Jennifer Collins Photography

The day we arrived in Maggie Valley I had to start exploring. ASAP. I knew Soco Falls was nearby and just a short drive away so I had to find it. So I hopped in the car with my oldest girl and Dexter of course and we headed out. You can find the stunning Soco Falls located on Hwy 19 between Maggie Valley & Cherokee. There wasn't a sign on our side of the road stating we had found the falls so we did miss it and had to drive quite a while before we were able to find a spot to turn around. The parking was very limited but we were able to squeeze in. Soco Falls is one of the less crowded falls in the area but the parking is so limited that even with only a few cars, you'll be out of luck. We did the short hike to the overlook deck which is stunning in itself. I was able to spot the very steep & rocky trail down to the bottom. I was a bit worried about Dexter trailing down and was worried he would (unintentionally) drag us down as he hopped down. However he and my daugh...

Ok so as bad as this is going to sound, my family has not been on a family vacation, as in all four of us...at the same time... in, well, ever. I told you that was going to sound bad. Sure we have been on day trips, even weekend trips, but a real vacation out of the state..yea no. This year I have decided that was going to be a thing of the past. Yes, we live in a beautiful city that people love to vacation to, but we are going to start being the ones to travel. We are going to explore new things & new places. I grew up traveling, living in places such as San Francisco & Key West so I love to travel. And it's about time I do more of it! So first trip: Maggie Valley NC. I went to Maggie Valley with my youngest daughter when she was a wee 1 month old. Of course we had to re-create: With a population of 1,247 according to 2014 census, Maggie Valley is a quaint little town nestled in, you guessed it, the valley of the Great Smoky Mountains. It is the birthplace of lege...