Lemonade

The weather was beautiful the day we hiked up to the top of Crabtree Falls. It was a scenic adventure I will never forget. The trail was well marked and wound back and forth on the steep slope for easier traveling. At several spots we would come to an overlook and take lots of pictures of the family, the dog, and the waterfall from every angle. This waterfall, situated near a portion of the Appalachian Trail in Montebello, Virginia, boasts the highest vertical-drop, cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi. It was spectacular. And we never would have known about it had it not been raining in Pennsylvania.

Things don't always go the way we plan. When they don't, and we come to a road block, we have two options. We make the most of it, take the detour and keep moving. Or we stop and stare at the road block helplessly. When I look back at my favorite adventures, it is surprising how many of those adventures happened on the detours.

Several years ago we had planned to go to the Creation Festival in Western Pennsylvania. I was so excited, knowing this was going to be the best family vacation yet. We had all our camping gear packed up in the car and all the arrangements made. I double and triple checked that our festival tickets were packed and not to be left behind. One last look at the festival website the night before we were to leave brought our plans, and my heart, to a screeching halt.

Due to excessive rain, and for the safety of everyone involved, the Creation Festival was postponed until the following year. Postponed. I cried. I actually did. Sobbed, actually. It went on for a while before I angrily announced: "I am not unpacking that car until we go camping."

My wonderful husband - Just thinking about this makes me want to hug him tight - my husband sat down at the computer and said, "ok, let's see where we can go." When we looked at the map on weather.com there was rain everywhere. The only way to choose a place was to find a hole in the big mass of green. That hole was in Montebello, Virginia. A little research was done, a quick reservation made, and we were making lemonade.

The place was perfect. The weather was fantastic, with only a little rain here and there. The campground had a lake for fishing, trails for hiking, nearby attractions like Crabtree Falls, and very few people, which suits us just fine. It may have been the most relaxing bonding-time we've had as a family.

Sometimes I wonder if God looks at us making our plans and thinks, "If they think they will like that, wait till they see this!"