In the Mountains

Today we had our first taste of the Interstate since we left home. I was quite a culture shock after the beauty and serenity of the Parkway, and we both agreed that we want to take as little of the Interstate as possible on this trip. The stretch from Murfreesboro, TN (near Nashville) to Chattanooga had so many huge, fast trucks. We both want to use this special trip to slow down...so we breathed a sigh of relief when we exited the Interstate and got on Route 64 East through eastern Tennessee, dipped into Georgia, and ended up in the stunning mountains of North Carolina. There wasn't much happening today besides driving, so this entry will be mostly photos with just a few words.

We stopped in a spot on the Ocoee River where the 1996 Olympic whitewater events were held. What a beautiful spot! Curt used to whitewater race (in canoes and kayaks) on this river...though not in the Olympics!

I really enjoyed watching this cute family of young people, doing what kids ought to be doing on a hot, sultry, Georgia afternoon...playing in the cold water. The 4 siblings worked so well together on their project,,,building a little dam in the river. I loved the way they cooperated and collaborated. They must have spent the whole afternoon on this. Maybe future employees of the Army Corps of Engineers!? You can just barely see their dam at the feet of the boy.

Now THIS is the kind of environment we like to see our camper in...Forget the Interstate!

As the afternoon wore on, we hit North Carolina, one of our favorite states.

 Curt and I both spent lots of time during our college years and beyond in these mountains, covering much of the same territory, even years before we knew each other. We both backpacked, rock climbed, kayaked in whitewater, and camped...even with many of the very same people...and yet we never met till several years later in Yellowstone National Park. I love the Blue Ridge Mountains, especially the views when you see layer upon layer of various greens, turning to blue in the distance.

On the stretch between Franklin and Highlands, N.C., we passed some stunning cascades and waterfalls. However, the road was far too winding and narrow, and the traffic was too intense for us to stop. And I just wasn't quick enough with the camera to get shots out the truck window. I did, however, manage to catch one smaller waterfall that had a pullout long enough for our car & trailer. Just multiply this one by about 100, and you might be able to imagine the ones that got away!

I was able to get in behind the falls for a shot through the falling water.

One last photo today. This is a portion of Highland Lake. Curt used to ice skate all over this lake in the winter when he was in college. Wish I could have seen that...I'm certainly not as confident on ice skates as he is!!

For the next few days we'll be spending time with Bonnie, my stepmother (who is really so close that I hate to use the "step" word!) And we have other good friends in the area as well, so, we'll see how many we can get together with. Then we'll head North to visit Curt's siblings. I'll keep,you posted!