So wonderful to be able to play with our Australian grandkids for the first time in 3 years! (Thanks, COVID!) We last visited in person in 2019, and they are now 7 and 9 and naturally sooo much bigger....
As we stayed in the "cabin" over July 4th weekend, the girls learned about why we Americans celebrate on that day --and had a great time watching the parade in Franklin, eating all the special junk food there, and later the sparklers and bottle rockets and cookout by the fire pit back at home.
Of course, the main attraction was the creek and kayaks. And the chess board. Hard to get them away from chess to go in the creek, then hard to get them out of the creek for dinner....
There was a lot of reading going on, and some interesting geography lessons and discussions thanks to the world map and globe in the dining room. What a great idea! Monopoly and Clue practically took over the living room. Best of all (for me, Grandma) was NO TV was ever turned on!!
We did manage to get away a couple of days for other adventures: the waterfall loop and lunch in Highlands, rafting on the Nantahala (reprise of 1986 trip with our then 9-year-old daughter --still great!) and a couple of trail hikes. Son-in-law got away for a day of fly fishing instruction and quiet time.
All-in-all this stay was a great solution for everyone to get together finally. Weather was perfect (warm days, cool evenings, some rain at night, beautiful foggy mornings to have coffee on the deck.)