Waterslides, Splash Pad, and Swimming at Lake Lure

After reading all about Lake Lure and it's nostalgic filming of the movie "Dirty Dancing", I was intrigued to make a day visit. From Greenville, SC ,Lake Lure is a little over an hour but well worth the beautiful scenic drive up into Chimney Rock State Park, NC. As you drive through the quaint little town, you will see an array of restaurants, shops, and gem mine stores for the kids. It has an old Western type feel with the picturesque backdrop of Chimney Rock in the background.

 Having arrived at the Lake around noon, we noticed that parking was filling up quickly but luckily there seemed to be several spots across the street in front of the historic Lake Lure Inn. Once we had parked and gathered our beach gear, we headed through the main entrance where we were banded after paying the daily fee. The admission for adults was $9.00 and kids 4 to 12 was $7, with under 4 free. You can find pricing and information on www.lakeluretours.com the price of admission includes the waterpark and beach access.


                                                   

 The kids had spotted the waterslides right as we entered and sped off. I noticed that at the bottom of the slides was a lifeguard in the water as well as a lifeguard stand by the swimming area in the lake. In addition to the slides and swimming was a splashpad, as well as a water balloon zone. You could purchase water balloons for an additional cost. There was also restroom facilities and showers. The water was roped for designated swimming and there were many people with rafts, and water toys. You could easily spend all day at the beach with plenty to do for kids and adults. And no trip to Lake Lure is complete without doing "the lift".

 On the way out from the resort area, there was a nice little surprise awaiting us, called The Flowering Bridge. www.lakelurefloweringbridge.org It is free to walk the bridge and is filled with gardens of all types of flowers, plants, and scenery. We all enjoyed reading the history of the bridge as well learning about the various flowers. There were little cutouts of secret gardens and sitting areas and was a perfect end to a perfect day at the lake.


                                                     

The Skinny on "Skinny Dip Falls" in The Blue Ridge Mountains

While it's name may elude to something less than kid friendly, Skinny Dip Falls in North Carolina is a perfect little Summer cool down spot for the whole family. We had started out our day on a mission to find a new swimming hole and after a few wrong turns and some rain showers, we ended up finding this amazing spot just as the sky cleared.

 Being the over prepared mom that I am, I always have changes of clothes, food, water shoes, towels, water, and plenty of gas. Which is a good thing too because finding this particular swimming hole was a bit more challenging. We had started off in the Pisgah National Forest and drove all the way up past Sliding Rock until we reached the Blue Ridge Parkway. Having never been on the Parkway, we were excited to take in all the beautiful overlook viewing areas. Once you reach that point, you begin to head South on the Parkway passing by the most breathtaking views at an elevation of over 4,000 feet. There were no signs for "Skinny Dip Falls" but you will see a viewing area for "Looking Glass Rock" on your left. That is where we noticed people parking and happen to see several of them coming out from across the street. Low and behold, that was the path that would lead you to this incredible swimming hole.

  The path to get down to the falls was truly one of the most unique hikes we have taken so far. Filled with little streams, pebble staircases, and even a tree that we named "The Dragon Tree" which looks as if a mythical creature had been frozen into the forest. The hike itself was easy for kids of all ages and slightly under 1/2 a mile. We could hear rushing water the entire time which made the path feel like it was alive. The kids imagination was certainly running wild.

  Once we had reached the bottom, there was a little bridge that took you over to the top of the falls that cascaded down into multiple little pools. Of course we were excited to get in even though the water was most definitely chilly. There were several larger rocks that kids were jumping off into a deeper section of the falls, so mom had to give it try as well. Once we were in the water, we got used to the temperature but having a hoodie is always a good idea for the way back out. Because the area is so densely covered with trees, the sun was not as warming compared to some of the other swimming holes, but the scenery was just magical.

 Skinny Dip Falls, although a short hike to get to, was probably my favorite hike so far because it felt like walking in a storybook. The drive along the way to reach it was breath-taking, and the falls were for both the adventurous and laid back sort of folk. A perfect Summer adventure from start to finish.

If You Have Never Been to Downtown Greenville in South Carolina before, you are missing out!

If you have never been to downtown Greenville before, I highly recommend you make a visit.

It’s the perfect mix of new meets old where nature and city coexist in harmony.

It’s dog friendly, and the restaurants and shops are complete with dog bowls out front.

There’s live music venues, farmers markets, and trolley rides through Main Street.

In Summer you can take a stroll through the swamp rabbit trail and in

Winter you can ice skate under twinkling Christmas lights that line the streets while Santa rides his sleigh through town.

The Reedy River runs right through the center

 while a waterfall spills over and through the middle of a green space filled with flowers, ducks, and passers by.

The Peace Center and TD center add the element of entertainment with world famous shows and concert events throughout the year. 

It’s clean, safe, family friendly and I couldn’t possibly love it any more than I do!