Holly River State Park.

This year we took our second trip to beautiful Holly River State Park, in West Virginia. I am not much for camping but this park is amazing. Holly River State Park is located in central W. Va. and is the second largest in the state park system.  It has a total of 8,101 peaceful wooded acres that are located on mountains as tall as 2,800 feet. In case you are looking for more to do, the West Virginia Wildlife Center – WVDNR Wildlife, and  Elk River Public Hunting and Fishing Area are both located closely so you can visit them too during your trip. 

Both times that we have visited we haved stayed  in the cabins. There are 10 cabins availabe for rental during the months of April-November.  They all have bathrooms with showers, open fireplaces, beds with the linens provided, and fully equipped kitchens. The kitchens are so handy and making cooking dinner very easy.  They are very nice, clean, and well kept up.  Cabin number 10 is the largest and most modern, but the other 9 are situated among the lush forest of large trees and offer a more natural setting. The campground features 88 sites with electric hookups. There are 4 bathhouses with toilet facilites for the available for the campers.

cabin # 8

There are many hinking trails ranging in length from .5 miles to 10 miles long. My favorite quick trail is the Nature's Rock Garden.  The trail is right next to the cabins and only takes about 30 minutes to walk- even with my young children.

My daughter loves climbing on the many huge rocks on the trail.

In the Potato Knob section of the park, there are many interesting things to see. We enjoy spending time at the large waterfall called the Upper Falls. 

It was a short hike from there to another stunning place called the shute. Here the creek rushes through a narrow rock fissure and plunges into the water below.

Crusin

It's been awhile since my last post, but I have a really good reason.  I was on a romantic get-away with my darling husband.  On the spur of the moment, we decided to take a cruise to the Bahamas.  It was  a wonderful way to celebrate our anniversary.

Our cruise was on the ship Fascination from the Carnival Cruise line.  The Fascination is part of the Fantasy-class for Carnival. It has 10 decks, is 855 feet long and has a passenger capacity of 2,052.  The ship departed from Jacksonville Florida.

Here is our first view of the ship.  It was taken from inside the Carnival transport bus we took from the airport.

It was very easy to board the ship. The staff was friendly, and checked documentation quickly.  I had never been on a cruise before, and have heard stories of how small the staterooms can be.  I was pleasantly surprised at the size.  It was larger and nicer than I had expected.  We had an ocean view room on the Empress deck. Inside the cabin room, there was a TV, safe, phone, private bathroom, and desk and a large closet. The bathroom was stocked with soap, shampoo and a sample size of lotion.

inside our cabin

There was wide assortment of food on the ship.  Most of it was good, but not fantastic.  There was, however always plenty to eat.  YOU WILL NOT LEAVE HUNGRY!!! Coconut Grove Bar and Grill serves all three meals in a casual, buffet style.  The two dining rooms, Imagination and Sensation, offer traditional dining with two seating times. We got to choose between the 6:00 p.m. seating and 8:00 p.m. There was a formal night in the dining room on the second night of the cruise.  Other option include: a sushi bar, a 24 hour pizza place and ice cream. For beverages, they offered coffee, tea, water, lemonade and iced tea, at all times.  Pop and alcohol must be purchased separately.  For $6.00 a day, you can buy a stamp that lets you have unlimited soda.

 There was quite a bit of entertainment on board. For us, this was a very good thing beacuse it was very cold and rainy during our trip. There were 2 major dance and singing production shows, a tribute to 80's music and one for Latin music. Having grown up in the 80's, I prefered the 80's show! Nothing like hearing Thriller, Like a Vigin, and Money for Nothing all in the same show.   The Fascination also hosts kareoke everyday. Other things to do inculded an onboard casino, a night club, and a comedy club.

Overall, I would highly recommend this ship!  It was very clean, the staff was always courteous and friendly, and I think it was a great trip for the money.

Swiss Festival

The Ohio Swiss Festival

Attending and participating in The Ohio Swiss festival has become a part of our family's traditions. It is a somewhat small event but our family loves it!  You can sample award-winning wine and cheese from local artisans. You can attend or be in the 2 parades,or listen to music ranging from polka to Americana  One of our favorite things at the festival is to watch the Steinstossen,The Throwing of the Stone.  During the Steinstossen, competitors attempt to throw a huge stone which weighs about 138 lbs as far as possible. There is a lighter stone for the ladies event, only 75 lbs.  There is also a 5K run, Yodeling Contest, Swiss Costume Contest, Queen Crowning and of course the Crowning of the Ohio Swiss Festival Grand Champion Cheese Maker.  This year Broad Run Cheesehouse was the grand champion, but my vote is  always for last years champion, Guggisberg Cheese Co. On a personal note, I think Guggisberg Swiss goes very well with a lager beer or a Zinfandel.

Here are some pictures of my son, who won Best Decorated Bike in the Kiddie Parade.

Here are a few of my youngest on his "bike".