Elizabeth's Secret Garden

One of my dreams and ambitions is to visit all 50 states and so this year, I’ve started chipping away at making my way across the United States. I’ve visited Illionois, Alabama, Mississipi, and Louisiana this year and in summer I’ll be going to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delware. And so, to begin the new quest, Christmas week, my roommate and I began our “Grand Road Trip” to the southern states. We traveled from North Carolina all the way to Louisana with Alabama and Mississippi as our main stops. The total time to travel from North Carolina to Louisana without stops is 13 hours. One of our main stops was Little River Canyon National Preserve which is located on the top of Lookout Mountain near Fort Payne, Alabama. We took the scenic drive which has 9 different stops along the way. The first entry point is at the 45-foot waterfall. We were blessed to get to go at a time when the water flow was strong. Nature never ceases to amaze me as I witness the creativity and artistry of our gr...

It’s been a dream in the making. A wait of 5 + years to see the largest privately owned house in the United States. And with that, welcome to the Biltmore Estate. A house of 250 rooms with 35 bedrooms for family and guests and 43 bathrooms. Construction began in 1889 and continued into 1896. It was opened up to family and friends on Christmas Eve 1895. I can just imagine the remarks of awe and wonder at such a luxurious home. No expense was spared with such an intensive display of wealth. The construction of the main house required 1,000 workers and 60 stonemasons. Vanderbilt went overseas to bring home furnishings such as tapestries, hundreds of carpets, linins, and other decorative objects. http://www.biltmore.com/ Upon entering, your first stop will be the Winter Garden. I highly recommend the audio tour which will walk you through the Biltmore, describing the history and background of the various rooms, kitchens, dining halls, and other areas. The banquet hall is the largest room i...

There I stood, at the edge of the cliff daring to look out into the wilderness with thousands of feet from where we were to the ground. The air was chilly, but with the frequent movement it was almost nonexistent or at least it seemed so. I just wanted to take it all in. It was like all the stress and anxiety was washed away and there I was feeling God’s presence in the most miraculous way. It had taken climbing steep hills and over large boulders to reach the top, but worth every step. And then as we looked out into the distance, a cloud was encircling the moutain. You could see the breeze pushing it around.   Foscoe point Grandfather Mountain State Park is known for the South’s most severe weather and most challenging terrain, but eight of us convened out on this trip with at least 35 pounds on our back and some around 45. We were courageous. The adventure seeker outers. It was my first time camping in a tent. I cherish the times my grandparents would take us camping in their ai...

Going to Downtown Chicago three times during my stay in Illonois, made the trip feel like three trips rolled into one. I’m a more nature minded kind of girl, but big cities fascinate me. For the final visit to Chicago before flying on home, I got the best of both worlds. Seeing Lake Michigan was like a huge bonus. It wasn’t on my radar, so when I realized we were going to get to go along the famous lake shore coast line, I was very happy. The Greatest Challenge… Hands down is parking and so if you haven’t opted for the public transit, then check out https://en.parkopedia.com/ . Each time you park it can cost about $22 for just a couple hours and once you go through, even if you make a mistake, you’ve got to pay the price. I speak from experience. The lady though was kind enough to refund us, but don’t risk it! Do a search on your location and see which places are cheapest. If you’re planning to go to Navy Pier, the Lakefront Trail is a popular and well-known route. Just be prep...

I thrive on adventure, going places, meeting new people. I’ve said yes to eating the hottest pepper in the world and going out on a piece of glass (the skydeck) to look straight down at the Chicago city below. The competition to the Sky Deck, meet the Chicago 360. It’s home is the John Hancock Center, a 100-story, 1,228-foot building. That’s a lot of floors! Designed by Brue Graham and engineered by Fazlur Khan, this building was brought to a completion on May 6, 1968. It was at the time the second tallest building in the word. It now holds the title of the eighth-tallest building in the US. The views are remarkable. You get to look out to an all around view of the city, see up to four states, and look a distance of 80 miles out. Some may say that facing your fears is the best way to cure them and I find it to be true. I have a “slight” dislike of heights and figured that going on the Chicago 360 and then the Sky Deck (a jump up from the 360) was a great way to cure those feelings. I c...