Royalty for the day

The plan was meet at DD at 7:30 am. It had to be DD because Leopard Forest is not open on Sunday. :O(


This was a day we had been planning for a few weeks, pretty much since the Mountain Mystery event. It was a special invitation to box at America's Castle with dtandfambly (at least 2 of them .... 't' and 'j').


After some coffee and donuts, the 4 of us loaded into my expedition, backpacks secured and clues printed and headed up the mountain to be royalty for the day.


Our first stop was to visit a lady of biltmore. Then into the grounds of the castle and to Vanderbilt. We promised the kids a quick tour of the house, and they soon became members of the Biltmore Commodore's Cub Club. Like most kids they could have skipped the majority of the house and headed right for the basement. We left the house and had a snack in the stable courtyard. We were all ready, it was kinda windy and cold, but we were all looking forward to a day of boxing. We visited the garden, met Fredrick Law Olmsted & Richard Morris Hunt and took a ride gently down the stream. We made our way back to the castle and took the bus back to our car.


On to the river's edge we drove. Found a parking spot and went in search of the treasure that 't' was determined to find...... America's Castle. First things first, we visited the weeping tree. To us, this was a tree right out of Harry Potter. While 't' and I stamped in, the kids were having a blast pretending and running around. It was really windy but we were not going ANYWHERE without the treasure. We trudged on along the fence line, fighting the wind, 't' playing tow truck and pulling the 2 kids along (as they were getting very tired and it was cold). I assure you, she was as determined to have this box as I was to have her bloodroot box ! We finally reached the 3rd turn and the smile on 't's face was beyond priceless. I was speechless. This was worth every bit of the hunt, the wind, the cold, the whines, it was worth ALL of it. The kids got a little rest while we admired this wonderful piece of artistry. This is a must have for ANY letterboxer. PRICELESS


With the victory of this quest, there was one more that we had to find. We had to experience the toe cooler. The kids were so looking forward to this box, and after all we had already put them through, we just had to try. 't' had already told them we would need a flashlight as it was inside a bridge, so they were very excited. We went, fighting the wind, across the grounds, behind the castle, down the hill, till we reached the branch's edge. We followed the branch upstream. The kids were tired and cold. Above where we were walking, there was a one lane road. We had noticed one or two vehicles on the road while we were walking. SO ..... I told 't' that I would go get the car, and pick them up on the road, and we could see if we could drive to find it. SO .... I walk back to my car alone and left 't' with the 2 kids.


You see with most of my boxing adventures there always seems to be that one defining moment where things take a HUGE left turn, and the adventure goes a little ...... shall we say ..... HAYWIRE! I assure you this was that exact moment.



OK well back to the story ......



I get to the car, and head back aross the road to pick up the rest of the crew. As I turn onto the little one lane road, there are 2 oval signs that say :



NO Guests beyond this point.



OK -
I panic a little but I had to pick up the kids and 't'. I see them, I yell to them to HURRY get in the car. The kids are questioning me, WHY ???? Why do we HAVE to HURRY ?? I really don't want to scare the kids, nor do I really want to admit to them that I am "breaking the rules" so I say JUST GET IN. I try and whisper to 't' about the signs. Once on this road you are committed, there is no way to turn around, I mean it, this little road is hardly wide enough for my expedition. So we follow the road and low and behold it takes us right to the bridge. There is a large Biltmore maintenance dump truck parked near the bridge and my heart stops, until we realize there is no one in it. We drive across this BEAUTIFUL bridge (this is no Troll bridge) and I pull off the side of the road. I fumble for a small flashlight I keep in my pack and hand it to 't'. I stay in the car with the kids and 't' heads below the bridge. I am in a panic, trying not to let the kids see it, a million things running through my mind, including a call to the troll that we got arrested at Biltmore. We wait, watching the bridge, no 't'. Now I really start to panic. I see a better place to pull off the road a little way ahead, so I pull up there and get off the road more. Still no 't'. OK, I look at the 2 kids, I tell them to stay in the car, do not open the doors for ANYONE, I leave them with the purse of communications, lock the doors and go in search of 't'. I admit, I am scared to death, my heart racing. I find 't' under the bridge, my little flashlight not working. On either side of where the water runs under the bridge are "rooms", they are dark and cold and very scary. I found 't' in the first room, she reads me the clue again, and I see another "room" through this hole in one of the walls. I am about to hoist 't' up into this area, but thinking to myself, NO, they would not put it up there, would they? Then we decide to look in the other room, we jump across the water and enter the other dark, cold scary room. 't' pulls out her cell phone for a little light since my stinky little flashlight is not working (MAJOR SIGH), with hardly any light we are scared to death we are gonna grab a snake or something. HERE IT IS, I hear. We run out the room and above us we see a white Biltmore van, we duck back in - not that it really mattered because above us parked was my expedition with 2 children in it. So we run out, jump the water and run up to the car and the kids. No one in sight WHEWWWWWWW- I open the car and the kids are excited asking "did ya find it ???" WE HAVE IT we tell them ! We stamp in ......... The kids want to come with us to return it. We tell them to find the flashlight 't' brought.



NO SOONER....

I mean NO sooner, then the 4 of us get out of the car, a car passes us. It stops, and starts backing up. WE ARE BUSTED... I am not sure if I said it out loud - If I did not I was SCREAMING it in my head. The car backs up, a window rolls down and a woman with a white Biltmore Security hat sticks her head out the window. My heart stops. "Is everything all right ?" she asks. I know we looked like deer in headlights, my mind is racing. I open my mouth and "we just really wanted to show the kids the bridge ....... Is that alright?" comes out. It seemed like 100 years before she answered. "OH Yeah, that is fine!" she responds. 't' then says (in that sweet 't' voice) "thanks so much for stopping and checking on us". The car pulls off. I know we just stood frozen for minutes! My mind racing thinking OMG what just happened and how in the heck did we pull that one off ! Finally we break the silence with some major laughter. Off to the bridge to return the box. The kids loved the bridge - it really is cool (in more ways then one).



Back in the car, I say to 't' lets get out of here before someone else comes. We drive to where the little (No Guest) road intersects with the normal (Guest) road. Now that we were "legal" , I could really laugh about the adventure we just had !



The next stop was the winery. Our plans were to go on a wine tasting anyway BUT after what just happened we needed a glass of wine :O) We had a really nice tasting, ('t' was doing a comparison that was work related, I was settling my nerves !)



The last stop (and the last 3 boxes) was at the farm. We tried, we called for help (Mama Fox and Erica and everyone else that we left messages for - THANKS), we listened to the kids whining, we tried again, made more phone calls, we started over, finally with the sun about to set - I was CONVINCED I figured it out and I KNOW I was headed in the right direction (this is like another defining moment when boxing... when things just click, it is such a rush and a DRIVE), but like I said the sun was about to set, the kids were DONE (OH so done), they wanted to leave, and 't' and I wanted the last boxes. I guess that is just the addiction of this hobby, it is so hard to walk away knowing they are there! and that you have it within your reach. BUT, our motherly instincts kicked in and we turned around and went back to the car with our children, heads hung low, knowing there were 2 boxes down that path that we did not have! We did have the opportunity to have a quick visit with George though!



Oh what a day - the kids now were in a little panic that it was late and that we were gonna be "locked" in Biltmore. 't' and I told them if we got locked in then they could pick out whatever bedroom in the castle they wanted to spend the night in ...... that kept them talking and wondering what it would be like to spend the night in that castle.



We left the grounds and headed home, a stop for something to eat and a quick drive by at one of Frank's coffee stops. A few calls from the troll to ensure his son would be home in time for bed since the next day was a school day.



Again what an adventure, a great day boxing, with a wonderful boxer friend, I cherish these days, we may never be rich and live in a castle, but days like this make me the richest person in the world. True Royalty!