This spring break, instead of going to the beach or relaxing with friends, my parents decided to take me to colleges- UNC Chapel Hill, Duke, and Emory. I was upset that the trip would be a drag and not a real break from normality, but we ended up going to some great hiking trails in between college tours (8 hours). We went to Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina, which we frequent during the Thanksgiving holidays, but had never seen in this season. Actually, because it was rainy and foggy, and many of the trees still hadn't regained their leaves, it seemed more fall-like than the last time we visited! It was gorgeous, and I took plenty of pictures on our too-short breaks while walking up and down the slopes.
View from where we stopped to eat a snack
The days we went hiking were an average of 38 degrees... not so pleasant, but we kept warm while moving
The second day, we went to Gorges State Park, where we found a few signs of Spring despite the chilly weather. Part of the trail was about 1000 wooden steps, which I was dreading having to go back up. It wasn't too difficult, and was worth the view of the waterfalls!
I was inspired to bake for my friend Jon's birthday because I had a craving for cake and I thought it would be fun to decorate a baked good- something I hadn't done in a while (1 hour, April 14). It tasted so good that instead of just the original red velvet cake, I decided to make a lemon pound cake for my brother's birthday (1 hour, April 23). I made cream cheese icing (which I found out has an alarming amount of butter and sugar) and found a new enjoyment in making baked goods for friend and family birthdays, which I consider successful!
