Spring Break 2026

It was some time after Christmas that my friend Darlene mentioned that she would like to take me up to her favorite mountain some day. I don't think she was expecting the some day to be so soon, I even surprised myself, but I absolutely wanted to go... right away! I said she had asked me at just the right time because Völund was only just becoming the age where I would be okay with leaving him for a longer amount of time. We made a plan and I spent three months anticipating this trip. What a trip it was!

I felt nervous about leaving both my kids for a week for the first time so of course I thought of them constantly. I took pictures of the plane to show them. You may have seen a plane enough times before, but here is another one. I thought the kids would like the heart on the door. <3

I did feel better knowing they were with Jacob and that he didn't have to drop them off during the day for work. He was able to take time off so they were together the entire time. A reassurance for me, but definitely a first for the rest of them!

I had spent the night before my departure listing off a million things that Jacob could certainly handle on his own but I just had to say anyways. I talked so long that even with a great effort to stay awake, his eyelids succumbed to a deep slumber. I continued my enumeration on food, school, clothes, activities, bedtime, hugs, love, and playtime, until I had exhausted every worry in my mind and at last went to sleep.

I landed in Pensacola, Florida and got to spend the weekend with my in-laws and my grandma before Darlene picked me up on Monday.

The drive was five hours and after nearly six years of traveling with kids, I can attest that a five hour drive with an adult is a walk in the park! Not to mention, if that adult is your friend that you get to see only once a year, if that, then a five hour drive is truly enjoyable.

The cheerful snow flurries made everything feel magical during our final accent up the mountain. They wafted through the air and at times whisped across the road in thin streams of fluffy white. At least it felt magical to me. I looked out the window with much eagerness but Darlene kept her focus on the road since snow is the natural enemy of all native born Floridians.

Now I have a lot to get to, and there is a lot more to Darlene then just being from Florida, so let's start with our arrival at the cabin and a proper introduction to my dear friend.

Darlene and I met during the Summer of 2018 where we both worked at a local produce store. She came there as a teacher looking for a summer job and I found the place as a newlywed looking for a grocery discount to supplement my husband and I's desperately small food budget.

Darlene and I would sometimes be assigned to neighboring registers and when there were no customers we chatted away our long ten hour shifts. Before we knew it we were friends. Work, though, is a pretty boring place to have a friendship and you know that weird phase when you have a friend that you've never seen outside of work before? Well, since we knew the summer would end and Darlene would move on we had to get over that phase pretty quickly. Plus, I'm pretty sure our boss would assign us separate registers at times to keep us from talking. Ha! Thankfully we were both eager for a new friend so we hit it off with a coffee at a little breakfast cafe, and tellingly, seated outdoors. It was all history from there.

In a way this trip was sort of like then. We had known each other less than a year before Jacob got stationed in Colorado and we moved across the country. Darlene and I kept up with texts and eventually day visits when me and my family would come down to visit my in-laws. Now after eight years of long distance friendship I wondered if we would be good friends up close again. Later Darlene told me she wondered the same thing, but it turns out we are both silly gooses. Of course we are good friends, any time any place!

DAY ONE

These are pictures of our arrival at the cabins. You can see the tiny bit of snow that managed to stick on the trees for that night.

We parked the truck and after our first quick look across the property we entered the log cabin. We stocked the refrigerator and snack pantry, hung our coats and hats on the hook by the door, tucked our boots neatly in a row, and turned on the gas fireplace. I lugged my suitcase up the irregular wooden stairs and at the top was met with a choice. One room was obviously much nicer than the other. Should I take the big room or not? I thought of how she and Vito came up here often so I said, "I'll take the big room this time since you'll probably come back here."

Darlene laughed and carried her things to the side room and I plopped my suitcase onto the giant bed in the loft. A quilt hung over the railing where I leaned over to see the fireplace below. I would have no problem keeping warm up here! With the bedrooms sorted and house made up we were ready to start our evening of cooking and listening to music.

The hush of night settled over the mountainside while our voices murmured in the cabin. Flames flickered in the hearth and my multicolored woolen socks peeked out from under my tucked up legs. Our conversation wandered here and there just as our wine filled tea cups (because the cabin had no glass) swayed lazily in the air. They landed upon the arm rests, the tops of our knees, the side table, or were hugged securely in our hands as we sipped into the night. Before bed we shuffled into the dark and marveled at the stars for only a moment before the cold March air nipped our little Floridian and Texan tails back inside.

DAY TWO

The next morning we drove to Chattanooga, Tennessee where we met another friend of Darlene's. What a treat for Darlene! Its not often one gets to see two long distance friends at the same time. I was happy to meet Jesse too as its very easy to compartmentalize a friendship that's largely through text. It was neat to see my friend being a friend, a new and different perspective. Jesse was easy to talk with too so the morning slipped away peacefully. We enjoyed our teas from Understory Tea House, mine a delicious golden turmeric latte, just sweet enough. Darlene gravitated towards a fig latte before even realizing that Jesse developed the recipe herself.

After morning tea, we stopped for lunch then walked along Main street just before West side Chattanooga. The spring flowers were beautiful and I was so happy to have Darlene with me, because, I should have mentioned before, she is not only a teacher, but is a special education horticultural teacher. That is to say, we both wanted to stop and look at plants and talk about them, and take pictures, so neither of us felt hurried by the other.

Next up we headed for the river park and some shops.

The sun sparkled in the water and down past the second bridge the riverboat blew its horn, I called back to Darlene, "The boat is singing!" Because it really did feel that way, with the wind blowing, the birds flying by, and the splat splatting of the water rippling past the rocks. To my left was a tall cliff of exposed rock that drives straight into the river. I climbed back up.

Darlene said, "You're doing what I normally do, I would be the one going out there on the rocks."

"I wanted to hear the water against the rocks. You can hear it better out there."

"That's why I like to go out there!"

We kept walking and I waved out towards the river, "I've always wondered what places like this would look like as a wilderness, before all the cities were made. Can you imagine that? Just trees and the wild? I've never seen anything like that, all the big rivers are always built around with the city."

I imagined the early American explorers and the sort of land they were traversing in those days. I don't think I even really know what a wilderness is. There's always something, an airplane, a scrap of Styrofoam caught in a bush, or a crushed bottle, or at the least a scrawny power line or a desolate train track. The closest I probably came to feeling the vastness of the world was during a different Spring Break maybe ten or eleven years ago. I was probably twenty years old.

I was at the top of a mountain in Wyoming with my brother and some friends, We were off-roading in a pickup shooting jackrabbits, more for the thrill than anything else, as of course we missed all of those poor creatures. No wonder too, the driver careened through the fields dodging boulders, shrubs, and giant clumps of prairie grass while we planted our butts in the window, one hand holding the safety bar and the other arm brandishing the shotgun, or rifle, or whatever the heck that thing was, At the end we laid down on the rocky ground and looked up at the stars. Pitch black night but a sky glowing with thousands of lights all around. Even then, though, we could see the slow red blinking of the towers at the refinery a few mountain ridges away from us.

Coolidge Park alongside the Tennessee River is far from a wilderness, but it made me happy too. I kept thinking of how much the kids would like this place. We walked along for a while and then headed to a thrift shop that Jesse had recommended we check out. I found a dress to try on and Darlene picked out a few things for my opinion.

First I said, "It reminds me of Doctor Who's companion, Mary Jane!" And then the next one, "This is like Steve Irwin!"

Darlene, exasperated, sighed, "You're killing me Lydia!"

But I laughed and said, "Those are all things I love though! It's a good thing!"

The dress I found didn't fit me, and when Darlene tried on the other's they didn't work either, until she tried a sweater.

"It's perfect, it looks like you already own it!"

So our thrifting was a success and eventually after visiting a book store we made it back to our parking before the meter ran out.

That night at the cabin we tried a fire.

It never got very big and the cold was setting in but we had already started so we were determined to sit out there. Darlene managed to have a few reasons to go inside the warm cabin while I worked out in the cold.... ;-) *wink wink* She brought out the wine and we huddled up on the bench talking into the night once again. We shared some burdens and wonderings and musings on the past but at the end Darlene had me telling her my overnight hiking stories from the Superstition Mountains in Arizona. (Two bangers of a story btw, but that will have to keep for another day)

DAY THREE

The day before had started so quickly that on this morning we took our time getting ready. Although I didn't go out for a morning walk, I had done it the day before and this time Darlene went out. I'll go ahead and share some pictures from the Bear Creek Log Cabins property.

That morning we went to Fort Payne. It was "Coffee Wednesday" for Darlene so we went to her favorite coffee shop called The Bakehouse on 1st Street in Fort Payne.

The rest of the day was dedicated to seeing the local state parks and visiting Mentone. Our first stop was Brow Park.

We didn't get many pictures from here as we were busy talking and I was climbing around on the large boulders, but the view was pretty cool overlooking the valley below us. The homes alongside Brow Park were neat to look at too.

From there we parked by Mentone Market and walked along the shops. The artist community is strong in Mentone so there were many hand made souvenirs. I purchased a wooden Christmas ornament and a sticker print of the very same artwork that Darlene had purchased for her home in the past. We also got lucky and made it into an art studio that should have been closed. I found a wedding gift for my sister there and viewed the interesting artworks.

My favorite part of Mentone was the meditation garden outside St. Josephs on the Mountain Episcopal Church.

The garden was mostly dormant but a few plants were beginning to wake up. Darlene walked the rock labyrinth and I followed the walking path marked with the plackets depicting the Crucifixion story. After a bit I went to join her but was too excited to do any meditating. Instead I started picking up fallen nuts under the hickory trees. I picked out the ones that looked interesting or were cracked in a particular way. I also gathered up smooth pebbles from the walkway and a leaf from the English Ivy that was growing all around. I thought Völund would enjoy holding the little pieces. Each in our own way, Darlene more reflective, and me more on the playful side, we made our way to a bench with little prayer journals tucked underneath.

I pulled out the snacks I had packed from the house. Some cheese rounds, nuts, and what I affectionately dubbed my "pocket bacon". The journals were filled with thoughts, prayers, and reflections from people all around the country. For a minute I felt that I should have something profound to write in this journal, for some particular person to find later and somehow inspire them to some great deed or a turn in life or something grand like that. But I pushed the prideful thought aside and wrote what I was feeling instead.

"Thank you God for such a happy life, - Lydia Dearrington from some place far away."

Later I told Darlene that I said "some place far away" because I felt that my life in the present moment had come so far away from what it had been before. As a child my family used to frequently visit the Appalachian Mountains so coming back to that environment had me feeling nostalgic almost the entire time. It really does make me happy to feel where I am now and I'm thankful for it every day. We sat mostly in silence. A small laugh from me when I made a joke and Darlene teased me back. A munch munching of food and the two of us breathing in the fresh air. The birds rustled the leaves nearby and squirrels scurried under the dormant bushes.

Next up was Desoto Falls. I loved this spot. Immediately it brought back memories of the city park of downtown Greenville South Carolina, called Reedy River Falls park. My family would visit for bike rides, walks along the paths and my favorite part, playing in the river. There were also mountain hiking trails we would go on. Sliding Rock in Pisgah National Forest was one of them, where we would slide down the slippery rock but there were definitively others. This land feature of flat granite or slate rocks layered in shelves were common in varying degrees in the mountains of my childhood. I never knew how lucky I was to play around in these type of rivers and streams until I moved to the Midwest.

Desoto Falls was too tall of a drop off for safe sliding but seeing the way they were made instantly made me giddy with happiness. The smell of the air, the rushing of the river, all of it was thrilling!

I tried taking a video of going up these steps but it turned out poorly. The inscription says,

"Everybody needs beauty
as well as bread
places to play in
and pray in
where nature may heal
and give strength
to body and soul"
-John Mutr

Darlene spotted some pretty flowers along the falls and stopped for a picture. She was so fast that I told her to pose again so I could have a picture of "Darlene being Darlene"

This is the picture she took.

I didn't realize until seeing the pictures later that I kept gripping my hands with glee. I was truly falling in love with this place. If only I could go back to Reedy River Falls, or Sliding Rock! I decided again while standing there, as I did countless times during this trip, that I would take my family back to the mountains of my youth.

The last part of that day's exploration was a looped drive around Little River Canyon Parkway. We pulled off on all the look out spots to enjoy the view. For these photos I'm not sure I could describe them. There is no way I can capture the immense beauty of that place through these pictures. There is no way too feel what its like to be in there through the simple typing of a digital blog post.

The beginning of the loop began at Little River Falls overlook. Here in this spot I felt a sense of peace and belonging when I saw the sunbeam in my phone screen. As we drove along the parkway we gained elevation and the views became increasingly stunning. I am so grateful that my friend brought me to these places!

I really did try to get some landscape photos but these are the best I could get. You'll have to trust me when I say that this drive was incredible. I've driven to the top of Pikes Peak, walked along the rim of the Grand Canyon, stood atop of a volcano, trekked countless hikes in the mountains, desert, and forests, walked through caves, swam the gulf, dipped my hands in the Great Lake Michigan, canoed down rivers, went white water rafting in Montana - I could fill a book with all the things I've been blessed to experience. Each time I go out into God's world I am astounded. There is nothing else I would rather be doing than being with my family and living in this beautiful world. I am so glad to be able to remember Little River Canyon as another one of these places.

Since I couldn't get any pictures on this drive that can communicate with you the wonder I felt here, I turned my attention to the smaller things around me.

Look how these plants are growing at the crest of the canyon. They have no idea where they are, how the wind sweeps through the mountain sides, how the squawking geese soar below them. They just grow, quiet in their own place becoming a part of the beauty around them. I wonder at how many times we have gone through life oblivious of our place in the world,

Here we are at possibly the best view of this drive.

We came through during the Golden Hour, just as if it were a fairy tale.

At the next stop I couldn't resist the thrill of the drop. I just had to sit on the edge.

To end the drive we searched for the rock where Darlene had first stood on the edge of a cliff. We couldn't quite find the exact spot but got pretty close.

It was getting dark at this point so we made our way back to the cabin, just a short jog since the canyon loop went just behind our cabin. In fact, Darlene pointed out to me that if you listen closely you can hear the rushing of the water even from the cabin porch.

Darlene cooked a curry with veggies and also a delicious rice and quinoa blend for dinner that night. These pictures are from our first dinner but I thought I would break them up. This night we shared a bowl of strawberries like we had the night before and sat on the sofa by the fire while Darlene told me stories of her students.

DAY FOUR

The next morning we hurried to pack up our things. We stopped at the main house to buy a t-shirt before we left and I also got a picture of the goats that I had been wanting to show the kids. They were far off though so the picture wasn't much good. What was very exciting were the antlers I found in the owners yard! Undoubtedly one of their hounds that we heard often howling across the fields had carried home a prize. I picked it up, eyes gleaming with a most mischievous idea... Could I take these antlers home with me on the airplane?

In addition to the antlers I also collected more specimens to show the kids. Picking this pine cone and pollen bud was quite pokey!

If you look closely by the t-shirt in the wider range shot, you can see the antlers I hooked over the fence. What do you think, did I manage to get them home with me?

We took in our last view over the cow pasture and began our trip back. It felt longer than it did on the way there because we made a stop at Petals From The Past plant nursery in Jemison Alabama. Darlene shopped for plants for her classroom and home and I wandered the grounds searching for interesting things to show the kids. The picture of the ladybug was for Mai because I knew if she were there she would have stopped to catch it. There was a pond and what looked like the beginning of a woodland walking trail. They have a vineyard and greenhouses, a shopping center with garden supplies, little gifts, trinkets, and a friendly old dog who likes to lounge in the shade of the porch. If you check their website you will see they put on events and host educational workshops and lectures too. It was a neat place!

The selfie picture makes me laugh because when Völund saw it later he gasped and laughed and said, "A food? On your head!" He kept on saying I had food on my head and after many guesses, it seems that he thinks my headband looks like a hot dog. As I've been writing this blog post over several days in fact, he has asked again and again to see the picture. Each time he laughs and exclaims, "A food??" It is the funniest thing!

That is our trip for the most part. I feel like I have run out of things to say. There was a funny bit when Darlene was dropping me back off at my in-laws. We arrived before they were home and I didn't check the door to go in so we just sat in the front waiting around. When they got out of their car they were laughing and asking why I hadn't opened the door. "We would never leave you locked out!" and then they kept laughing and tried to stop me from going in the side door as usual and said they would come around to open the front for me. I protested and said, "No! I'm not a guest, don't open the front door!" and I followed them into the house.

Also, since it makes me laugh to say this as well... Darlene has expertise in a particular plant subject that she doesn't very much like! ;-)

Also, here are all the bits I ended up bringing home.

I hope you all enjoyed the pictures, and hope that maybe a few of you read all of my text too! I love writing and sharing my adventures. I hope to keep up with this more.

Until next time,
much love to all my friends and family!

-Lydia