Out of Office...in hiking boots!

First, allow me to apologize for only writing one post in 2014...I got married.  And if you are married, you are well aware that a wedding CONSUMES your life for a long period of time before and even after the big day - which leads me to my current post about an incredible wedding gift that we received from one of our guests.

Last weekend (April 3-5) I created an "Out of Office" Reply for my business email account and The Simple Laugh was temporarily put on hold while my wife and I cashed in on a wedding gift for our one-year anniversary.  The gift was for two paid nights at The Cabins at Crabtree Falls in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.  Mountains replaced Midlothian (my home office location), Scrabble replaced screen-printing, breweries replaced branding and geocaching replaced Geoprovisions - the adventure division of The Simple Laugh.  Time to take a break and escape!

Our stay was specifically gifted for "Annie's Cabin" - the oldest of The Cabins at Crabtree Falls.  Upon arrival, I read the following to my wife from a flyer left for us on our rustic kitchen table:  "This authentic Appalachian log cabin was built circa 1800, making it over 200 years old...It is built of native Chestnut logs and consists of one downstairs room, one upstairs room and a gas stove for heat....For nearly 175 years this tiny cabin served as the home for the Carr family...Annie was the last Carr family member to have lived in the house..."  The 2-page story about Annie's Cabin was really interesting and got both of us excited about our stay, until I read "...the friendly GHOST at Annie's..."  Okay, NOT excited about the "ghost" comment, so I had to sleep, or rather *try* to sleep, with a lit candle next to my bed each night...waiting for something to move.  My Mom always told me, "Be afraid of the living, not the dead."  Uh huh.  Tell that to Carol Ann and Rick Grimes!

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Welcoming daylight, from which ghosts steer away, our outdoor adventure began as we simply made a right out of our driveway and continued for a short 1/4 mile to the trail head for Crabtree Falls - the largest vertical drop East of the Mississippi River with a total drop of 1,200 feet!  During our 1.7 mile/1-hour hike to the top, we encountered wooden stairs, gravel paths, railed overlooks and a spectacular 100-foot bridge over the Tye River.  We also noticed several warning signs to respect the path since 28 people have lost their lives.  On our hike down, we passed a tour bus load of people not taking the Falls seriously.  Uh, why are you tempting Mother Nature in your work flats from DSW?...It rained the previous night...ALL NIGHT!...The wooden stairs are "Pittsburgh SLIPPY" and the path is extremely muddy...You're definitely not wearing those shoes to work on Monday...That is, if you survive.  Is that a newborn baby in your front pack?...Were you unable to get a sitter, or is the baby there intentionally as a cushion in case you fall?  Uh, you might not want to let your little 2-year old run way ahead of you out of sight...in her bedazzled pink sneakers...They look really slippy.  And, you might not want to TEXT while you're walking...Put away your cell phone...there's not a signal for MILES even at the very top of the Falls.  *SIGH*...A stress-free weekend disconnected from technology, yet surrounded by idiots.

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In the end, Crabtree Falls was definitely the highlight of the weekend, but it was also filled with adventures in geocaching, (which included a "Jeeps Only" geocache!), antiquing at Historical Salvage (where we found items for our family room renovation - a rustic fireplace mantel and reclaimed pocket doors), and the sampling of craft beer at two of the local breweries (Devil's Backbone and Wild Wolf Brewing Company).  Thank you, John Fox, for giving my wife and I quality time in the mountains and a very memorable 1st wedding anniversary!

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Hopefully this post has inspired all of you to create an "Out of Office" reply soon and get away for a few days from your job.  Use the links above and plan a long weekend to this beautiful off-the-grid location!  And, leave your work shoes, newborn and cell phone at home.  Just promise to stay on the path ;)

Jodi Stiefvater - Owner
The Simple Laugh/Geoprovisions

https://www.facebook.com/thesimplelaugh