Explore the 47: Paris Mountain State Park

IMG_9313Can we talk about this outfit for a minute – no – let’s talk about the CHILD for a minute. One thing you should know about Preston… he is never wearing normal clothes. Ever. A couple of weeks ago, we planned to visit Paris Mountain State Park for the day. The kids’ water/river shoes had holes in them (we bought no name brands at Walmart, and I guess  you get what you pay for). We headed to Sunrift Adventures in Travelers Rest to buy new shoes before we went and this is how he dressed.

Fireman coveralls, a shark shirt and, most importantly, snow boots. You gotta love this kid.

IMG_9316It took all morning (almost) but everyone left with a new pair of KEENS. He picked these out – how cute are they?!

IMG_9323After a healthy amount of morning drama (because, with kids, there’s always drama) we finally made it to the park.

IMG_9320Due to it being five hundred degrees, we made him change into shorts. But he had his hiking stick, so all was right in his world.

IMG_9324I love the trees at Paris Mountain.

IMG_9326

IMG_9329During President Roosevelt’s time in office, he began a program called the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). When Paris Mountain was created, the CCC used cost-efficient materials to produce “parkitectures.” This bridge is one of those structures. IMG_9327

IMG_9330

IMG_9331

IMG_9333

IMG_9344We weren’t able to take advantage of everything the park has to offer on this day. The lake is really nice and offers pedal boat, kayak and canoe rentals for a minimal price. Please note: private boats are not permitted in the park lake. 

IMG_9339

IMG_9342

IMG_9338This is my favorite spot. The porch is lined with adirondack chairs and offers complementary Wifi (not that internet service is top priority if you’re exploring a park, but if you work from home and need a change of scenery, it’s the perfect “office”)

IMG_9345 I’m not sure why this photo is a different size?

This is Ranger Shawn. Preston totally wants to be just like him when he grows up. Is it too early to job-shadow at age seven? If not, give us a call, Shawn!

Be sure to check the park website  for special events and other news before you go and have a GREAT time!

*Speaking of special events, Paris Mountain hosts Music in the Woods on Saturdays from 2-4 during September and October. The music is included with park admission. Check their Facebook page  for schedules and updated information*

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s