water any day.

After the pool, we headed for a stroll downtown.

Of course we made a stop at the fountain.

 Then we interacted with all the current chalk drawings.

 I love walking behind these guys watching them interact. My heart is full--meaningful moments.

 The boys played in several of the water features downtown.

 June 22nd
We checked out of our hotel and walked a block to our next destination. For those of you who will never have the privilege of crossing a city intersection with Jackson-this is for your viewing pleasure. More often than not, this is how he will cross! Control issues, maybe? He walks slower than all of us across, making sure "he" stops all the cars. (Notice the timer left on the countdown-1 sec to go). It usually brings a smile to the drivers.

 Thanks to Jackson's traffic control, we safely arrive at our destination. This gym is actually for adults and kids, I just took a picture of the kid sign. It is a great place. If we lived here, we would definitely have a membership! The boys climbed for 3 hours. John didn't want to leave. He was sweating from his head down and still wanted more. Jackson, Johnny and I were hungry...so we won. Jackson isn't the most pleasant person to be around when he gets hungry!

 And the last picture I will share from this trip. It captures the spirit of a child. Can you guess what is on Jackson's head?

It is the underwear I ripped out of John's swimming trunks. I was going to throw it away and they would have none of it. We can use that. We were at a public park and there was no shame. I love giving them the freedom to imagine, explore, discover, and just be themselves! So the next time you get ready to throw away that old pair of underwear, just remember that they may make great headgear. 

After climbing and lunch, we headed home. When we arrived, imagine our surprise when one of our friends was in our yard mowing. Is that not the coolest thing? We unpacked, began washing all the clothes, hammocks, bed gear, paddling gear, etc. By lunch the next day, we were back to normal. Johnny and I were just a little tired. The boys were wanting to go spend the night with Granny and I can't tell you how excited Johnny and I were to get a little rest! Experiencing life outside of your normal routine is a lot of work, but indeed well worth the effort. We will be leaving in a few days for our next summer adventure! Live a Meaningful Life!