Tallulah Gorge, GA...

What does one do when you wake up early and stare at the sunrise with a cup of tea warming your hands and the day is just full of a promise of the fleeting Georgia spring?  One gets in the truck (yes, we have a truck now...long story), opens the sunroof and drives to the place they've never fully explored - Tullulah Gorge.

The rim of the canyon didn't get above high 60's in temperature *happy dance* but the gorge floor was much warmer due to the rocks soaking up the sun.  And when you spend 45 minutes climbing over boulders that are slick as glass you work up a sweat.  Luckily there are some freezing cold, and I do mean COLD, swimming holes that you can brave.  In your underwear.  Because you're classy like that.  And alone.

I'm honestly astounded that we hiked the gorge floor (and skimpy dipped, as I've started calling our stripped-down-but-still-somewhat-clothed shenanigans) because you have to have a permit to do so and they are usually gone within a few minutes after the park opens.  Seems that today no one but us chickens were willing to brave the trails or take a dip.

And I must admit that I'm so, so, so sore right now thanks to this 6 hour adventure.  Brady and I have a tendency to take a chance on hiking particular trails that inevitably lead us to cool places BUT they come with unexpected hours added to the trip or a weird rainstorm or a shit ton of climbing to do or something like that.  We actually laugh about it but it still catches us off guard every single time.  We never learn and today was no exception.

If you're thinking of visiting Sliding Rock and Bridal Veil Falls at the Gorge then be prepared!  It's a strenuous hike to-and-from the area and it's very slippery on the rocks.  Do not bring anything you don't want to get splashed (my camera barely made it out and only did because I crawled on my knees with it held above my head to cross the streams) and be sure to bring lots of water.  I also do not recommend this with younger kids or anyone with any medical issues.  It's actually a bit dangerous if you're not diligent.  They'll tell you it's a 2 hour hike round trip.  THEY LIE.  It's at least 5 hours to complete the floor and the rim.  But it's all worth it to slide down the Sliding Rock into a cold pool of water while hawks circle overhead...

Athens Life - Cloudland Canyon Part II...

This is a waterfall.  Repeat, THIS IS A WATERFALL!  That I stood right in front of and squealed and danced.  It was just perfect.  Oh, and I was totally alone with it and had some very deep thoughts during the time that I was there.  How trite but oh-so-true.

As you can see (because I shoved it in your face from the get-go) Brady and I did a bit more exploring during our mini-vacation to Cloudland Canyon.  Remember our trip - here and here?  Well, we were lucky enough to get in roughly 4 hours of hiking before hightailing it to Chattanooga for lunch and then back home to beat the torrential rain that was swooping in.  The weather until the moment we left = perfect.  Cool and breezy and nary a bug/snake to be seen.  Can't ask for more than that...

Brady likes to stand and/or sit under big rocks.  Weirdo.

Annnnnnd this is waterfall #2!  I'm still in a bit of awe about our adventures as of late...

I can't wait to go back to the area...which might be sooner than I thought.  I don't want to say too much just in case the scheduling goes awry but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be on another grand adventure here shortly.  This summer is shaping up to be one to remember...

Athens Life - Cloudland Canyon Part I...

After our adventures at Amicalola Falls we drove a few more hours to our destination in NW GA - Cloudland Canyon.   I was amazed at what awaited for us in the late afternoon light!  The park reminds me more of our adventures in Utah than anything I'd ever seen in GA...and I grew up here.  Today I'm going to share our explorations on the top rim view hike, which is very short but scenic and full of lovely flowers and waterfalls...

Eastern Daisy Fleabane - Erigeron annus

Mountain Laurel - Kalmia latifolia

The aftermath of clambering over rocks for the better part of an hour = bruises and bites.  The skateboarding scar on the knee isn't a part of the experience...

By the time the sun fully set we were encased in our tent with a delicious beer, a good book and a feeling of weariness that only comes from a day full of adventure.  I think I was snoozing by 9 o'clock!  We needed the rest though because the next day's plans included a very long hike to the waterfalls for us (we took turns in order to keep Ms Vienna happy and safe on some of the shorter trails and streams) as well as a trip to Chattanooga.  I'll share those pictures soon!

Oh, and I'm slowly learning to identify some of the wild plants and flowers of the area but I'm still in the dark as to what some of them are.  If you know what's pictured, would you share your knowledge?

Don't forget to sign up for June's International Postcard Swap!

Athens Life - Sandy Creek Park...

Since I have to a) work all day b) do schoolwork this evening and c) take photos for Brady's gig tonight, we decided to celebrate Earth Day yesterday instead of today.  Well, we try to celebrate Earth Day every single day but yesterday was definitely focused on listening to the crunch of our shoes on rocks and leaves, watching the waves lap the shore of the lake and the trees sway, inhaling the sweeeeeeet air of a GA spring, and listening to buzz of bees.  Bringing home a bit of nature in the form of a seed tick or 2 was definitely not part of the plan but they had other ideas...

We visited Sandy Creek Park for the first time and were delighted with what we found.  I mean, a beach?  A dog park?  Canoeing and kayaking?  Miles and miles and miles of trails for people, doggies and horses? A community garden?  In.  So.  Much.  Love.  With.  The.  Place.  Why hadn't we been here before?!?  Why, because we thought it was the same place as the Sandy Creek Nature Center.  Whoops!  Glad we figured out our mistake, took the trip out there and meandered for hours just chatting and snapping photos and letting Vienna sniff all manner of things...

My intrepid companions!  That shirt out of storage = warm weather is here to stay.  It's his favorite t-shirt in the whole world!  And look at all those curls he has...*jealous*

Fledgling ferns unfurling resemble a seahorse, ya?

Heart attack and vine...hehehehe...

There were hundreds of these little Oak Leafrollers dancing in the wind on thin silken threads.  They 'bungee jump' from trees when they feel they're in danger and then haul themselves back up again.  Cooool...

A new form of life starting up.  I tried to make it look as least phallic as possible but I failed.  Oops!

I hope that you have an amazing Earth Day no matter what you choose to do!  And remember the 3 R's, ok?  Reduce.  Reuse.  Recycle.  See you later, alligator!

Don't Leaf Me Alone - Part 2

Hi!  This blog post is photo heavy and a bit long but I hope you like it!

I just can't believe that October is at the very edge of disappearing and that November is just hours away.  It's hard for me to let the month go because there is still so much I want to do!  Heck, I haven't even bought candy or finished my pumpkins yet.  But that's expected with a very sick husband in the house (poor Brady has a severe bronchial infection still and had to go to the hospital for treatment but is on the mend) and I'm not complaining at all...just stating that the time seems to be slipping away faster and faster as of late.

October was a pretty darn good month in terms of adventures, new restaurants explored, new blogger friends, new blog ideas (if I can find the damn time to work on them to completion) and new plans for the rest of the year.  But let's go back to the first thing - adventures!  I still have to show you the rest of my pictures from Black Mountain / Asheville, NC.

 

It was in the 30's and the wind was something fierce...hence the lovely locks that I'm sporting in this pictures.  And, yes, I'm wearing shorts.  My legs never get cold so I sported layers everywhere but my stems.  And, yes, about a gazillion people asked me 'AREN'T YOU FREEZING?'  Nope.  Not with a sweater that makes me look like a line-backer.  I got this!

I.  Am.  The.  Fire.  Master.

Seriously, I always start the fire and I've only failed once in the Tetons 3 years ago.  But that was cool because there was an unexpected-to-us meteor shower that rained from the sky in the complete blackness of the middle-of-nowhere.  Yeah, I planned it like that.  Totally.

I have discovered my love for growlers...and this beer was freaking amazing!  Ginger?  Molasses?  Spruce tips?!?!?  It's like they looked inside my soul!

We bid farewell to the campground after 2 lovely, and really cold, nights.  It was beyond fun but by the last day I was a) very sick with a cold and b) very tired after a 1am visit from a big, mysterious critter* that scared the tar out of me and Brady.  That means I took only a few Instagram photos of our quick exploration of Asheville on the way home but I do know that we will be back...and soon!  And not sick.  Please, not sick.

Only a few hours left!

*Here's the critter story, if you're interested.

I woke up at around 1am due to something snuffling and snorting outside the tent.  Now, there were a gazillion leaves on the ground so the crunch-crunch-crunch of them is a good indication of how big an animal is...and this thing made some good crunchy sounds.  Yikes!  It also made this weird slithering sound.  What the what?  Then I remembered that we'd left our trash dangling from the hook on the other side of the campsite.

Shit.  Shitshitshit.

All I could think about was that we'd camped/hiked/slept in areas where grizzlies and mountain lions roamed, and now we were going to be attacked by a supposedly very shy black bear over the remnants of the veggie dogs we stupidly left out.  And it was going to be all our own fault!  But then the animal left the area (crunching away) and I relaxed for a moment to prepare myself to bolt from the tent and grab the trash bag and then bolt to the car.  Just as I was putting on my shoes I heard it again.  Then a huge, I mean huge, distorted shadow passed over the tent...thrown from the dim lights of the bathhouse down the way.  And then the slithering sound again.  Just what was this thing?  An ROUS?

I carefully leaned over and whispered to Brady sleeping form 'there's something outside the tent' which he heard, due to grogginess, as 'there's something inside the tent' and preceded to freak out but in a whispered voice.  It would've been hilarious if I honestly wasn't terrified beyond reason by that point.  We decided to count to 3 then unzipped the tent from each side and (bravely? stupidly?) proceeded out into the freezing darkness.  Lights shining everywhere, like we were the crazed FBI guys in E.T., we searched our site and saw nothing.

No.  Nononono.  There had been something there!  I heard it!  I saw the shadow!

I walked down a ways to double check and then I heard it again.  Right behind me.  Whirling around to face whatever the mysterious thing was, I met eyes with...with...with...a huge, hairy, panting, grinning animal!

A Golden Retriever, to be exact.

A Golden Retriever dragging a leash and belonging to some older folks down the way.  Her name was Precious and she had torn a hole in the tent to make her daring, albeit not too successful, escape into the mountains.  I must admit that I was torn between relief (dog is safe and we are safe and no bear?  yay!) and a bit of satisfaction (your dog woke us up in the middle of the night by pretending to be scary animal and now we get to wake you up!).  Hey, it was really late and I was tired and I was cold!  I should be forgiven for my unkind thoughts, eh?

We went back to our tent, snuggled up, laughed for a good bit and then fell back to sleep.  Oh, and we left the damn trash out...again.  Sheesh. 

The End.