Lunch on Cranberry Mountain

Upon returning from our walk, we loaded our gourmet treats into the SUV and were off to Cranberry Mountain. Grandma had fixed turkey salad for sandwiches, watermellon, and cucumbers and onions. Yummy! Sam is seen here in his woodland racing stroller. He is ready to start his Mommy powered vehicle and go to the picnic overlook.

Along the trail was an opportunity for Sam to learn the WV trees. The Forest Service has done a great job in providing quality signs along the path. These signs are wonderful. They are sturdy and have the tree leaves and names in resin on the signs.

Before we arived at the overlook a bright red plant came into view. The Oswego Tea was in full bloom in the National Forest. Oswego Tea is also known as Bee Balm and officially as Scarlet Beebalm. This is a mint and is a cultivar of the Bergamot seen in yesterday's blog. The name Oswego Tea comes from the Oswego Indians who taught the immigrants how to use it for tea after the Boston tea party in 1773. The flowers and leaves are good ingredients for potpourri making.

What a gorgeous spot for a picnic! Our picnic table overlooked the mountains with the valley below.





Sam is signing for a cookie. Yes, even though he is only 14 months old, he attends sign language class. It is so cute to see him sign.





Grandma got a little chilly so she is wearing my green vest. Is this not a sweet face?

After a super lunch on Cranberry Mountain, Sam finished his milk and we were then off to see the animals in the exhibit area. It was soon time to drive to the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area for a stroll through along the boardwalk.