Elsa Does the AT

We decided we were in need of a getaway, and so decided to go back to Zydeco Moon with Tim and Kate over a long weekend this past Friday through Monday. We were there with them a year ago April for Tim's 30th birthday, and both Jarrett and I have gone up there one other time each on separate occasions -- Jarrett for a guys' weekend with Tim, and me for a girls' weekend with Kate and Val. This was Elsa's first road trip, and she really did quite well for a little one who isn't so fond of her carseat. She slept nearly the entire way from Atlanta to Gastonia, NC, where we met up with my parents to pass Merckx off to them (no pets allowed at the cabin, unfortunately), and she really only had one major breakdown as we drove through Blowing Rock and into Boone, but we deserved that one -- she was really hungry and needed a diaper change. She fussed a bit more on the drive home, but it still wasn't unbearable. The white noise we've loaded on the iPod did come in handy... and thankfully did not put us to sleep at the wheel.

We had a really nice time in the mountains. The weather was perfect, and although the fishing was not quite up to par with what Tim and Jarrett experienced in the past, it seemed they still had a nice time getting out and tossing the line. We (or I should say, Kate) cooked some fabulous meals and enjoyed some good wine and, of course, great company. The five of us made it up to Grayson Highlands again, and did a short hike along the Appalachian Trail, so I can now officially say that Elsa hiked a portion of the AT as an eight-week-old. Not bad, eh? Too bad she slept through most of it and missed out on the ponies, but I imagine she will appreciate it all more as she gets older and can actually comprehend her surroundings. I have to believe she enjoyed the clean mountain air as much as I, though. Visiting that area is truly refreshing for the soul.