My pet-friendly shopping adventures last week in Asheville, North Carolina were quite fun, but as much as I love scoping out a good deal, I enjoy being out in nature so much more.

I made sure to do my fair share of hiking while I was in North Carolina, and one of my favorite hikes was the Graveyard Fields and Waterfalls along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

This particular 3 mile hike led me over bridges, up mountains and through scenic waterfalls.

Most of the time I led our pack of 6 humans and 2 dogs (me and Trooper), mostly because I’m a natural born leader, and also because Trooper was too concerned with herding our pack into a tidy little group than telling us which path to take (I blame his Australian Shepherd mother).

I’m an adventuresome hiker, and took to the unbeaten path when possible – climbing rocks and jumping streams are my kind of fun.

When we reached one of our waterfall destinations I wasted no time in urging everyone to climb the cliffside and reach the top.

It was glorious from above, but I quickly realized the decent down wouldn’t be quite as easy.

Not to worry though, because even with my shorter than average legs I’m an excellent climber – not to mention I’m in peak physical shape – and I made it safely to the bottom.

I wish I could say the same for my pal Trooper, but he ended up taking the fast track down the mountain over a sheet of ice.

Luckily he has spider legs, and quickly recovered after splashing into the water at the bottom. I only wish I had caught it on film, because I probably would have won the grand prize on America’s Funniest Videos.

3 miles of hiking felt like a breeze to me, and I easily could have done another 10.

Mom and Dad promised we’d come back again someday though, perhaps in warmer weather. I can’t wait to return to Asheville for more hiking adventures.

At the end of the day it was nice to snuggle up in my blankies at the hotel, it feels good to be worn out, and I did need to rest up, because soon it would be THANKSGIVING!

Check back tomorrow to find out how I spent Turkey Day with my family.