South Mountains State Park, Jacob Forks River, NC

When you’re craving the stars, the smell of a campfire, a walk through the woods, or just a simple change of scenery, sometimes a romp in your neck of the woods is all you need for a nice mini escape.

Here’s a little recap of a recent camping trip I took just about 1 1/2 hrs from my home in Asheville, NC.

(P.S. my boyfriend said the title of this blog post could be the name of a bluegrass song! haha, pretty fitting since we live in the south!)

 

Can you spot the snake? He was hanging out in this pile of leaves and twigs on the side of a bridge that crossed the river; we passed carefully so as not to spook him in case he was poisonous.

snake, South Mountains State Park, NC

pathway, South Mountains State Park, NC

 

A vegan campfire meal of asparagus, zucchini and tempeh.

vegan grilling, campfire

 

The next morning our hike provided beautiful nearly neon green scenery and the forest’s roar of cascading water.

waterfall, South Mountains State Park, NC

 

Another little (cute!) snake on the trail on our way up to the main waterfall.

yellow ringed neck snake, South Mountains State Park, NC

yellow ringed neck snake, South Mountains State Park, NC

waterfall, South Mountains State Park NC, Jacob Fork River

 

At the top of the waterfall the water looked so calm- you’d never know from above just how fast and powerful it goes rushing down to the rocks below.

Jacob Fork River, top of waterfall, South Mountains State Park NC

 

After the hike it was time for some…. whisky! (I know, usually it’s an IPA, but hey sometimes ya gotta switch things up : )

We visited a local distillery (Defiant) where we took an intimate one-on-one tour of the facility with all kinds of cool & enlightening info about how the whisky is made.

entrance, Defiant whiskey, Blue Ridge Distilling Co., NC

whisky being made, Defiant, Blue Ridge Distilling Co., NC

whiskey distilling, Defiant, Blue Ridge Distilling Co., NC

pure whiskey distilling, Defiant, Blue Ridge Distilling Co., NC

unlabeled whisky bottles, Defiant, Blue Ridge Distilling Co., NC

 

The whisky bottles are all labeled manually, which to me adds to the charm of this independently owned and industry pioneering distillery that uses pure mountain spring water to craft their award-winning libations.

labeling whisky, Defiant, Blue Ridge Distilling Co., NC

 

I love to see a local company that makes a great product succeed– especially one that challenges industry norms and pushes boundaries– redefining what it takes to excel in their craft.

A visit to their facility was the perfect end to a soul-nourishing outdoors weekend getaway– as it served as a wonderful reminder to me as an entrepreneur and business owner that you gotta stick to and stand up for what you believe in and not be afraid of trying new and unconventional things.

Mini escape mission accomplished: renewed creativity and inspiration restored. 🙂


Leave a comment and tell me: what’s your favorite way to end the day after a hike? Have you ever visited a local distillery?

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