Vacation Continuation

Friday we drove through the mountains one last time to visit Upper Whitewater Falls. These falls are near Cashiers, NC. The falls drop over 411 feet and are supposedly the tallest falls east of the Rocky Mountains.

One last mountain view.

I always dread having to pack up and return to our everyday routines.  Hopefully this time next year that won't be an issue. If all goes well we should be retired and on permanent vacation. Hurray!

Time!

The biggest problem with vacations is that there never seems to be enough time for everything. This trip it was my blog that suffered. We are back home and back into the daily grind but my blog is still on vacation! Last Thursday we went to Black Rock Mountain State Park to do some hiking. The Tennessee Rock Trail sounded like a good choice as it was a 2.2 mile loop rated easy to moderate. So off we started.

What we didn't know was that the loop took us to the summit of the mountain! Easy? ? ?

We had to make a slight detour around an unwelcome inhabitant.

Further along the crest of the mountain we came to the Tennessee Rock Overlook. Very impressive view.

Because of our close encounter with the rattler we left the trail when the paved road suddenly appeared next to it and followed the road back down to our car.

After leaving the park we took a scenic route back to the RV resort. Along the way we discovered Highlands, NC which is a small artsy crafty town hidden among the mountain tops. I think you'd probably need some serious cash in your pocket to live there!

Blue Ridge Scenic Railway

Tuesday we rode the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway from Blue Ridge, GA to McCaysvilleGA/Copperhill, TN. There was nothing spectacular to see but it was a pleasant ride. We were definitely not impressed with our choice of an eating establishment in McCaysville. Food was poorly prepared and definitely overpriced! Today we visited a former teaching buddy who now lives in this area. Pictures below are from both yesterday and today.

Blue Ridge Mountains from Popcorn Overlook Along US 76 west of Clayton, GA.

View from the front of the train.

Sarah straddling the Georgia/Tennessee state line. The state line runs through the middle of the McCaysville/Copperhill towns.

Blue Ridge Scenic Railway engine parked at the McCaysville station.

My Murphy, NC friends' cabin in the woods.

Blue Ridge Mountains at dusk from an overlook on US 64.

Pictures from Tallulah Gorge

Tallulah Gorge

Picked up the rental car around 11:00 am and off we went sightseeing. First stop Tallulah Gorge State Park. Tallulah Gorge is one of the oldest geological features in North America. It is 2 miles long and nearly 1000 feet deep. We hiked to the overlook for Tempesta Falls and Hawthorne Cascade and Pool. To get to Hurricane Falls we would have had to descend 310 steep steps and then climb back up those same 310 steps. As the temps were in the 90's we opted out. We then took the scenic route back to Dillard past Lake Rabun, Seed Lake, and Lake Burton. The houses on Lake Rabun were gorgeous and probably just as gorgeously priced. Nice trip. Tomorrow a ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. It's late so I will post pictures tomorrow.

End of the Summer Vacation

We finally made it to the north Georgia mountains! It was a long and some what uncomfortable trip as the generator didn't want to work properly and all we had was the dash air trying to cool a 36 foot motorhome that was being exposed to 99 degree temps. But we're here now, it's starting to cool down, our tummies are full, and we're just relaxing watching our kitties get acclimated to their home away from home. Tomorrow we'll pick up the rental car and head out to do some exploring. Oops, I spoke too soon - the power just went out in the RV park. It might be a long night!

What I miss about Pennsylvania!

The early bird catching the worm . . .

the wandering wildlife . . .

the fantastic scenery . . .

. . . and of course my family and friends. Thanks for the great week!

Salad Time!

The tomato, pepper, and lettuce plants are in the ground. The radish, cucumber, and squash seeds are sown. Home grown salad here we come! Let's hope the deer and all the pesky insects understand who this garden really belongs to.

Time For a New Look

I decided it was time for a new look as hopefully winter is on its way out. On Friday I actually heard someone say it was too hot. I think they meant that they were too hot as they were still dressed for colder weather. At least I hope that is what they meant!

This has been kind of a bittersweet weekend for Bob and I. For the first time in about 15 years we are not at the racetrack for Daytona Race Week. We had become dissatisfied with our reserved camping spot but didn't feel that we could afford to upgrade at the present time so this year we will be watching all the races from the comfort (?) of our living room. Not the greatest decision but we'll live with it for this year and see what next year brings.

I realized that I never updated our shower renovation project so I have included some pictures.

I also realized that I mentioned our "new babies" in a previous post but never included any pictures of the new additions. They are no longer babies but certainly "mischievious children"! 

All 4 before the neighbors adopted two.

Lewey

Dewey

Our Christmas tree ornament

Ready to head out for first trip in motorhome

Relaxing on the dash

Lewey

Posing on the cat tower along with Socks

Not "babies" any more