We have talked about our great neighborhood and the group neighbors we consider friends. We have several pages on adventures we have shared. When everyone started talking about another weekend outing and going to a camping resort, Lynn and I were like no, no, we are out. The last one did not work so well for us. We are not campers.
Well as it turns out this outing was planned for a weekend at Emberglow Camping Resort. This is a campground with traditional camping spots, but they also offer tiny houses, vintage camper trailers, and yurts as part of the facility. When we found out we could book a tiny house with a bathroom, kitchen, heat, etc. then we did a 180. We could totally be on board with that.
The trip was planned for the weekend of Friday, September 16th through the Sunday, the18th. This would be a large crowd from the neighborhood because these accommodations are good for families with kids of all ages. The location is in the foothills close to all kinds of activities so folks could do their own thing during he day and we hang out at the camp site at night.
This would be a large crowd: Lynn and myself, Curtis and Tanya with kids, Jeff and Sherry, Brent and Amy, Chris and Meredith with kids, Josh and Jen with one teenager, Robert and Kerri with one teenager, Jeff and Lisa, Mike and Michelle, and BJ and Anna with kids. Whew! What a crowd!
I forget who arranged the T-shirts but this has become a thing for the group. T-shirts to commemorate the outing. We really looked like some sort of corporate team building exercise.
The front:
And the back:
So Lynn and I rolled into the campground around 6:00pm on Friday, just as it was getting dark. We got checked in and were really pleased with the tiny house. It had everything we would need. This place was really cool. Those vintage campers were mostly restored to original condition and had some serious style.
Most folks were already there so after getting unloaded we walked over to join the group at the campfire. We all know each other so well there really are no surprises. We can joke and be ourselves and act like idiots. In other words, lots of fun!
After a fun night around the fire we retreated to our tiny house. I have to say it was pretty sweet! This is my kind of camping! Could I live in a tiny house? Hell no. But for short periods of time this is a damn good set up.
The next morning we had coffee on the porch and were able to get a better look around in the daylight.
Everyone basically had their own plan for the day. Lynn and I were going to Lake Lure for the Flowering Bridge, and into Chimney Rock. We would meet up with some of the crowd later at Burnt Shirt Vineyards. Amy is a wine aficionado and takes every opportunity to try out vineyards where ever she goes. We follow her lead on that.
We donned our T-shirts and headed out! The Flowering Bridge is the old bridge that was abandoned when a new bridge was built over the Broad River in the town of Lake Lure. It was built in 1925 and turned into a flower garden in 2011. It is maintained by local volunteers and is open to public year round. Lynn is a plant lover so this was a special stop for her.
After the Flowering Bridge we drove through Chimney Rock and made a special stop for me. Chimney Rock Brewing Company. I like beer. This is one of my stops whenever I am in the area.
From there we walked across the street to Burnt Shirt Vineyards Tasting Room & Bistro. Now this is not the actual vineyard where we are to meet up with some of the other folks later. This is basically a restaurant and bar that is run by the vineyard. We had lunch there and enjoyed live music on the patio. The view of Chimney Rock is impressive. We also ran into Jeff and Sherry from our neighborhood group there. All wearing the same shirt...LOL.
From there we headed over to the actual vineyard to meet up with the other folks. We had myself and Lynn, Jen and Josh, Jeff and Sherry, Robert and Kerri, and Brent and Amy. What a goofy group we are, but we have fun!
After that it was back to base camp! We passed a sunflower farm along the and Lynn absolutely loved it. We had to stop.
Back at the campground we spent the rest of the evening cooking, playing games, and just hanging out by the camp fire. A lot of fun!
The next morning was all about a big breakfast and packing up. Josh had brought his flat top grill and was cranking out eggs, bacon, and sausage for everyone. Got to love these folks!
And so it was time to pack up and head back home. We see these folks all the time in neighborhood and we get together often, but there is something special about bonding with friends over food and a camp fire away from home and all the baggage that comes with it. This was a fantastic weekend. We are so fortunate to have such good friends.
"TRAVELING - it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller."
lbn Batutta
Please feel free to leave a comment in the comment section below. Also, I can be reached at Rocky@Rocklyns.com should you feel the need to reach out.
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