The southern beginning of the Appalachian Trail
Trip Start
Nov 19, 2007
1
9
171
Trip End
Ongoing
Amicalola Falls,
Georgia,
United States
Saturday, December 15, 2007
We traveled down to spend the night at the Amicalola Falls State Park with S&L.
rest stop on route
on route to Amicalola
We hiked up the trail along the falls and then for another mile or two on the paths and roadways.
Amicalola falls..the beginning
on the first leg of the trail
pretty far up there
the first set of stairs
over 700 steps straight up!
more stairs
The Cherokee Indians named these falls, Amicalola which translates; Tumbling Water.
Tumbling Water
the falls
Gorgeous water
We all made it to the top to be amazed at the source of all this tumbling water! The stream feeding Amicalola was a gentle, slow moving, shallow brook. The drought in this area is in part at fault for the slow, shallow brook but the falls were still far more than one expected from the source! I'm sure we will be back to experience this natural wonder when the water is high and the falls are wild with water. Sass said he has been sprayed from the stairs at an previous visit!
We started back via the downward climb on the stairs and all agreed to turn around and take the roadway. Louise and I decided the roadway may have been even tougher on the 'ol knees. But good conversation and a totally perfect day kept us happy and full of engery!
Going down?
The place is beautiful and happens to be the start, or finish if coming from the north, of the Appalachian Trail. What a long hike that is from Maine to Ga.
The beginning of the Appalachian Trial
When we were done hiking we went for a cruise and got some of the boiled peanuts that you see for sale everywhere (and that I made fun of earlier in the trip). They were delicious! They come in a cup in a bag and they are hot and wet when you get them. It's weird opening up a wet peanut shell and seeing these wet, soft nuts. They are more a bean than a nut served in this fashion. They reminded us of edamame soybeans. All delcious and salty and addicting. YUM!
Tired and happy we retired to our respective rooms; Andy and me to our RV, Sass and Louise to their room in the airy, high ceilinged, glass lodge overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. Lovely and calming and inspiring! This lodge is relatively new and offers great accomodations and a wonderful buffet. We happened there on a Friday so we signed up for the " all you can eat FISH buffet".
Showered and rested we rejoined in the glass lobby to have dinner together. We had a sumptuous meal of salad of all descriptions, trout, crab legs, shrimp, chowder, Brunswick Stew, rice, and piles of great veggies! Brunswick Stew in its original form is made from squirrel and apparently was originated in Brunswick, South Carolina. Here in Georgia in 2007 they make it from pork and it is fabulous!!! Followed by desserts of pecan pie, of course, sweet potato pie and vanilla ice cream.
Fully sated after having laughed with Louise and Sass for hours as we ate, we all retired to our beds for a 'knock out' sleep in the mountain air. Great outdoor walk, great company with lots of food and laughter is the perfect sleeping pill!!
Up and 'at em' Saturday morning, S&L off to home to get ready for the forcasted freezing temps with possible snow. They would not be able to manuver their road with any ice or snow on it. They truly live in and on a mountian top!! Snow only lasts a few hours so the worst it does is creates the desire to throw a log in their wonderful fireplace and read and watch the view change throughout the different lights of the day into night.
Andy and I however fled for more southern climes! Our little RV will loose her water if she experiences temps that will freeze her water lines. RVing in winter means keeping antifreeze in the lines. We would rather move south. So off towards Savannah!!!
