I’ve done so much this trip, I can’t even keep track of the days anymore. Seriously! I thought this was Day 4, but it turns out we’re on Day 5. Which was actually yesterday!since I post the day after. Time doesn’t move normally. It’s challenging when you’re chasing waterfalls. You skip small towns, and try to fit an entire mountain range into your memory.
But that’s the magic of it.
Today we started with a roadside stop. It was not a tourist destination. It was not marked on any guide. This one was just a waterfall pouring its way down a rock face, belonging there more than we did. We pulled over without planning to. Sometimes the best parts of travel aren’t even the places you mark on the map. They are the ones that interrupt you.
After that, we drove to Living Waters Ministries. It is a piece of private land in the mountains. They open it to the public, so everyone can share in the quiet. There are bridges and trails that wind around multiple waterfalls, and the whole place feels spiritual. And not just because it’s a ministry, but because the water itself speaks in hushes. We saw flowing falls, mossy stones, and gentle shade that made us linger longer than planned. I even found a plethora of orange mushrooms!
I love spaces that don’t gate keep peace. There’s something so honest about that. About letting the land be seen, letting the sound of water be free.
We closed the day on the French Broad River Overlook Bridge. We watched the sun stretch across the sky. It touched every color in the crayon box. Golden hour felt like a painting, like a hymn. I didn’t need to talk. I just breathe, just exist there with my sister and the air and the light.
This trip has been long and heavy in some ways, but moments like this… they guarantee you are lifted.
🛣️ What’s Next: my Route Home
I am heading back slowly, making time to stop at a few more gems before we leave the mountains behind.
Warrior’s Path State Park in Tennessee, for a breath of forest and maybe one last skip along the lake. Hawk’s Nest State Park, WV because every trip needs a cliff view and a cable car, right? New River Gorge, that grand, wild canyon bridge where the earth opens wide.
Each stop feels like a pause, a prayer, a final thank-you to the land that’s held me.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for being here. You allow me to keep sharing this journey one journal entry, one stop, one miscounted day at a time. 🌿
The video of today’s waterfalls and that wild sunset is up on TikTok. It is also available on Instagram and many other places now (@Poeaxtry_). If you’ve ever stood under a waterfall or cried at golden hour, I think you’ll get it.
