Adventure Travel Photography Blog
We got a very late start to the morning today. It was almost afternoon by the time I left my cousins as both the dogs had belly aches. It must have been the rawhides I gave them. Regardless, I had to do a little washing and drying before we left for Georgia’s colonial coast!
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
I got an early start to a day that included mostly travel and maintenance. I knew I wouldn’t make it all the way to Bluffton without having to get my oil changed within the 5,000 mile requirement to keep my warranty, so I planned a stop in Charleston. I found a state park on the way, so the dogs could have some play time as I presumed they’d be cooped up thereafter.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
Today was full of travel. I left Walter’s house around 9am and drove over 360 miles to the Outer Banks. For most of the drive, the day was damp and misty. It was a good day to hang out in VANilla. Of course I needed gas and the dogs needed a break every once in a while, so we stopped twice before reaching our destination, and one stop was a pleasant surprise.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
I awoke to another HAZY morning. I was a bit disappointed as Reader’s Digest describes Linville Falls as one of the most popular stops on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and if travelers could pick one stop along the route, Linville Falls would be the most likely choice. I hoped low hanging fog in Asheville, and a clear day in the mountains.
Lucky for me, my hope turned out to be reality. The mountain tops, in crystal clear skies, towered above valleys blanketed in clouds. Looking out above the clouds gave me a feeling like I was in the Himalayas – obviously far from it – but the panorama looked magnificent. I stopped at countless overlooks to admire the views.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
It was a cloudy morning at Walmart, yet not a bad view. I started my day early on the Southern part of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The foggy, misty, and windy weather made my visit to the Parkway feel somewhat eerie. I was the only one around. No cars were on the road and none were at our first stop, Waterrock Knob.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
This morning I left Murphy and headed toward Franklin, an area known for its precious stones. I pulled off near a park area to review the map and to walk the dogs along an asphalt path by the river. Lucky for me a small cache was planted nearby, so I logged it and continued through the North Carolina countryside.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
I started the morning with another home cooked meal…quiche, pound cake and berries! It’s getting harder to leave good company and houses, but my journey continues. Today, the dogs and I began a two day loop through the North Carolina countryside, beginning and ending near Asheville. Just outside of Asheville we stopped at a sports complex for a short walk with the dogs, as a long walk wasn’t in the itinerary until the afternoon. There was a cache nearby, but also people, so no luck for picking up a North Carolina cache yet.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
We left Georgia for the northwest part of South Carolina today. Our first stop along the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway was at Stumphouse Tunnel Park to see Issaqueena Falls, a 200 foot cascade. Unbeknownst to me, the park also featured an unfinished tunnel, hence the name. The work on Stumphouse Tunnel began in the 1850s to provide railroad passage from Cincinnati, OH to Charleston, SC.
The granite rock proved a challenge and Irish immigrants were only able to progress 200 feet per month. As such, funds for the proposed 5,863 foot tunnel were depleted. Before more funds were acquired, the Civil War commenced, and the tunnel was never completed.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
My pecans, cheese, and dates for dinner left me slightly hungry this morning, so I stopped at Burger King for “Free Coffee Friday” and blueberry biscuits for a dollar. If anyone needs to know how to live on $30 a day in America, I’d be the appropriate person to ask! The dogs and I got an early start in the North Georgia Highlands.
I wanted to make sure we got close to South Carolina by day’s end because tomorrow we get the chance to meet up with Walter, an ex-coworker. He quit before me but was more practical and lined up another job. We’ll connect at his family’s farm in South Carolina and/or his lake house in North Carolina as they are only thirty minutes apart. I’m pretty excited about it!
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
We started the day driving south toward Georgia. On the way, we stopped at Tellico Lake. The lake was formed by damming the Little Tennessee River. The land surrounding it was once owned by the Cherokee Indians and its capital, Tanasi, (the word from which Tennessee evolved) stood nearby. I was hoping to see a memorial of eight stone pillars commemorating the eight posts that supported the tribe’s meeting house, but I only found a reconstructed fort with another school bus in the parking lot. Apparently the week before Thanksgiving week is a good time for field trips!
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!