We took the ultimate Sunday drive to Black Water Falls State Park in West Virginia. It was a most magical place right out of a storybook. It is like seeing your imagination come to life with rolling mountains, evergreen trees, mossy knolls, and cascading water falls. This is the closest to Rivendell as I have ever been.
Unfortunately it took FOREVER to get there. A note to any one driving in West Virginia: grey roads on a map may or may not exist. And if they do exist, they may suddenly end. We couldn't find the first "grey" road we needed, and ended up 30 something miles out of our way with two unhappy children. On our way out a grey road lead us right through a blasting zone near a road that has yet to be built. Thanks WV map-makers.
Elkahala waterfalls (pictured above) were astoundingly beautiful, and well worth the endeavor to find the park. I could have spent hours there. I don't think the smaller ones in our party would have felt the same way though!! The park also had a cute petting zoo which Anastasia was a bit apprehensive about. They were closing up and feeding the animals when we got there, so they were all in the barn instead of being out running around and being that it was a little dark in there, I think that made it less appealing. Isabel on the other hand fell in love with the calf. She was so happy to pet her and get cow drool all over her hands. She was a really cute cow.
We also saw the big falls that are the main attraction at the park. I think we might head back for a weekend at a cabin or something. It was really one of the nicest places I have ever been.
On our way home, both girls *finally* fell asleep. We stopped at Dairy Queen for some treats and Anastasia opened her eyes in front of the drive-through sign. It was like a dream come true for her to wake up with pictures of ice cream out of the window!! The first words out of her mouth were, "ICE CREAM!" So we ordered her a small vanilla cone and they must have messed up and given us a large one because it was the biggest cone I have ever seen:
She didn't mind though. And now it is Monday, complete with loads of laundry (and a broken dryer), a sink full of dishes, and a mess in every square inch of the house. And I need groceries. Don't ask me how this happens when we aren't even home to mess everything up! Hope everyone had a peaceful and adventurous weekend too.
