Usually we have some sort of plans for the weekend. We'll dream them up on monday afternoon when we're exhausted and longing for the weekend that we enjoyed a mere day ago. But this weekend we left our plan book blank. I think it was all the running around of the past week and missing just being home. We lounged around in bed saturday morning and eventually dragged ourselves out of the house just in time to pick up some necessities from the farmer's market. We decided to take a walk around town after and were surprised to discover a delicious new Cuban burger joint! It's definitely a keeper and Birdie was a fan of the lettuce and the rice and beans. 

Then on Sunday I woke up and decided that I was done lounging around and was up for something fun. I thought and thought and finally decided that we should head up to Skyline Drive, to catch the foliage and have a little picnic. This wouldn't be first time I've made such proclamations so I've made sure that our picnic basket is always stocked with plates, cups, napkins, silverware and a tablecloth, this way we only need to grab snacks and we're ready to go in a matter of minutes. On the way there I remembered these lovely outdoor fireplaces they had at the park and thought - hot dogs!! So we made a quick stop at the grocery store and continued on our merry way. 

Skyline Drive was absolutely packed! It wasn't surprising since the foliage is at it's peak and it was such a gorgeous day. We picked up some wood at the main picnic area where people were picnicking side by side like sardines - not really my idea of fun. I've never understood that really. What is the point of going to a "national park" looking for nature only to end up in a giant parking lot eating side by side the same way you would at an outdoor bbq restaurant?? So we kept driving. I knew I would find my little "spot" sooner or later. And lo and behold we did! It's such a lucky find really, it's the only spot of it's kind in the entire park. It's this covered patio with four fireplaces flanked by picnic tables. Considering how windy it was it was a much better place to attempt to start a fire. I walked over there with Birdie and the family using one of the other fireplaces immediately invited me to warm up by their fire. They turned out to be the sweetest people ever as when they saw our pathetic attempts at making a fire they brought us a log from their own and helped us scoop up leaves and dry pine needles to create one of the best fires I've ever seen! Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers!

With our fire roaring we wrapped ourselves in blankets and watched our hot dogs roast. It was perfectly cozy and the scent of burning wood enveloped us and the coals were toasting our frigid feet. Birdie gnawed on a hot dog bun happily and papa bear and I just soaked it all in and sunk deeper and deeper into our chairs. 

It started to near sunset and Birdie was fussing so it was finally time to pack up. We had become so relaxed by that point we could barely move and the heat from the fire had left us feeling fuzzy and drowsy. The drive back down was spectacular as the entire forest was lit up in red by the setting sun. We weren't even all the way down before Birdie fell asleep and so the whole drive home papa bear and I just talked and talked and talked. As we drove up our dirt road papa bear turned to me and said "thanks for being spontaneous, I had the best day." 

Here's to having no plans and a ready picnic basket!