Ranger

In loving memory of Ranger. 

1-2000 to 7-2016

I feel blessed to have had Ranger in my life at for 15 of his 16 years. He was a smart, loving and kind Labrador retriever. He had a huge personality and could always make me smile. He was sweet but definitely the alpha dog in the house. We adopted him from Pet Orphans in Van Nuys, California. They found him at a local animal shelter. One of my favorite memories of him will always be… During our adoption home check I showed them our dog doors and the dog-run where he would go potty. I was told "that dog will never do that". I said , "give him 10 minutes ". I was wrong, it only took him 5 minutes. I really can't take any credit for that. Ranger was scary-smart.

He was a known escape artist who love to explore. If we weren't careful, when a door would open he would wander out. Luckily he loved people and people loved him. Neighbors would escort him back home and strangers would call us after reading his tags. His wandering spirit never stopped.

After we started traveling in the motorhome, Ranger could not have been happier. He got to travel and explore with his family. He got to visit many state and national parks. He left his mark in countless forests, lakes and trails. Truck stops and rest stops were equally fun. He traveled in and out and through so many different states. He clocked in an estimated 20,000 miles.  Definitely, a life well lived!



I will forever miss my love puppy.
Rest in peace, Ranger. 

Brevard, North Carolina

While staying in Asheville, we stumbled across another treasure. From that point on we found ourselves making daily trips. Brevard is located approximately 20 miles south of Asheville,  Even though the population is under 8000, with the exception of downtown, everything is pretty spread out. I recommend a good road map and an idea of what you want to see each day. To say this city is beautiful would definitely be an understatement. Brevard has gorgeous green mountains, forests, lakes and waterfalls. In fact, Brevard is known as The Land Of Waterfalls.


  
The DuPont Forest is located here. To be precise, Dupont is southeast of Brevard, between Hendersonville and Brevard. Officially, it is The Dupont State Recreational Forest. This is where scenes from the movies, The Last of the Mohicans and The Hunger Games were filmed.

DuPont is loved for its miles of hiking trails, mountain biking, horseback riding, and swimming etc. If your a wheelchair user (like I am) there is no reason to feel left out. When you present your Access Pass to the ranger in the main office, you will be allowed to drive through the park. Triple Falls, High Falls and The Bridge are set up for wheelchairs. They all have parking, a picnic areas and wheelchair accessible Andy Gumps. Be warned… I could see everything and should've been perfectly happy, but I thought I could get a closer look. My front wheel got stuck in a rut and I took a tumble out of my chair. A lot of people came running to give me a hand. No harm no foul… Except for my ego nothing was hurt. After my husband finished giggling, he told me that on the previous day both he and two of his friend fell off their bikes in the same area. I became a proud member of the "I wiped out here club".










  







Also adjacent to Brevard is The Pisgah Forest. I think this is one of the most spectacular places on the planet. Every moment took my breath away. I literally felt like I was living inside a beautiful oil painting. The lush forest is full of high peaks and cascading waterfalls. Most of the sites have areas to pull your car over and take pictures. Also, pack a lunch because there are picnic tables everywhere.

 
On Highway 276, as you enter The Pisgah National Forest you will find Dolly's Dairy Bar. This is a MUST STOP for great ice cream. 


A little further up 276 is the Ranger Station and Visitor Center. Continue up 276 and you will see Looking Glass Falls, Sliding Rock Falls and a Vanderbilt hunting cabin. 
You can see Looking Glass Falls from the road. There is an accessible overlook for a better view. Stairs go down to the bottom of the falls but they are not very accessible.

Sliding Rock is a fun activity spot. For just $1 per day you can actually slide down and play in the waterfall. This is not an accessible activity, but the viewpoint is.

 



One of Vanderbilt's hunting cabins still stands.







Topping 276 is The Blue Ridge Parkway with several accessible overlooks.

Downtown Brevard is relatively flat and touristy. There are many fun little shops, restaraunts and a retro movie theatre. While you are there I recommend eating and Millberry's café.



 


The co-ed movie theater is a retro experience with first run movies for only $7 during the day and $8 at night.
The popcorn is pretty great, also!



 




* Sidenote… Another reason that I love this place could be because my favorite holiday is Halloween, and Brevard is the County Seat  of Transylvania county.