the road to adventure.

“I hope adventure finds you today.”

That’s the text my friend sent out last Tuesday morning.

Several of us were scheduled to attend a class about wolves about Pisgah National Park. The weather had other plans and snow on the mountain caused our class to be cancelled.

We all joked about our day’s schedule being altered and she sent that text.

“I hope adventure finds you today.”

I had already planned the day as a field trip day.  Lunch was already packed.  Water bottles were filled.  Shoot, I’d even baked homemade pita the night before.

I looked at my kids – dressed in field trippin’ attire – and I said, “Let’s get in the car.”

And so we drove.

Kidnapped on CD in the car. (That counts for school too, you know.)

We were looking for snow. Hopeful, we headed in the direction of the class. I mean, if snow cancelled the day – maybe it could redeem it as well.

Six chapters in and one national park entered and zero snow sighted.

We did find a few giant icicles.

Snow was in a few patches on the steep mountainside. The kids were terribly disappointed that I didn’t let them play by the curvy mountain highway in that patchy snow.

We reached the mountain peak and decided we’d jump on the Blue Ridge parkway.

But it was closed.

In both directions.

(Who closes the parkway?)

I did park the car at Cold Mountain and enjoy the view and a few snacks.

I couldn’t bear to just turn back in the same direction – so I turned right instead.

Which wound us down a mountain and into a town and by a lovely lake.

Lake Junaluska.

Made appealing to me because of its mention in an Avett Brothers song.

We wanted to embrace the lake. The brisk day. The ducks. The American coots. (No. I didn’t know that was the real name of a bird. Hawkeye told me.)

But it was too stinking cold.

So we ate our pitas with tuna in the car. Otto had raisins in his pita. That was odd.

We took a different route home. One that drove us directly by the Krispy Kreme store. The Krispy Kreme store whose “hot and ready now” sign had just that second been turned on.

Several of our children had never seen anything like it. They watched as the donuts of probable high fructose corn syrup passed under the glazed sugary coating. It was terrible. And tempting.

And so we each ate one. (All things in moderation – right, friends?)

We didn’t really accomplish much on our outing.

We spent the majority of our time in a car.

But it felt as if adventure still found us.