When I requested that two of my sons’ families meet somewhere so I could see the grandchildren all together, the plan was made to meet in the North Carolina Mountains, near Grandfather Mountain. Since it was my first visit, as we were winding up and down switchback roads, my stomach told me I wasn’t coming out anytime soon.
Nestled in a bark cabin in the woods, we had plenty of playtime with the kids but ventured out for kid-friendly outings too.
My oldest grandson knows that he is my “shopping buddy” and when we go in a store he needs to put his hands in his pockets. They are much safer that way. Since this area is rich with artisans and shops filled with pottery, glass, woven goods and paintings, it is a rich lesson for preschoolers. Exploring Linville and Blowing 
Rock, we saw funky clocks made out of metal, frogs that spouted water out of their mouths, old metal advertising plates with Harley Davidson motorcycles, moving garden sculptures of cats going fishing and even a four paned window with a cow painted on it.
Of course I’ll admit that when we sat down in the park to listen to the Blue Grass band, the kids preferred the slides, playhouses and jungle gyms, but at least I felt like I had given them a little culture.
