I turned 40 last month!!!

In my 40 things post, #16 outlines how I want to go on more camping trips with my husband, sans our three kids. This trip was the first of what I hope is many.

We had a rough start on this trip due to our Suburban not wanting to take the camper up the mountain but once we finally made it and parked, we decided to make the most of this trip and not stress over things we cannot control.

We arrived on a Thursday evening and due to the stress of the travel, I immediately booked an appointment for us to try out the mineral springs hot tubs at the resort. I’ll post more about that experience in a later post.

On Thursday, once we parked the Suburban, we did not drive it again until we left, mid morning on Sunday. Hot Springs, NC is not a very big town and Hot Springs Resort and Spa is close to everything we needed, so we walked. EVERYWHERE!

The Appalachian trail runs through the small town of Hot Springs, NC and it was really inspiring to see all the hikers and the way the town supports the thru hikers by leaving supplies for them to pick through and congregating to talk with many of them. I am nowhere near ready to do anything that extensive but maybe one day.

The campground was nearly deserted when we arrived on Thursday but by Saturday morning it was bustling with people and pets. I can’t say enough about how beautiful the grounds at Hot Springs Resort and Spa is. The campground butts up to the French Broad River and the sounds of the river put us to sleep each night. There are a few small beaches and picnic areas along the River and we enjoyed taking our dogs for a walk on these little sandy pieces of heaven. The grounds were clean and we were happy to see a lot of grass and areas for our dogs to play.

There was a small issue with the septic at the bathhouses on Friday and Saturday but the campground staff were quick to resolve the issue.

We spent our days parusing the town. Even though the town is small, there was plenty for us to do. We enjoyed checking out all the local art at Artisun Gallery and Cafe. I had to try their dirty chai latte and it did not disappoint. I may have went back another day for a salted caramel ice cream but we don’t have to talk about how delicious that way. We also picked up the best hard kombucha at Vaste Riviere Provisions. This Bodega also served food but we did not indulge on this trip. We plan to visit this little town again and lunch at Vaste Riviere is on the list of things for the next trip. I picked up the coolest stickers and patches from Bluff Mountain Outfitters. This outdoor store is perfect for any outdoor enthusiast or hiker.

I’ll talk about the food we ate in another post but I was not disappointed.

On Saturday, my birthday, we decided to try hiking Lover’s Leap Hiking Trail. Our campsite was very close to the parking lot most people drive to for this hike. We crossed the bridge over the French Broad River and continued down under the bridge to the trail entry. As you can see from above, Matt and I took our time and took a lot of silly photos. Even though this hike is a moderate hike and only about 2 miles, in a loop, we spent the day walking around before and after our hike and clocked over 12 miles for the day. We loved every minute of it. We spoke to other hikers, we saw a few very cool VW camper vans, we enjoyed pizza after our long day and we sat and enjoyed many a beautiful views. Overall, this was a great birthday. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start my 40s.