I ended the last post on the way to Nashville on Monday afternoon. I was flying home Wednesday morning so the plan was to spend Tuesday night in Nashville but find something to do on Tuesday. I don’t remember where we stayed Monday night. I think it was somewhere around Knoxville, Tennessee but the motels on Monday and Tuesday night are less than memorable. You get what you pay for.

Katie had looked up things to do between Asheville and Nashville and found Frozen Head State Park . The criteria was somewhere we could hike in a place that Kirby would enjoy. She’d been a real trooper throughout this trip (and remember that she’d already been away from home for almost 4 weeks) and we didn’t want a hike that was too steep, too long, or where there was a body of water that was off limits (too deep, too rapid, etc).

Katie found Frozen Head State Park and we selected the Panther Branch trail.

This trail followed a creek that was accessible and fit the criteria above.

It would have been easier walking to stay on the trail, but Kirby liked picking her way along the rocks and in the water.

I saw a cluster of swallowtail butterflies in the wet dirt along the creek. Cluster? I googled a “group of butterflies”. The official word seems to be a Kaleidoscope, with other references to flutter, flight, swarm and wing. You learned something reading this blog post!

Eventually we were back on the trail to avoid a lot of branches and trees across the creek. We found that we weren’t alone. We made our was down to this waterfall and talked with a group of moms who meet here with their kids every so often. .

Kirby enjoyed the waterfall.

We spent an hour or so there and then walked back down the creek. I found the kaleidoscope of butterflies at the same place.

I read that adult butterflies consume only liquids and sometimes cluster in places that have extra minerals that they need. I don’t know if that’s the case here.

This is what happens when the photographer gets too close.

Katie and Kirby continued their hike down the creek and I took the trail.

We finished together on the trail. Then we headed for Nashville.

I had never stopped at a Buc-ee’s, but Katie is a big fan. We got gas and food here.

In the continuing theme of doing something that Kirby would find enjoyable we looked up Taylor Swift’s favorite things to do in Nashville. Kirby is a fan. We found a top five list and we visited three places.

It seems that Taylor likes to walk around Radnor Lake for some peace and quiet.

We walked the trail …

…and sat by the lake.

We found another less-than-memorable motel to spend the night. Katie went out for pizza which we ate in the room. I will remember the lightning storm that night—at least the motel was dry.