Black Rock Mountain State Park Georgia

This is a return visit to the Black Rock Mountain State Park. After moving to the Carolinas this was one of our first southern adventures. It drew our attention as this part of Georgia is known for its recreational opportunities and mountain vistas. Although the campground is older with smaller RV sites, we found one available that would fit. The Park is just 50 miles from our home making it an easy trip, although the winding mountain highway does take some extra time.

Great RV spot. It was hard to find one that fit our rig.

Checked out several of the hiking trails. The various mountain trails gave us a chance to climb a bit, take in some good views, and bring home some memories on the camera. There is a small lake with an easy hiking trail. This will be a good place to catch some fall color. As usual we dodged the afternoon rain drops.

Took advantage of the several hiking trails.

Outstanding view from the trail…

On the trail in the afternoon means dealing with a mountain thunder storm.

Even along the sidewalk you can find nature

Great day to be out with a camera and hiking poles.

Great trail to stop and enjoy the view.

The foreground, background and clouds makes this nice photo.

One of the campground trails takes you around the lake.

From the lake trail…you should see what is on the other side of the dam

It is short mountain drive across the state line to Highlands, NC. I did a blog post years ago after a visit. Highlands has a vibrant downtown. After checking things out we found a great place to eat. Last time we checked out the surrounding waterfalls. There are four of them within easy reach. We had heard good things about a Micro-brewery in Clayton. Had to check it out on the way back to the campground.

Highlands, North Carolina has a fun downtown…

Lots of city sponsored flower displays

Great old buildings in Highlands…check them out for yourself!

Found a new favorite microbrewery on this trip in Clayton.

Have you heard of the Foxfire Center? We remember their books from the sixties and seventies. A local school back in the sixties started an effort to document and preserve the mountain heritage. This led to a magazine and books. The royalties provided funding to start the center. We found the center interesting, educational, and entertaining being from the north.

There are now 22 buildings. There is also an impressive paper archive plus the audio, and video recordings. The center provides heritage skill classes that look interesting. The blacksmithing and carving classes caught my interest. Jan was drawn to music, making brooms and weaving. Looks like we will be back soon.

The Foxfire Center dedicated to preserving the mountain heritage

The displays in the buildings are well done.

A team of artists keep the mountain arts alive with classes and in person demos.

Creative and colorful displays…

Mountain toys!

Impressive…

Mountain folks are proud and self-sufficient

This display was curated as a typical kitchen during world War II

The buildings are well maintained. The downloadable app added to the walking tour. The mountain lifestyle comes clearly into view by the end.

Most of the buildings are original to the area and were moved to the center

Fun stilts available to the brave and coordinated.

This building is a replicate built by the alumni and students of the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School

Working blacksmith shop is a favorite stop for many

The grist mill was moved here…great old building

The Bell Grist Mill lives on…

The second floor of the grist mill…interesting pieces and parts

The Beck Barn

When hiking at Firefox wear your hiking boots

This was a nice adventure. Really enjoyed the time spent here. This area has a lot going for it. Now back home to “real” life for a week.

God Bless,

Larry and Jan

Cloudland Canyon State Park near Chattanooga Tennessee

For the 5th trip this summer, we head to Cloudland Canyon State Park in Northeast Georgia. This Park offers a wide variety of hiking opportunities and is within easy striking of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The reviews for this park and this part of the state gets high marks.

The start of our stay was quite rainy. In between the rain drops we found terrific views. Wide range of trails easy, moderate to challenging. The views along the rim trails are outstanding. There is an impressive falls on the canyon floor. Getting down was easy. Took a lot more effort to get back up.

Our arrival was rainy with plenty of low flying clouds

On a clear day you can see forever…

Impressive canyon trails. Prominent fencing with unique stone posts.

Easy hike to this scenic view just outside the campground.

The clouds added interest to this view

These stairs have withstood the test of time.

Lots of stairs to work your way down to the floor of the canyon

This bridge leads to the other side of the rim where the trail continues.

Takes a bit of work to get to this falls but worth it!

Always looking for that “interesting” friend along the trail. I think this fellow looks like an Eagle?

Guardian for anyone entering the campground

Then there was the side trip to Chattanooga. The city has done a great job with the Riverfront. The Riverwalk is extensive and well done. Checking it out was both fun and rewarding. The City Aquarium is outstanding then there is the Hunter Museum of America. The art along the trail kept us entertained. There is a pedestrian bridge making it easy to check out both side of the river. So many good places to have lunch, it was hard to decide.

Downtown Chattooga has a lot to offer

This is the other side of the impressive aquarium

The Hunter Museum of American Art is very impressive. This couple is celebrating the pile of money they are sitting on. The creator leaves it open as to where it came from?

There are eye catching and imaginative sculptures along this very pleasurable Tennessee River Trail.

This guy is keeping track of downtown Chattanooga.

A wheel chair friendly way to access the riverfront trail.

The Walnut Street pedestrian bridge is an asset to downtown Chattanooga. We crossed this bridge twice. The first time for fun and the second to get to the restaurant of choice on the other side.

The Walnut Bridge view that caught my eye.

This park has lots to offer. Fun stop for sure.

On our way to Florida in 1971, we stopped at Lookout Mountain. We repeated the Lookout Mountain Parkway drive, looking forward to its commanding views. One of our stops was Point Military Park where we had visited in 1971. Unexpectedly, it brought back a flood of memories. Life for us is certainly different for us now as we edge our way through our seventies. The military park is a historic treasure along with the impressive overlook of the city and river.

The Lookout Parkway has so many eye catching views.

Lookout Mountain Parkway a must do drive. Along the way we took in the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park at Point Park.

The park is well kept plus more importantly tells a rich historic story at a key point in time.

Jan and I were here in 1971 on our way to Florida…wow, was that 50 years ago!

The park has a commanding view of Chattanooga and the Tennessee River

Jan caught me taking one last look before we had to leave.

Jan and I really enjoyed the time here. There is a lot to do at the Cloudland Canyon State Park and in Chattanooga. The plan is to return soon. Now our thoughts turn to our next trip to Red Top Mountain in north Georgia.

God bless,

Larry and Jan

Here we are kicking off trip four. As summer approaches, we head to the mountains for cooler weather and less humidity. Travelling in North Carolina we have repeatedly heard you have to check out the Pisgah Mountain area. Here we are with a long list of recommendations of hikes and sites to experience in only four days. The selected campground was on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Great location for our stay. As expected, the mountain weather tends to be wet.

Here are some fun views. These are easy to find along the Parkway.

Great view along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Impressive long view.

The clouds add interest to this Blue Ridge Parkway scene.

Blue Ridge Parkway views are great when the sun shines creating interesting shadows.

Being June there were lots of flowers. The displays were spectacular. Here are some shots I picked to share. We toured the area in the car and on foot. Lots of photo opportunities. If you have not been here, it is worth the trip.

The Rhododendron’s come into full bloom in June.

June flowers are impressive, nice close up photo.

Interesting!

In June the Mountain Laurel is still in bloom.

In the Pisgah Mountains plenty to see…

Easy access to this impressive waterfalls.

I thought this looked like an alligator. Jan thought it was a stretch. What do you think?

A surprise find was the Cradle of Forestry in America, a historic forestry school. The school came about from an arrangement between George Vanderbilt, the Biltmore Estate and Carl Schenck. Schenck was engaged to manage the reforesting of the estate that had been logged. Today the school is credited as the start of professional forestry management in America. Recommend this as a worthwhile and educational stop.

Impressed with the Cradle of Forestry. It is credited as the birthplace for forestry management.

The school was created by George and Edith Vanderbilt to support the development of the 87,000 acres of the Biltmore Estate.

The buildings are original or re-creation of the originals. The site was created by a very supportive alumni support group. This building served as a store for a period of time.

There were so many interesting buildings. Loved the look and feel of this residence.

The interiors were well stage for the period.

Many of the buildings had a German look and feel.

This was the office.

The detail on his house was fun.

The food was prepared and served by the wives of the support staff. This could be a look at an early cafeteria?

You can think of this as an early laundromat. This is the spot where students did their laundry.

The trails here are easy.

Trails here have plenty of interest. I am easily taken when there is rail fence and have a camera in hand.

Rail played a big role here back in the day…

Well preserved steam logging crane.

Rail Logging cars was an easy photo opt. Messed up the shot of the locomotive.

The saw mill was a mechanical wonder. Lots of lumber was made here.

For our last day we decided to change things up. The day was spent checking out Asheville. It started by taking advantage of the history-based walking tour. The tour was educational, found a great vegan restaurant and ended up with refreshments at a fun micro-brewery. It was good to get out the hiking boots for the day!

Asheville has several microbreweries. Here is the choice for this stop. Good stop!

The Basilica of St Lawrence was the final stop on our Asheville walking tour. Impressive! You need to see the inside.

Loved the Pisgah Mountains. The plan is to come back soon.

God Bless,

Larry and Jan

Our summer adventures continue with a trip close to home to Table Rock State Park. The objective to do serious hiking climbing the trail to the top of Table Rock. This is our second stay at this park. This will be the second time that an ailing back put a damper on the main goal. Not all was lost as there are plenty of outstanding trails here and the surrounding area that are more moderate. Plus, this is a beautiful state park with plenty of photo opts.

Table Rock State Park – Close to home with plenty of things to do

The infamous Table Rock Mountain, a challenge for hikers

Early May is a great time to visit this park in the South Carolina mountains

The set up got interesting right away. A visit from Mr. Bear got our attention for sure.

We just got set up when we had this visitor.

This guy came over for lunch so we thought it best to leave… However, I still got off one last shot.

This Park has a major trail head for local and regional trails. Took advantage by doing a nice hike around the lake as well as along the mountain streams. Lots of spring flowers this time of the year.

The goal for this visit, climb the mountain and take advantage of the many trails.

Caught this colorful scene on a walk around the lake.

Stopped to enjoy the view

The question is how tall is this mountain anyway.

The park was originally a CCC project. The lodge has that CCC look and feel. Still in use today.

Very different constructed dam, looks like another CCC project.

Interesting small cascade on a backcountry hike.

Caught this photo on a nice hike along the creek.

Could not resist this shot…

Caught this cool picture through the trees along the river…

Spring in the mountains, lots to see.

The Mountain-Laurel an awesome spring display.

Simple spring flower.

Lots of yellow flowers here…

This shot withstood the cut from many photos.

I have always liked Moonflowers.

Took a trip up the Mountain to North Carolina. Curious stop at Bald Mountain. Ended up at Brevard. This is a favorite town of ours. If we had it to do over again this may have been home.

Bald Rock Heritage Preserve near Caesars Head State Park. Graffiti at its “best”.

Bald Mountain view.

Solomon’s Seal a very interesting plant…

Took time out to visit Brevard, North Carolina to catch up with the white squirrel.

Jan and Mr. White Squirrel.

Jones Gap State Park is a sister to Table Rock. This is a very popular park. On the week ends you to have reservations to get in. The main trail is to Rainbow Falls. After our visit this hike and falls are now in our top 10 favorite. The hike is over seven miles in and out with a 1,200 Ft climb. This is a hike we will repeat for sure. The Park headquarters was a CCC project.

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Another CCC project, Jones Gap State Park

Jones Gap hike to Rainbow falls, the beginning.

The Rainbow Falls Trail crossed the creek several times.

This trail has a little of everything…here are the structured stairs.

This trail was harder the higher we went.

Just had to capture his scene. Setting and lighting good.

More trail and creek photos…

Rainbow falls, worth the climb. The rock scramble here was an unexpected treat.

If you are up to a nice hike, this falls is worth the effort.

This ended up being a great trip. Getting ready for the next one to the North Carolina Pisgah Mountains.

God bless,

Larry and Jan

For our second summer adventure, the target is the South Carolina low country. This area comes with a rich history. The term low country refers the region below the fall line or Sandhills, an ancient seacoast. It has subtropical climate, is agriculturally based dating back to the slave era which has created a colorful past and unique culture. Especially Aiken, targeted by many retirees looking for that perfect spot to escape the northern winters.

The Poinsett State Park conveniently located was our selection for a place to park the RV for the four day stay. The Park reviews were not all that great. However, we found it worked for us. Talking with others at the park heard that it is a favorite place to stay. The Park has interesting hiking and mountain bike trails plus it is well off the beaten path.

Checking Out Southern South Carolina at the Poinsett State Park.

The park had many easy trails. Good for those morning walks exploring lakes, old mill sites, back country trails, and catching some interesting characters along the way.

Captured this scene on an early morning walk around the park’s lake.

The site of the old grist mill site behind the lake’s dam. Interesting setting that has withstood the test of time.

The Spanish Moss is part of deep south.

This guy was keeping watch over the park’s lake.

Caught these guys along the trail. Thought they had an interesting hair cut.

The Congaree National Park was close by. We had visited the park several years back when the water levels were at an all time high. This time it was a very different experience with more normal summer water levels. There were no blocked trails. The Park is an old growth bottomland hardwood forest. It boasts some of the tallest trees growing in a floodplain in the world. Hiking the many boardwalks, exploring the lush forest is always great fun. Plenty of colorful and interesting photo opts. Always fascinated by the loblolly a fast-growing long-life pine prevalent in the park. The mosquito’s count was down much easier than the previous visit. It is one of the least visited national parks. However, we had to vacate the park by five as the synchronized firefly event was on.

Checking out the only national park in South Carolina. This park is a preserve of bottomland hardwood forest in a floodplain.

This park has great hiking trails many with elevated boardwalks.

There is an amazing forest canopy here.

Time out along the Congaree River…

The canopy filtering the sun for this photo of Cypress trees.

These cypress trees can be over 500 years old.

Found this setting worth a stop.

Love these cypress knees. They are thought to aerate the roots and anchor the trees.

Shot of the forest floor all with a bit of filtered sunlight to add interest.

Not many flowers here…

The cut trees all seem to have this same marking. I am sure it tells an interesting story.

The loblolly pines are tall, the champion is over 167-foot. Very impressive!

We have met a lot of people from the north who have retired to Aiken area. Had to check it for ourselves. This is impressive horse country. The downtown has a lot of offer. We spent a full day poking around. We will have to come back as there was not enough time to do the area justice. One thing for sure it is much hotter in this part of South Carolina than our home in the Upstate.

Visiting Aiken and horse country has been on travel list for a long time. This is our first trip to south South Carolina.

The museum and visitor center is in a great setting.

Very colorful exhibit.

Liked downtown Aiken. We will be back, maybe this fall. Here is where all the night action happens…

This community is all about horses. Checked out the exhibition grounds.

The landscape here is well manicured grass set off by white fences.

In “real” horse country the roads are not paved.

Being at Poinsett we were in striking distance for the Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Garden in Columbia. It was a beautiful day so was a good day for an outing at the zoo. Determine visiting the zoo would be very back friendly. It is a medium size zoo. It is well done and held our interest for several hours. After the zoo we crossed the bridge over the Saluda River to the Botanical gardens. This is a small well-done garden. The day ended with a great lunch in Columbia and a bit of shopping.

Getting ready for a full day at the zoo in Columbia. We had visited here several years ago.

Being a collector of anything giraffe, this sculpture demanded attention.

The real thing. This guy was posing for a picture.

The seals were performing…caught this underwater shot.

Glad this one was behind the fence. He seemed to be enjoying the sun.

Wonder what they are talking about…

These guys were on the move. Impressive tortoise heading out for lunch.

This big guy carries a lot of weight.

This lady was strutting her stuff and seem to have an attitude.

What is a zoo visit without a framed photo of a zebra.

This guy seeking out the shade to escape the afternoon sun.

The hole this dude dug was impressive. In the afternoon saw several zoo workers with shovels undoing all his work.

This colorful toucan stood out against the green background.

Note the ruffled feathers. These folks were not happy with each other. A very noise group.

On the other side of the river is the botanical garden.

The Saluda River…looks like a great place to paddle board or kayak.

Nice walk from the zoo as the shuttles are not running due to Covid.

The garden here are small and very well done.

Sets the stage for possible beach scene.

Took this shot on the way out…

Front and center, the South Carolina state tree the Palmetto.

Drawn to this history of many of the small towns in South Carolina. On the way south there were several towns to check out. Although, historic several on the list are struggling. Abbeville was on our list which we caught on the way back north. The downtown was vibrant and full of activity. Enjoyable stop did a little antiquing and lots of window shopping. Found attention-grabbing Civil-War history to check out.

On the way home stopped in the historic town of Abbeville.

Abbeville downtown was worth checking out. Found a treasure or two to take home.

Picturesque photo opt making the walk after lunch worthwhile.

Traveling local this summer is a change of pace for sure. Next trip is Table Rock State Park. Stay tuned!

God Bless,

Larry and Jan

Here we are again, finally ready to hit the road after a year off. It did take some time to pull things together as things seemed to be a bit “rusty”. The competition for RV repair was fierce, finding ourselves on our own to fix cranky mechanicals refusing to start after a long winter. Our response to the Covid world is traveling closer to home while (we hope) life gets back to be more predictable. On the books there are 12 reservations with the Smoky Mountain National Park being number 1 in April and number 12 in October. Looking forward to exploring North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee.

Here we are ready for adventure after the Covid experience.

If you like spring flowers and cool temperatures the end of April is a great time to visit the Smokies. Our home away from home for this stay was the Elkmont Campground near Gatlinburg.

The expectation was to hit the mountain trails taking advantage of the cooler temps. Plans were frustrated by Larry’s ailing back. However, the fine views are everywhere, easy to find. Samples follows:

Great spring day to check out this NP!

Beautiful spring day

Long view…

Nice vantage from a convenient pull out.

Lots of folks taking in this view along with enjoying a nice picnic.

Spring flowers were in full bloom, making getting out in the wild a grand experience.

The Dogwoods were in full bloom.

Along the river trail

There were plenty of Yellow Trilliums in full bloom

There were so many different varieties, showing their spring colors

Lots of white trilliums…

White Trilliums

Fun close up shot…

Close up on a muted background

Had to keep stopping to take another shot. Got way behind my hiking partner as a result.

Lighting made the color pop…

This shot near our RV site taken on a morning walk.

This guy was checking out all the folks walking by…

Along the trail with the Little River in the background

Jan found an impressive Dogwood along the Cades Cove Loop road

The Little River Trail (however, nothing little about this river) is a favorite hike. The flat trail appealed as a more back friendly experience, after giving up on climbing the proverbial mountain. Even though the campground was full, we found the trails uncrowded.

A nice shot of the Little River from the bridge in the campground, note Jakes Creek on the right.

Enjoying the river trail…

The Little River, had to work to get this shot!

Little River

The historical experience of the Cades Cove tour has a lot going for it. The park has done a fine job curating this 1900ish farm community. Especially documenting the conflicts/divisions during the period of the War between the states. The end for the community came as the result of farming viability, its remote location plus the National Park take over.

Cades Cove Church…note the his and hers doors.

All the churches had cemeteries…this one was a little rough giving it a bit of character.

The John Oliver house. John was a very early settler.

Eljiah Oliver house. The son of John. Note the multi-generational house on the right and the larger main house has a travelers room off the front porch. Right of the cabin door note the view hole for those who had to attend the fire so the brochure indicated.

Spring house used to store food as well provide running water to the house.

The watermill serving historic Cades Cove. Reflective image for the imagination of days gone by…..

Loved the cantilever barns of the Cove. Functional designed for the area and the southern climate.

Picturesque cabin built by a Civil War survivor.

Framed building served as a store and a personal residence in its day.

Elkmont area was originally settled as a logging community. The supporting village was Daisy town. After logging ceased it transitioned to a tourist community. The old hotel is gone and the club building is now a conference space. Ultimately, the National Park took over and the town buying out all the owners. It is now being restored and open to the public. It looks like restoration is almost complete. Great place for anyone with a camera interested in the past of this historic town.

Daisy Town cottage…the oldest building. It has withstood the test of time.

Very well build cottage which is an exception to many of the other dwellings.

Gatlinburg is definitely a tourist town. To our surprise the streets were packed with folks doing the same thing as us. Here are some pictures capturing the sights of the town. Our day ended with a nice walk along the river and finding the Smoky Mountain Micro Brewery for a late lunch.

Wow, this place has an interesting facade and was drawing in the crowd.

Eye catching…

…of course the music was appropriate for the setting!

Gatlinburg river scene

Great to be back on the road. The Smoky Mountain Park certainly has a lot going for it. The site we booked six months ago fit the old Airstream nicely. Sites here are only available by online booking, no walk ins.

Got to test both the generator and the solar on our stay.

Once back home, we had to check in with the neighbors next door. I think they were also checking us out. This will be an interesting summer with the current travel plans. Our schedule will give the house sitter a workout for sure. Stay tuned for the next update where we will be checking out horse country.

Two new young neighbors…

God Bless,

Larry and Jan