Zipping right along!

Marty and I were getting ready to celebrate our thirteenth wedding anniversary. We love to plan something that is not the typical dinner and movie.  Two years ago our date was my pick. We kayaked and had dinner.  Last year was Marty's choice and we ate dinner and golfed.  This year I couldn't think of ANYTHING fun and new.  What does one do when she needs an idea? In the information age, you throw it up to your Facebook friends!!

I got so many cool ideas this way.  Probably at least four of my friends suggesting ziplining.  I laughed out loud and thought, "There is absolutely NO WAY I would do that."  I am afraid of heights and  that was out of my comfort zone. I even posted something to that effect---that apparently my friends thought me brave than I actually am.  Fast forward to girl's night.  I was eating dinner with three girlfriends and my friend Ame asks me if Marty and I want to come ziplining with her and her husband.  She said that she knew I was looking for something fun to do for our anniversary, she and her husband were already planning the trip, and it would be fun to do it with another couple. I looked at her and said, flatly, "No."   After dinner, she asked me again. This time I hesitated.  Marty has always been wanting do the Canopy Tours at the New River Gorge.  I also knew that after I did it I would most likely be glad I did.  I love adventure and nature.  The height thing was what was tripping me up.  So I finally said yes, and the whole trip started taking shape.    We decided to meet Ryan and Ame for dinner at Stillwaters at Stonewall Jackson Resort.  The dinner was fabulous and the evening was so perfect weather wise that we ate out on the patio on the lake.  Afterward we all drove to Summersville to spend the night and get ready to zipline in the morning. 

I was so nervous the next morning I probably didn't say ten words.  Once we were there and had done a practice run, I was feeling better.  There were ten zip lines, five sky bridges and three short hikes.  The canopy tour is in an endangered hemlock tree forest.  The landscape is breathtaking.  The zip lines range from 100 ft to as long as 730 feet.  It really feels like you are flying through the forest.  Thank you to Ryan who was the only one brave enough in the group to take his phone along to take pictures.  He got some great ones of us in the air. 

On the sky bridge above you can lead forward on the cable and actually lay flat above the canyon.  That might have actually been the scariest part!!

 

We finished off the trip with lunch at Cathedral Café in Fayetteville.  I used to travel to work in Fayetteville once a month.  Cathedral Café was one of my favorite lunch spots.  It is a café converted from a church.  It still has the stained glass windows and steeple. The food there is extraordinary and the atmosphere very quaint.

We had a super fun anniversary trip with our wonderful friends.  We enjoyed great food, great company, and a great adventure!