On an adventure!

My girls and I do a good bit of 'outdoor' activity! I try to instill in them that playing outside, riding bikes, playing sports, hunting, hiking, so on and so on is important!

So, we decided to go on an adventure!

I have been to Noccalula Falls a thousand times throughout my life but I have never hiked behind the waterfall. In fact, I didnt even know anyone could until several years ago and at that point I had always wanted to do it.

Well, I surprised the girls and went and picked up Sydney and Pearson and we sat out to do our fun adventure!

Soooo.....we get there....and we read all about Noccalula, the Indian and the girls asked a thousand questions. We marvel at the beauty of the water shooting down. Then...we start to try and figure out how to make our way behind it. There is no one really around and no signs so we just start walking. Well, this old man is up from us so I ask him and he says to just keep walking allllll around the direction he is pointing. So we do. Well, I quickly realize that this isnt correct and we turn around. Well, then I spot what I think looks like a trail so Im like 'Come on girls...lets go down this, I bet it is the way!' So we do!

Well, as we are tromping through the rocks and mud and the branches, etc, Im starting to question my decision until I see what looks like grandparents with their two grandkids down in front of us. I yell to the woman and she confirms that yes, this is the way to behind the falls. So we go. Well, I dont know where they end up going....but some how....it wasnt the way we were heading! ha! It was a beautiful hike. There were only a couple of questionable moments where I was thinking...hmm...maybe I should have planned a different adventure. But the girls were troopers and we were having a great time! So, then I start thinking we should just turn around and go back the long ways that we had come from because we were just not making it to the falls when I see this young guy and his dog fishing. Thankfully he says he will show us how to go and takes us up this rocky hill and the points to how we have to cross all of this area and then we will see what we have been hiking 30 minutes...ish...to do! Needless to say, we are SUPER SUPER proud of ourselves for making it to the falls and then back out to 'civilization.' ha!

I felt so accomplished once we got behind the falls and it was stunning!

We came out...and yes....we were muddy and hot...and dirty and tired...and hungry...but had huge smiles on our faces from what we had just done!

Will we ever hike to the falls again.....that would be a big....no....but are we going to brag that we did it for a very, very long time....YES! ha!

The waterfall was just gorgeous!

They were allll amazed at the story of the statue behind us and why it is there. Pearson cracked me up because she was like...'Way back then, I would have just ran away if I didnt like the boy instead of jumping off a cliff!' That made me laugh!

Us three!

This was part of the hike that I thought would lead us to where we wanted to go! It was beautiful and easy to walk out as we strolled.......

but......no...it wasnt what led us to where we wanted to go....but it was beautiful while we walked this area!

This is where we needed to be! Soooo pretty! This is a lower level that we went down to take a break and look at the water so this is not really how it was as we made our way. We had to climb...alot...and scoot between little spaces, etc!

We stopped for a break! We could finally see the falls! See the rock they are sitting on?!? Yeah...that is more of what we had to cross, etc as we made our way!

We did it! AHH!! So happy and proud and just crazy how beautiful and amazing that something like this exists!

I love this picture! I love how we are shadowed out and the water is just shining!

These two caught tadpoles and begged to bring them home in their water bottle! I said...SURE...if they stay at your house Pearson! ha! This picture doesnt do us justice...either..of how dirty we were! Pearson's poor white leggings were actually brown in this picture!
We literally took a bath in the Jack's bathroom and then grabbed food from there before heading home! I would say...it was a great memory!