Many moons ago my dad and I spent a lot of time planning a Mother’s Day hike and picnic halfway between Charlotte and Hillsborough. When my grandmother suddenly died, we postponed it and this was the first available weekend we could all reschedule. Hence all the Mother’s Day talk in June. And since Father’s Day is just a week away, go ahead and think of this post as Parent’s Day!
Matt and I got our AC fixed (thanks to a speedy and awesome electrician, it looks better than new!)
And around 12:30 we had a quick lunch before we set out for Lexington
I had a spinach salad with leftover bok choy and peppers with hummus and Food Should Taste Good chips…
Plus a pile of cherries! My very favorite summer fruit. I was just thinking last week how I complain that my favorite fruit is $5.99/lb. And yet I can buy a glass of wine for $12 without thinking twice!? More money deserves to be spent on good produce!!
That giant cherry? That’s a baby organic plum!! And it was the highlight of my lunch.
Sparkling H2O
And we were off.
The Bears wanted to see their Grandma Buzz. They were thrilled to be presented with $1 each as a fun present!!
Our hike commenced at Boone’s Cave Park, which is rumored to be a cave that Daniel Boone once rested in. I hear there is little evidence to prove so, but let’s pretend.
We hiked for about an hour. I MAY have poison ivy in 48 hours!! It was a tight squeeze, but the scenery was nice!
The country’s largest Cottonwood tree! Makes me think of Cottonwood Pumpkin Ale 
About an hour (~1.5 miles) into our hike the distance started rumbling and a storm was brewing.
Soon enough we were sprinting back to the picnic area and our cars. And the heavens opened upon us!!
2 miles of hiking was enough – we were ready for wine + a picnic!!
We ventured a few miles off I-85 to Zimmerman Vineyards. Totally gorgeous!! And the perfect spot for a picnic.
We tasted down the line and particularly loved the 2006 Chardonnay and the Cab!!
We absolutely love Zimmerman’s wines!! They were all complex – notes of bleu cheese, spice, fresh fruit – and very impressive in their sophistication.
Even Buddy was cute!
We got a bottle of the Chardonnay to have with our picnic dinner – and dad got a few bottles of the delicious reds!
This picnic was worth a long wait!
I brought Livin’ Spoonful crackers from Open Sky to have with cheese. Karen LOVES these!! They’re so nutty and seedy.
Plus Old London Melba Snacks – sea salt flavor. They were a huge hit.
We had a selection of cheeses from Weaven St. Market in Hillsborough
Man, the gorgonzola was INCREDIBLE! Plus a really good caraway (which I love) and brie
And dad splurged on Wild Alaskan smoked salmon!!!!!!!!! It was the best smoked salmon I’ve ever had. Very smoky and very flavorful.
Of course Great Harvest bread was involved 🙂
Mom made a delicious fruit salad
I made a kale salad, which was just OK
And Karen made broccoli salad – loved it!
Sabra hummus – for flava
I had a couple of glasses of wine throughout dinner. Too much! But it was a fun occasion and worth any side effects that might be showing ….about now!
Gosh, I sure ate enough too. Everything tasted amazing!!
Buddy and I played Footsie
Round IV (should have been an IV to my veins!!)
Matt got to talkin’ with the owner of the vineyards. We were so impressed by their hospitality!
Our dining spot
I finally gave my mom her Mother’s Day gift
Crofter’s + Nuttzo!!! I love giving Open Sky gifts 🙂 My dad also got my mom a Naturally Nutty Tripack and she is in LOVE! She said they’re like fudge 🙂
Dad gave her some nice earrings
After chatting with the winery owners, we broke into the Kodiak brownies
They were amazing!! I think I had 3!?
The Bears loved their trip
So much that they begged to go home with Grandma Buzz!
And they got to! Grandma Buzz offered to take them during the move. They can’t wait to play with Billis and Ducky and Daffy and Pistachio and Doodles and Snowflake and Janie and Cathy and Bunny!!
We will miss you Beaker, Bocker and Churton!
An hour and a half drive later, I’m home once again and full of wine + cheese + brownies.
Tomorrow starts my third-to-last week at the hospital.
Goodnight!
Wow what a fun day and those brownies just made me drool a little. 😛 Not really, but they do look good.
Looks like fun! I love that the bears came- I’m sure you parents were amazed at how much they’d grown
LOL!
Bye bears!
What a great day! Your dining spot was so pretty.
That looks like so much fun! Every time I go hiking, I work up a killer appetite. Your feast looks delish!
I love how you gave your mom awesome food as gifts. That’s pretty much love, right there. 😀
Yes, the bears have grown and I’m pleased they each have started their summer reading books.
However, I am trying to get them ready for bed and they are telling me that they do not need to brush their teeth and that their mom and dad let them eat candy in bed. I think some bears are trying to pull the wool over my eyes…
Your dining spot looks beautiful, and the spread is making my mouth water! I think I missed the story behind the bears, but they’re very cute (and lucky to be with your mom). Keep on keepin’ on with the internship–you’re almost there! 🙂
cute post! the brownies look great, as do the bears!
Looks like such a great day! The picnic just looks so cute, but too bad about the pouring rain on the hike!
You and your bears … too cute for words! 🙂
Lovely picnic! What a great idea to push it further instead of just going over it 🙂
What a gorgeous vineyard!!! Looks like a fabulous afternoon 🙂
What a fun day! I’d love to do something like this with my family… Love the teddy bears, love the cheese…
Wow. It looks like you had an amazing time. That’s possibly my ideal outing: a hike + family + wine + cheese + brownies + stuffed bears! You got ’em all. 🙂
Seriously sounds like the most perfect day!
It looks like you had the perfect day! I love nothing more than being outside and having a picnic with tons of yummy food and wine.
Oh, I love Sabra hummus! The pile of minced garlic in the middle is so yummy!
The bears are too cute. I hope they enjoy their stay!
oh my word, i want to be you today 🙂 what an awesome hike and SO much amazing food! i’d say that’s the perfect end to a fabulous weekend!
OOOOH MY GOSH. That picnic looks INCREDIBLE!
I’ve been wanting to go hiking recently. And go on a picnic, especially one with real food, like that!
I had completely forgotten about the Kodiak Cakes brownies. I should pick up a box! Maybe I can have a 4th of July picnic!
Such a fun trip! I love the picnic, everything looks fabulous! Sorry you guys got caught in the rain but sometimes running for cover makes things a little more fun so hopefully it did for you guys, too! The bears are gonna have so much fun with Grandma! 🙂
I really don’t think I have seen a prettier picnic. I think I am going to plan a hike and picnic with my mom soon.
Wow! Your picnic looked delicious! Love all the cheese:)
$12 for a glass of wine? I’m so glad I hate wine, I would never wantn to spend money on that! Personally, I gave up my favorite fruit because it was just getting way, way, too expensive. $15 a week just on purple grapes? Ouch. But I do still buy some and mix them into smoothies.
I love hiking…looks like a great day!! Glad you made it out of the rain in time!
So fun! I love the bear stories- they crack me up 🙂
Yeah, I think a lot about how we all tend to say we can’t afford certain foods or balk at the price of them, but most of us still pay a lot for other random stuff- it’s all about what’s most important to us, really! I was gonna mention that subject when the “expensiver” nut butter was posted recently- I have a couple of friends who claim they can’t afford to eat any organic produce or healthy food, but they routinely spend a LOT of money on alcohol and eating at restaurants- so when they tease me about my expensive cheese or whatever, I have to be like, dude, it’s allll about really acknowledging your spending habits and what’s important to you. I quit drinking alcohol a year ago, and quit coffee in February, so I figure I can definitely “afford” pricier food items that are actually good for me 😉
So true, so true!
Glad you had fun, it sounds lovely. 🙂 You have beautiful skin, btw.
Why thank you!
Mmm I love smoked salmon. Everything at the picnic looks delicious! Sounds like you guys had an amazing day 🙂
Ooo what kind of wine has note of bleu cheese and where can I get some!?
It was the Viognier! Very delicious.
Looks like you had an amazing day! And I noticed garlic Sabra hummus. I lurve that flavor!
happy parents’ day to yours:)
i enjoyed reading your post and the food–wow…they all look delicious!:)
What a great family adventure! And the fruit salad looked really tasty.
Jim Purdy
The place looks awesome! And the food too 🙂
Looks like a fun fun day! Hiking and a picnic with the family – how perfect! Your meal looks delicious. And brownies! :O Yummm 😀
Wei-Wei
What a lovely day!! It was lucky you missed the rain, that looked close!
All that food looks SO good though…I love picnics 🙂
Happy parents day 🙂 this looks seriously amazing! I need more picknicking in my life immediately!!!
What a wonderful, wonderful day. Beautiful scenery, enviable food, and lovely people. I wish I was a mum so I could have a daughter buying me fancy nut spreads 😀
ahhh i think we might copy your whole excursion! except i know josh would want to find some bbq in the area 🙂
Have you and Matt found a new place to live in VA?
Not yet. Going to hunt second week in July
Wine, cheese, brownies… does it get better?!
Aw that sounds like such a fun day!
What a great trip! I love the picture of footsie 🙂 Too cute!
What a fun day and an amazing picnic, much better then my picnics.
Aww, that footsie picture is too cute!! Also, yay for your AC being fixed so quickly! 🙂
Looks like a loveley picnic. It is nice you are close enough to meet up with your parents half way.
Your day looks like so much fun! I love the picture of you and Buddy playing footsie! So cute! 🙂
what a fun day!
Lovely post! I’d love to spend Mother’s/Father’s Day in that mode. Must try to retrain our families, LOL!
What an incredible parents day!! I cannot think of a better way to spend a Sunday than at a gorgeous vineyard with some delish, fresh food and family.
Glad you guys enjoyed some relaxation time together!
You have such a lovely family. Made me stop, slow down and think of all those great moments I’ve had with them in– and start to plan a reunion.
What a fun way to celebrate Mother’s Day! 🙂 That hiking trail is gorgeous! I’ve been wanting to go hiking lately, but the weather hasn’t been so great here.
Went camping two weeks ago and when I got home I showered and reached back and felt the itchy skin on the back of my leg… DOH! I got oaked! Luckily, I must have only lightly brushed it because after putting cortizone on… it didn’t really itch. I still have a red line, but other than that, feel pretty normal. I’d never had it before and got the heaby’s when I first saw it, but … it’s not that bad 😉
I spent $12 on cherries the other day. I had to distract the bf when they were rung up and I grabbed the receipt before he could get it. He likes to tease about my “expensive” tastes. I rarely get wine when I go out because of the mark up. I will, however, pay $10 for a mixed drink since there’s more work involved.
I am including my favorite Kale salad recipe. I had this at True Food in Phoenix and it was amazing! They key is to use Lacinto kale, or dinosaur kale. Amazing!
http://www.foxrc.com/tfk_recipes/TFK_Kale_Salad.pdf