Brevard With the Grandkids-- Toy Stores & Waterfalls

Colorful maple tree on the campus of Brevard College

Brevard With the Grandkids--

O.P. Taylor's Toy Stores & Waterfalls

 Thurs. Nov.5   to Sun. Nov. 8 , 2020

Dana & Kenny Koogler

Tessa and Michael Lindsey

Photos are here: Brevard Pix

  We took our grandkids to Brevard, North Carolina for a weekend.  We wanted to spend some quality time with the oldest two, Michael age 11 and Tessa age 7.  They are the children of our daughter Crystal and son-in-law Adam.  

They both got straight A's on their report cards this past 9 weeks so we wanted to do something extra special for them.  Tessa Grace had not ever visited the big O.P. Taylor's Toy Store in Brevard.   We wanted to remedy that.  The original plan was to camp, but because of Kenny's work schedule we couldn't make that happen. 

I called Adventure Village to book a camping cabin as a back up plan.  They did not have any available for a two night stay so that fell through as well.   We ended up just getting a motel for a couple nights.   Kenny was working in Kingsport at Eastman and so I took the children with me on Friday morning and we spent the day playing, driving over, eating out, and since it was too early to check into the motel we went right to the toy store.  I knew that was on their minds anyway. It was easier just to go on with it rather than keep listening to when are we going, Nanny?   So we went ahead!

     O.P. Taylor's is like the FAO Schwartz of Appalachia.   It is awesome.  

Brevard is a lovely little college town with lots of fantastic shops to browse.

Artistic, unique items galore in them.   I always enjoy it.    We spent an hour and a half in the store and each kid got a couple toys.   They gave me lots of ideas and suggestions for what they'd like for Christmas.   I took photos of lots of it with my cell phone so I could recall the particulars of each item. 

       The afternoon was drawing into evening and we were all getting tired.  

We went back to the hotel and checked in.   We were in Arden and I will not stay there again for more than a night.   It is too much a hub of activity with far too much traffic. .  It is convenient to shopping, the interstate and lots of restaurants, but  it just wasn't worth it.   The corona virus has caused eating out in North Carolina to be a tiresome event.  Many places are drive through or take out only.    Tennessee has covid precautions in place, but things are flowing much more smoothly.   It has reinforced my stance that camping over there or renting a cabin is the only way to really maintain any normalcy.  Kenny was at least able to meet us about forty five minutes after we checked in so we were glad to see him.  I had not seen him since Tuesday morning when he left for work. 

     

Saturday

  We got up Saturday morning and went to breakfast at IHOP.  

We liked it, and it was a more comfortable dining out option than some we'd tried.     Tessa ended up not caring for it as she has allergies to eggs and gluten as well as a number of other things.   It is a shame because she likes everything she is allergic to.    We got that over with and Kenny had told them he wanted to go back to the toy store today at some point. He was jealous at having been left out.    We decided we'd go hiking, eat lunch, and then go to the toy store for round two.    We learned in the process of our planning that O.P. Taylor has a second store which is located in Biltmore Park.   I thought we had been to that area of Asheville, but I was mistaken.  We had been to Biltmore Forest area.   We spent a considerable amount of time in Asheville when Jared was living there.    

     Kenny suggested we take the kids to DuPont State Forest to hike.

We had not been there in many, many years.  We first visited there before it was even a state park.    It had been probably 15 years since I was there and more than that for Kenny.   Once we got there we were quickly reminded why we avoid the place as much as we do.   It was already crowded early on Saturday morning.    We had with us Kevin Adam's Waterfalls of North Carolina book.   We decided to visit Hooker Falls, Triple Falls and High Falls. 

The parking lot for Hooker Falls was very crowded, but we snagged the last available spot. Once we got out we quickly realized the directions for reaching Hooker Falls were incorrect thanks to some changes to the trail.   They closed the original trail and opened a new way.  It turned out to be only a tad longer hike and was much safer and better way.   It avoids the brink of the falls completely.    We were shocked at how few people were there when we got to the falls!  We only saw four other people despite the crowded trails. 

     The kids liked the falls.  I was also reminded why we should NOT avoid places just because of the crowds.  It is a very beautiful place.   Hooker Falls is not a real tall waterfall, but it is river wide in a nice setting.   A flood in 2004 washed out that area very badly.  That made it necessary to repair the damage and reroute the trail.  The new one helps to prevent some of the terrible erosion from all those feet.

Above: Hooker Falls

Kenny at the falls

Tessa climbing in the rhododendron

Michael heading toward the base of the falls and the rocks around it.  He quickly was called down.  Like a moth to a flame... these kids want to go do exactly what they are not supposed to do.  

Above sign says :

• No Rock Climbing
• No swimming or wading above waterfalls

Below is a video of Hooker Falls 

  Once we got done visiting Hooker Falls we headed back for the parking area and around toward Triple Falls.     You cross the bridge and go under the road and hike the trail to an overlook of Triple Falls.   Back in the day when we visited this waterfall you hiked up the right side of the waterfall along the stream.   The new trail is steep, but safer and better suited to handle high volume foot traffic of which there was plenty.   Now we were seeing loads of other hikers.   We wore our masks when were close to others and unable to social distance, but for the most part we did not have to resort to that.   

   Below: Walk bridge at DuPont State Forest

River below Triple Falls 

Above: Tessa near Triple Falls

Below:  Tessa told me she had found a pick axe in the water.  it is a pick axe shaped stick!

Above: grandson Michael down river from Triple Falls 

Below: Grandkids sitting on a wall looking out at Triple Falls

Below: Triple Falls 

Below is a video of Triple Falls
 

   We considered heading on toward High Falls.  It was pretty clear the kids were not that into the hiking and waterfalls.   We opted instead to go eat some lunch, then we went to visit Cathey's Creek Falls just outside Brevard.   

It is a super short hike down over the bank.  Once we got that over with 

we'd head back to the toy stores.  

   Catheys Creek Falls was an easy hike down over the bank.  It was high volume today!  We saw quite a few hunters back that road.  The law passed us back there as we were getting ready to leave.   They didn't look happy and were very intent on whatever task they were about. 

  Below: Kenny and Michael at Cathys Creek Falls 

Above: Tessa at the falls 

Cathey's Creek Falls 

Above: the plunge pool at Catheys Creek Falls.  Since we were there in June many trees have fallen. Some of it has been cleaned up by the forestry service.

   We tried Cardinal Drive In today for the first time.  It was pretty good for burgers and fries and lunch stuff.    We stopped by the Brevard College grounds to see if we could spot a white squirrel.  We sure did!  

Above: look closely... there is a white squirrel at the base of the tree

Above and below:  grounds of Brevard College

Above and below: Brevard College and Michael and Tessa messing around

Above: The white squirrel came down out of the tree and I got another photo of him on the run

Below: he darted across the road and made it safely and went up into a pine tree!

  We visited the Brevard Toy store and stayed quite awhile longer today.  While Kenny took the kids to look around in there I went into the Local Color store awhile.   I bought myself a t shirt that says North Carolina in the style of the old Coke t shirts.  red with white lettering.  I also bought a hair barrette that is handmade by a local artist.  

   Last of all we went to Biltmore Park to the other one.  It was not quite as large or as cozy and appealing as the one in Brevard, but it was still nice.  Biltmore Park is a beautiful ritzy community.  We got more toys. More suggestions for Christmas.. and went to take a walk around the neighborhood.  We had icecream at Cold Stone Creamery.   It was yummy!    

   We went back to the hotel tired and happy.  The next day we had an uneventful drive home through the gorge in beautiful Autumn colors and sunshine!

Traffic was light.   It is always good to go, but it is good to get home.   We are all finding that we prefer eating at home instead of dining out because of the covid.  

We are finding that unless we can stay in our home away from home in the camper or a rental cabin that going away from home isn't too fun.    Hotels now no longer have pools open in many places.   Gyms are also closed.   No more breakfast rooms at hotels... you're doing good to get a cup of coffee.   Home sweet home is a little sweeter these days.   Family is a little more precious as well.

    We had fun with our grandkids and a lot of laughs.  Word to the wise:  do NOT stay at the Super 8 motel in Arden.  We stayed there one night before on a drive home.  I thought it would be ok.  It was not too cool.  It is very run down and they appear to be letting some folks live there in the rear upstairs part.   They put us next to that crowd for some reason.   It is shabby.  The folks next to us were out at 2 am Sunday morning having a fight and a cussing match.  Thankfully the children slept through it all.   It only lasted two or three minutes, but I was over it and so was Kenny.    We have stayed at Super 8 motels that were extremely nice even luxurious, but this one most assuredly is not one of those.  

Below: Tessa and Michael in front of the toy store

Above: huge selection of hot wheels toys

O. P. Taylor's Toy Store in Biltmore Park

Biltmore Park had some pretty red maple trees and is very charming.  

     

Brevard Play Time with Nanny Cookie and Michael

 

Brevard Play Time with Nanny Cookie and Michael

 Tuesday July 21 and Wednesday July 22, 2015

Dana Koogler & Michael Lindsey

Pictures are here: Brevard Play Pix

    I had been promising to take Michael to do some fun activities just the two of us.

Tuesday we left home and planned to play for a couple days.    We headed to Asheville's Fun Depot first.  We got there at 11:30 am and stayed until 4:30 pm.    For $36 we played all day for both of us.

We rode indoor go karts, played mini golf, we played duck pin bowling, air hockey, skee ball, various other games to win prizes.  They have an indoor Adventure Express for kids. It has two bouncy houses and two indoor playgrounds and plenty of space to run around.   It is all day fun.  Michael spent an hour or more doing that. We also had a scavenger hunt with the staff there to find various sea creatures and animals.    We ate pizza there.  We had slushes there.   It was great fun. 

Once Michael was ready to cash in his tickets for prizes we got in the jeep and headed to Pisgah Forest to our hotel. I did not take any photos at Fun Depot. I wanted to play not be the photographer.

             We headed down the interstate toward Pisgah Forest. We hadn't gotten far when the backseat got quiet. I stole a glance in my rearview mirror to see a Michael taking a nap.   He was exhausted.

We checked into our room at Hampton Inn Pisgah Forest.   It was very nice.   We relaxed for about an hour while he watched cartoons.  We next went by K-mart in Brevard where we looked at toys and I got a few things I needed for the house.  We had dinner at Bojangles and went back to the hotel.

We let our dinner settle for a little bit.  We then changed into our swimming clothes and went to the pool.  We swam until it got dark. I'd say a little more than an hour.     We were tired.

        We went back to the room and got ready for bed and all dried off.   We watched The Flash on tv and turned in by 10 pm.   The lights couldn't have been off more than a minute after bedtime prayers and Michael was asleep.  He had played hard and was worn out. I was pretty tired myself. 

            The next morning I woke at 4:30 am with my back hurting.  I got up and moved around. I repositioned myself.   I tried various things to get it to stop.  I think I slept in a twist on that hotel mattress.   I had nothing with me for pain except children's Tylenol. Finally in desperation I read how many milligrams per teaspoon and dosed myself with enough to equal two regular strength adult tablets.  I understood after taking it why my grandchildren cry when I offer it to them for pain or fever.  It is horrible tasting.   I lay back down and finally got some more sleep and some relief.

  

        We packed up once we were awake.  We took our things down to the jeep.

Michael liked working the key card, running the elevator, and pushing the luggage rack. He is great help.   He is getting so big.   Once we had our gear stowed and our hotel key returned we sat down to enjoy a leisurely breakfast  at the hotel.   It was complimentary, but wow!  This hotel puts out quite a spread.  We eat light but satisfying and get going.

              The plan today was to go to Silvermont Park. Once the toy store opens at 10 am we'll go there as our next stop.   We thought we'd shop and eat lunch.  After lunch we'd go to see a few waterfalls and Sliding Rock.    The park was great, and we had no trouble finding it. 

Silvermont Mansion and Park

 

   Michael and some other children on the new playground.

 

 Michael with new toy.

They just completed the children's playground the first week of July.  It is brand spanking new.

Michael played there for about 45 minutes with me and the other children.  I checked out the grounds and gardens just giving them a quick once over.   It is very nice.  Basketball courts, tennis courts, new playground, picnic pavilion, nature trail, and mansion.   It is open as the senior center. It is open as an event center.  You can rent the grounds for events.  

 

          Michael sharing his new toys with a new friend! 

Silvermont Mansion is open to the public.

We headed toward the toy store a few minutes before 10 am.  I had a snafu with my TomTom navigation device.   It had me going in circles for about fifteen minutes. Finally I got it straightened out and heading us the proper way.   Michael says I need to fire Babala that she gives me bad advice!

 Finally we arrived in downtown Brevard and got to park right by the O.P. Taylor's Toy Store.  I had not realized how big this place was!  It has seven rooms filled with toys. It is set up for play.

Michael enjoyed it and so did I.  He got to race slot cars with other little boys.  He got chased around the store by a remote control R2D2 and got to shoot him with a pop gun!   He used his money plus a little from Nanny to buy Miles from Tomorrowland!  O.P. Taylor's Toys

I bought Tessa some things for her birthday which is coming up in September.  

              

  

   I also went to Local Color as my next stop for the place I wanted to check out.

I really liked it.  They have many cool things to look at and buy.  I purchased a new paper star light

and a piece of artwork.    We headed out with our purchases.  

       We had lunch at Wendy's and then headed up to Pisgah Forest to see waterfalls.  

Babala began giving me bad advice again.  Michael looked sleepy.   I felt wrung out.

I pulled over and asked him what he was thinking?  He said he was ready to go home. 

He wanted to get back to Nanny's house in time to show Diesel his toys and play there awhile before Mommy came to pick him up.  So that is what we did.   No waterfalls this trip and no hiking.

We'd both had enough.    We had a 2 1/2 hour drive home to face.    We headed down the highway

stopping briefly at Ingles to put gasoline in the jeep and some Starbuck's coffee in Nanny.

               I had a great time and I hope we can do it again.  We need to take a family trip back this way and bring Tessa so she can experience Fun Depot and O.P. Taylor's also!

 

 

Michael and Big Bear outside the toy store.

      

 I guess dog's need toys too! 

 

 Local Color was two stores down.  Beautiful Brevard!