This past weekend, I was all set to go on a camping adventure in Blowing Rock, NC. I had my bags packed full of granola bars, water, bread, peanut butter...you know, all the good trail stuff. I even had bought a brand new bright green sleeping bag that I was so excited to roll out (excuse the pun). But, alas, I came down with something and ended up calling quits to the camping—and opted for staying in a "real bed" instead.

However, in a surge of the Advil-induced feel-goods on the following day, I decided to go check out Grandfather Mountain—a place I had never been to. At first, I was dismayed by the $14 per person entrance fee, but after actually entering the park, I was very pleasantly surprised at not only the beauty of the area, but the multitude of things to do once inside the park.

There is of course the famous mile-high bridge with a fabulous view of the surrounding mountains; many well-kept hiking trails; picnic areas; a restaurant; and a small museum where I learned about Grandfather Mountain's history, the endangered and rare plant and animal species that live there, and the gems that are formed within the rock itself. Perhaps most surprisingly, the park even featured several different "environmental habitats" for otters, deer, bald and golden eagles (which, frankly, scare the crud out of me), cougars, and even bears that did tricks for food! From the Grandfather Mountain website:

Environmental habitats are large enclosures that allow visitors to see animals in natural settings. Unlike the exhibits found in city zoos which bring in plants and boulders to recreate an appropriate setting, these enclosures were built around the animals' actual native habitat.

Best of all, I spent a lovely day (despite the funk my body was fighting off) enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of a beautiful wildlife sanctuary and nature preserve. Plus, it's nice to know that my money went toward the support of such a breath-taking, natural wonder, instead of to some gi-normous movie production company....