Vacation, Part 2--"Exploring a Mountaintop"

When I go on a road-trip, I like to bring a certain album or CD with me so that in the future, every time I hear it I'm reminded of that trip. I brought Zee Avi's album, "Ghostbird", on this trip and now it's like that trip's theme song(s). I wish I would have blogged sooner after the trip, because it's hard to remember all of the inside jokes and humorous shenanigans that you found yourself in. The best thing about going on this trip in early December, is that it's just now becoming "Fall" in Louisiana at that time. The leaves are turning, the air is crisp, and you can breathe. The extreme humidity in Louisiana is practically year round, but you wait for those few months where you can step outside and breath, wear clothes and makeup you don't have to worry about sweating through and such. This trip had been planned for months and months in advance. I bought my best friend, Dustin, a GPS for his car for his birthday so we wouldn't have to worry about getting too lost. I made a mental note to take more pictures than last year and make note of all the high points and little things that stood out in my mind. I'm bad about not thinking about taking pictures and instead just thinking my eyes and memory will be good enough. It's a little disappointing though, because no lens can capture the same sight your eye is seeing. You can see something in a certain color or a certain perspective then photograph it, and it just doesn't do it justice. 

After we went to the petting zoo, we drove up this nearby mountain. The roads are winding and curvy and the higher you get, the more your ears pop. The trees were beautiful and if you glanced past them, you could see down into the town of Hot Springs. It was the ultimate view. When you reach the top, you feel like you're no longer part of the world. You feel like you're up in the clouds; in heaven. You can look around at the mist and the fog, and you can see the slowly moving cars on the streets below. You can see the tiny ants of people going about their business. One of the things I love about this town, is for some reason it seems to move much slower than the rest of the world. I don't know what it is, it just seems like the town is in slow motion and I really really like it. It feels like time is frozen and you are not on any schedule. You have nowhere else to be and there is no hurry. 

This may seem like a ploy to get an "artistic"
shot, but it's not. There was a spider
on this rock and I was trying to see what kind
it was. (Answer: a daddy long legs).

These photos don't do these rocks justice.
They were a light silver color with a pretty purple
and green hue coming out of them. 

I liked how this shot came out blurry(because I was twirling). 

I love the moss and bark on trees and the bright
 red leaves sticking out of them. Then there
 was random flowers(probably "weeds") everywhere.
I've always hated the term "weeds" used for
 describing wildflowers.
Even the definition says "A wild plant growing
 where it is not wanted". I think these flowers
have more of a right to grow most places than
roses or hand-planted ones. These are the ones
the Earth chose to put there, not people, so they're
 all that more special. 

Looking through the trees you could see
layers of color and mountains and hills in the distance. 

You could walk down and up trails and we passed
 a group of teenagers covered in paint. We have no
idea what they were doing. You also tend to find
condom wrappers and leftover joints when at
 places like this...

This girl had the right idea. Reading would be so
 peaceful at a place like this. There was also a guy
 listening to his iPod by himself. This would be
such a relaxing place to think.
(If girl reading reads this, sorry some creepy
girl took your photo without you knowing).

Random huge beam of light. It was pretty breathtaking
 in person. Also, I found a helicopter! 

P.S. Thanks to everyone for the nice comments and compliments on my last few posts! You guys are the coolest.