water water everywhere

Water, water everywhere at our getaway to Enota Mountain Retreat near Hiawassee, Georgia last weekend. In addition to the deluge of rain falling, the 5 mountain streams and several waterfalls made for wet weekend activities - listening to the rain on the roof, watching it rain, hiking in the rain, watching the streams rush by.

first impression ... are we gonna get stuck?

check in at the lodge built by CCC in 1930s

perk of wintertime camping, the whole place to ourselves

exploring - one of the many waterfalls

pond with dam built by CCC

bridge? on trail to big waterfall...

second waterfall

third waterfall

great creekside tent campsites

five mountain streams, water everywhere!

a first - umbrella hiking, works pretty good!

Like most land here in the north Georgia mountains, this land was originally occupied by the Cherokee. Over the years it was a farm and mill site.

In the 1930s the CCC set up camp here while building the lookout tower on nearby Brasstown Bald. Some of their handiwork is still here, the lodge and big stone fireplace, the stone dam at the pond.

The YMCA used the property for nearly 50 years as a camp, and the present owners have been here since 1998.

Enota Mountain Retreat located on highway 180 between Brasstown Bald and Hiawassee.

Five mountain streams tumble down from the surrounding mountains into the valley of the campground, making almost every campsite a stream site. Two large waterfalls are within a short walking distance. The sound of water is everywhere.

The setting is beautiful, lots of water and trails, rhodendron, hemlocks. We enjoyed the peace and quiet and of course the sound of the water.

It rained the whole time we were there, but what's a little more water? A nice little get away not far from home.

Enota website and article.

the blue lagoon

Found in a state park in inland Florida, land of caves and sink holes, swamps and gators… the Blue Hole swimming area stands out with it's jewel colored water.

No one was swimming there, maybe it was a school day, maybe the weather, but it could have possibly been the snapping turtles swimming or the gator sunning on the edge of the water (didn't have my camera that time, duh).

Florida Caverns State Park near Marianna is one of 8 parks in the state built by the CCC back in the 30s. The stone visitor center is a testament to their hard work and craftsmanship.

A nice park to see, camp, hike, take a cave tour, or swim in the blue lagoon...


more pics here

a long and winding road

The Blue Ridge Parkway is the longest, narrowest National Park in the world and is the most visited unit in the United States National Park System.

I love this road! If you have never spent any time on the Blue Ridge Parkway you have definitely missed a great experience. 469 miles on the crest of the Appalachian mountains through North Carolina and Virginia - calling it a scenic drive is an understatement.

It is very peaceful, with mile after mile of natural beauty, rolling along through the high mountain peaks to the valley meadows, the only sign being an occasional National Park Service brown informational sign. It is easy to forget the usual giant billboard signs and fast pace of the interstate traffic while you ride along... that is until you exit the parkway and are suddenly barraged by the outside world once again.

Construction on the parkway began in 1935, the craftsmanship of the CCC is evident in the many stone bridges along the way.

The iconic split rail fences line the roadway, a symbol of an earlier simpler time.

Take a ride back in time, follow the 'Crest of the Blue Ridge' - guaranteed to lower your blood pressure, ease your worries, and generally slow you down. Take time to see the wildflowers or an old home place or even hear some local bluegrass.

Blue Ridge Parkway

hikeabout

From Brevard we headed north to the Smoky mountains, we are drawn to them like a butterfly to a flower, we never tire of the lush greenness and smoky blue sky.


We stayed at our favorite place to stay, Rocky Top Inn - favorite because it is next door to the Log Cabin Pancake House and within walking distance of anything in downtown Gatlinburg. Sunday morning after getting our fill of pancakes and their special coffee, we headed out on a hike.



It was hard to find a hiking trail that we had not tried before, but we did. The Sugarlands trail between Gatlinburg and the Sugarlands Visitor center was a nice level hike of 2 miles one way, following along the west prong of the Little Pigeon River.



As is usual when hiking in the Smoky Mountains, we found remnants of long ago civilization, a chimney here, a cemetery there.



On the Fighting Creek trail we found the restored cabin of John Ownby, and Cataract Falls. We admired the work of the CCC on the NPS Headquarters building, we saw turkeys and squirrels, and a few late wildflowers.



As many times as we have been to this area, we always see something new, and this time was no different. The trail took us beside the maintenance area for the National Park Service where we saw all sorts of things like bear traps, stacks of new split rails for fences, and the picnic table graveyard. All this hiking has worn me out, so on to our next stop...

take a hike

A beautiful weekend for camping and hiking. The sky was clear, the air was crisp and cool, the trees were putting on a show of fall colors.

We hiked 5 miles roundtrip from the campground up to near the top of the mountain on the Gahuti trail (Cherokee for Mother Mountain).

Then we climbed up the steps built by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) in the 1930s to the top of the mountain, to the stone fire tower also built by the CCC.



Along the way we passed by the mysterious wall of rocks which give the mountain its name. The wall is 855 feet long, two to six feet high, made of non-native rock. Experts date it to around 500 AD, and attribute it to either native Americans or Welsh travelers.

Fort Mountain State Park, Georgia: 3,712 acres, 14 miles of hiking trails, 27 miles of mountain biking trails, 25 miles of horse trails. Camping and picnicking year-round, and summertime activities include rentals of fishing boats, canoes, and pedal boats, a sandy beach for swimming, and miniature Golf.



more pictures here

more about the park here

more about the mysterious wall here

renewal of spirit

Time and again over the years we have been drawn to this area of Elkmont. Unlike some of the other overcrowded areas of the Great Smoky Mountains (Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Cades Cove), this destination is still peaceful and serene. The only sound is the rushing river over the big boulders.


There are lots of things to explore without ever leaving the campground, trails to hike, wildflowers to find, the historic district of old houses and hotel, two cemeteries left by long-ago residents of the area. The campground roads and loops are paved and run flat along the river, great for riding bikes. Once when riding our bikes we had to stop for a deer to cross in front of us.

A few late bloomers









Historic District and CCC Bridge










We sat under the canopy of our camper and watched it rain. The campground is in a beautiful area along the Little River, among the giant Tulip Poplar trees, their blossoms floating down to cover the picnic table and ground along with the rain. The air was filled with smoke from rain-doused campfires. The sound of the summer thunderstorm echoed through the valley. Unlike at home where there is always work to be done, no guilt arose from sitting and resting and just being…

I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order. - John Burroughs

Stories

I had the distinct pleasure of visiting with 85-year-old Mr. Housley. He tells great stories of his experiences in life. He was in the CCC, building dams and planting trees. He was in the navy in WWII, on a troop ship of 7000 and sailed in the South Pacific. When he was 21 and his sweetheart was 14 they borrowed his brother's truck to go to town and got married in a 'drive thru' service without their parents' knowledge. Then they were so scared they went home to their respective houses. He worked at 'the company' (Tennessee Copper Company) for over 40 years, as did most of the folks in his small town. He would go to the company store for groceries or supplies and it would be charged and taken out of his paycheck. He built his house and houses for all his kids nearby. His wife passed away 10 years ago. He now has a lady friend. He grows pumpkins and greens and has bees and honey.

I hope his family finds a way to preserve his stories before it is too late. An author friend of ours in Texas was recently commissioned to write the 'life story' of an older person. He interviewed the person and gathered pictures from the family, wrote the story and compiled it into a book. I recently heard of someone at the local nursing home writing down the stories the residents had to tell. We have a video tape of my grandmother telling of her past, and one of Buddy's father being interviewed about the past by his grandson, Ethan, for a school project (thanks Ethan!). The stories and pictures are great, but I think seeing them on the video tape telling their story in the first person and being able to see their faces again and hearing their voices is priceless. We should try do more to preserve family stories so the little ones coming along will get to hear them, too.

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.

Sunday Drive

Our trek today started out as it does often, to town for supplies, money, etc. A nice meal at a quiet eating place in a former apple house. Then off the beaten path on FS roads, lots of bumps, gravel, trees, sky. Why is it such a joy to ford a creek? The simple things that delight us. Four-wheel drive on a mountain road, is this a road? No, maybe not, just a mountain bike trail, but wait, there is a cabin! Finding our parking destination and hiking along with the only sound the creek nearby. Finding a hidden treasure placed years ago by a very personable gentleman who we were fortunate to meet earlier in the summer. More riding on deserted roads, finding another treasure placed in honor of a revered soldier in another peaceful place.

Back out into civilization, through the quaint town of Dahlonega, it has grown, but still seems small. Heading north up into the mountains. Discovering Boggs creek, new to us, a small campground, mostly deserted on this Sunday afternoon. Another creek crossing for the jeep! What fun that is. Following the clues to another treasure, an enjoyable way to pass the time and see new places. Camping is only $8 a day, maybe will quit the job and live here.

On up into the mountains a little further, finding Desoto falls. Was Hernando Desoto really here? Why not? He was probably drawn by the mountains then as many are today, trekking on the weekends to get away from their city lives and jobs to the beauty, quiet, coolness of the mountains. Lots of folks picnicking, cooking out steaks, ribs, mmm. Made our way up the trail toward the falls, again followed the clues and detoured off the beaten path to the stash. Out of site of the official trail, in the woods, no one knows we are there. Ah, back down to reality once again, to see the falls. Desoto Falls - not much water, but a nice presentation. The water makes its way down the levels of rock to the bottom, a cool breeze off the water greets us at the observation area. Crossed the creek on the way back to see the campground. Ate lunch (the traditional pbjs) at a campsite, pretended we were camping, just without all the 'stuff' it takes to do so. Picked out a nice spot to come back to with the motorhome and kids etc. Campground mostly deserted, peaceful except for the highway nearby.

Cachin is finished, afternoon is waning. Which way to go - back the way we came, or on deeper into the mountains and back a different way. Different prevails, more to see. Up, up the mountain to Neel's Gap. AT crossing ahead the sign says. The old CCC building on the right, many a hiker has passed through there. Lots of motorcycles out today, a popular road for them. On over the other side of the gap, passing Byron Herbert Reece parking area, for those so inclined to hike to Blood Mountain. Down, down now from the gap, signs promise a runaway truck lane ahead and puts that vision into our heads. On down past Vogel. Checked out the work going on at the Reece homestead. Folks work to preserve the past and history for the next generation. A noble cause. Into Choestoe valley, with Brasstown Bald tower shining in the sun in the distance, a clear day it is. Past the Booger Holler store, always a chuckle at the name. Past the cluster of stores at the Nottley River where Papaw used to feed the bread to the fish off the back deck. Enter Blairsville, around the old square, another quaint little town. Back down the highway toward home, mingling in with the others heading home at this hour on Sunday evening.

How lucky we are to live here in the mountains, just look at all those people in traffic on Sunday afternoon heading south, back to the city or burbs after spending the weekend here. And look at us, out of place in that traffic, but okay knowing we are just out getting some food before heading back to our little slice of heaven. It is always like that after spending a day away from home, upon returning all the reasons to get away are forgotten. Everything we need is here. Home.

Hey, it's good to be back home again
Sometimes this old farm feels like a long lost friend
Yes, hey it's good to be back home again