A Bonfire, A Plank, & A Rocky Mountain Sunset

On road trips, my family had a tradition that the title of "winner" was given to the first person in the car to see the ocean or the mountains in the distance. Of course, it was not until I was approximately 15 that I actually thought about how my parents had an unfair advantage because they sat in the front of the car.



The great thing about traveling alone is that you are always dubbed the "winner" of that little game because your competition does not exist.


I enjoyed driving the mountain roads for the first time. Here's what a typical sign looks like:

I have had this hankering for the mountain air for a couple months now. There's something special about being in the mountains. The rolling hills. The hiking. The waterfalls. The old general stores. The Christmas trees planted perfectly along the roadside. The curvy, windy roads. Did I mention the Christmas trees and year-around Christmas stores?






































My parents, having attended Appalachian State University, always made it a point to head up to the western part of the state at least once a year. I have not been up there in a while, so I was ecstatic when my friend, Sally, invited me to stay with her to get in my mountain time.

In order to spice up the touring around Highlands, we decided to do a little (or a lot) of plank action. I'm not really sure what "planking" actually means, but... it's funny. Or at least to us. We're really silly people.

 

Hold up. I just wikipedia'd "planking".

"Planking (or the Lying Down Game): noun. An activity consisting of lying face down in an unusual or incongruous location. Both hands must touch the sides of the body. Having a photograph taken of the participant and posted on the Internet is an integral part of the game^. Players compete to find the most unusual and original location in which to play. The term planking refers to mimicking a wooden plank. Rigidity of the body must be maintained to constitute good planking."

And now we know. 

Note girls in background staring. As they probably should.

Anyways, we went on a hike. Saw some beautiful views. Ate a LOT of great food. Did some shopping. Hung out with some of her high school friends. Laughed a lot. Enjoyed a sunset. Started a bonfire.

 Thanks for having me, Sally! Love spending time with you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Missing the mountains tonight and the good ol' campfire. Looking forward to a weekend of work and catching up with friends in Chapel Hill.

Always,
Carrie