Let me just tell you, before I begin on more trip stories, right now the house smells absolutely amazing. In fact, if it weren't 88 degrees outside you might think that it was Autumn here in Central Florida. Apple Cinnamon Bread my friends, thanks to this recipe and some homegrown apples given to me by Karen, our longtime friend who has lived in Murphy, NC for more than a decade now. And how was it that we came by these apples you wonder? We visited not only her, but more friends and family making this trip absolutely delightful.
Today though, this post still finds us in Helen, GA and we shall end in Murphy, NC. Along the way the sights were fantastic and frankly, deserve to be shared. So let's get to it, shall we?
Getting up early, as is our custom, we left Unicoi to head back into town, followed by seeing Anna Ruby Falls. First we stopped by the lake. I am a sucker for smoke on the water and fog in the mountains!
Afraid to try the breakfast buffet at the lodge, we went to Betty's Country Store for a breakfast sandwich which really hit the spot.
Who doesn't like to look around a country store?
They had cookies the size of lunch plates for $2.25. Lots more to see there but onward we move or you will be reading all night!
Lots of photos my friends. Lots of photos.
The falls. Wow! My photos do not do it justice, in part because there is no sound. Yup, the sound of that water falling from so high up is pretty darn thrilling. Majestic indeed.
So here's a funny picture which probably looks anything but to your eye, but I know the real story; Bruce is reading his phone to measure the grade of the climb to the falls which is something a builder would do. Thankfully, we had our walking sticks. We watched as younger folks confidently climbed and maybe that could have been us some years ago, but these days we take things slow and steady!
Well here it is, probably one of the most well documented waterfalls in Georgia, but when you see it for the first time it is awe inspiring!
We had the obligatory tourist photo taken by a kind stranger.
Bruce's denim shirt kept me just warm enough. Going up was a bit challenging, but coming down was harder yet on my old knees! That said, it was so worth the effort.
Along the way massive boulders are everywhere.
Living in Florida most of my life, I am just not that used to rocks. Sure little tiny ones, but I'm talking big rocks. Nor am I accustomed to mountains, however that year in Vancouver turned me into a mountain lover. Seeing the mountains every day brought me such joy which is why I am loving the ability to go to North Carolina for a fix!
The website claimed there was a swimming beach at Unicoi State Park and Lodge but it wasn't until our second day there that we found it while going on a hike. Imagine that, we still had energy! The trail took us through the woods, skirting the lake which was quite lovely.
That's another thing Vancouver introduced me to and that is changing leaves. Oh how I loved them in Stanley Park and really, all around the city. But that was then, and this is now...
Finally there really is a beach, not that anyone would be using it this time of year, but it does exist and the setting is pretty.
On our way back, Bruce stopped to chat with a fisherman while I went in search of a restroom. Found it! Our hike had brought us back to the campground welcome center. While there I saw this and tried really hard to remember how it is played. Who knew that 40+years later, passwords would rule our lives???
Time to head back into Helen, which as I mentioned, we both found so strange. Maybe that sounds silly coming from folks that live in the theme park capital of the world! What do you think?
What's so wrong about staying at the Heidi Motel in Northern, GA? After all, people from around the world come to Walt Disney World to be married at Cinderella's castle! Is there a difference? Probably not.
Perhaps it was the crowds? It's been a long time since we've been amongst lots of people, so maybe that added to the weirdness? And then there is the matter of too many people wanting to eat out
and not enough people who want to serve them. All the restaurants were full, so when we went to the Troll Tavern for lunch, as we sat at the bar in order to avoid the hour wait for a table, the bartender took our order but said he had to wait for the food order as the kitchen was too backed up.
First it was Password and now trolls? Nostalgia alert! I will say, by the time we did get our food, mine was a pretty darn scrumptious Reuben sandwich.
Because lunch was so late, when we returned to the lodge we grabbed our books and sat in the Adirondack chairs to read while the sun was going down. Bruce then started a fire in the provided pit and eventually we were joined by others. This is when I left my book. This is also when we met the folks from Madison, GA, the town I so loved, and this was also when we met a young woman who told us she was a wild animal caretaker. Showing me the photo of her hugging a hyena, well, I was at a loss for words.
A lot could be said about that fireside chat, alas we must continue.
In the morning it was raining, the first of our trip, but again, not chancing the restaurant, we packed our things, checked out and went into town, this time eating at this tiny restaurant where I had the most fantastic bagel, flown in from New York, and Bruce had memorable grits among other things.
The most amazing thing about this place is that the owner was the cook, and the server was delightful, something I want to remember. One cook, one server for about 16 seats, all full, and yet she could not have been sweeter. A real treat.
Someone mentioned the road to Murphy, our next stop, was winding and they were not kidding.
And it was foggy...
and then there were gorgeous leaves.
Crazy right? Because I have the iPad on my lap and watch the road ahead, when Bruce began getting a wee bit drowsy, I told him there was a church ahead, one of very few places on the journey. What a great place to stop! While he took a 15 minute nap, I explored. Imagine that. :)
Score!!
Extra points for the field across the street.
Not pictured, because I am going on so, is a huge field of sunflowers adjacent to the cornfield. Could it have been any better? I think not.
Before we got to Murphy I wanted to stop in Hiawassee, GA because I had learned of a pickleball complex of 14 courts in the tiny town. How tiny? Well the population was 800 in 2010, so maybe bigger now, but it sure can't be by much. Amazing! Set on this huge lake, how could a person concentrate with mountains and water to distract? Maybe the same way I do when the birds are calling my name while I am playing? Happened just this morning as a hawk flew into my vision.
We watched for a while and chatted with a few people, but the best I could do for a photograph was this as there were folks playing.
The sky cleared and we continued our journey to Murphy where my sister Carol's husband just moved from Long Beach, CA. For years he wanted to move, however Carol did not, so they stayed there. It has been a little more than three years since she died, and finally he found a place with wooded acreage which you will soon see.
I'm skipping over some things, but one thing that I totally want to remember is this photo I came across in an antique store near Hayesville. I studied this photo, noticing how each little girl looks and wondering who could the lone boy be? Did his mother insist? Who came up with these costumes? Those ankle ties!
Not to mention the amazing quality of the photograph. I love it!! Make it big if you are reading this on a phone!
Nearing Murphy, we stopped in Hayesville where we again ate at the bar, enjoying the local flavor, and I mean that in two ways, at the Black Dog Tavern.
It was the kind of place where the owner is sitting across the way and the bartender calls you all sorts of sweet names. Honey, baby, sweetie...you get the idea. The food was quite good, but town folks would not be having dinner there because they had to close after lunch due to a staff shortage. As I mentioned, a continuing theme on this trip.
Gosh I love it when this happens.
Mountain, upon mountain, upon mountain.
With the iPad guiding us, once in Murphy we made our way to Hank's place on all sorts of roads, both stone,
and paved.
Woo hoo! We made it. While Carol was sick, Hank lost a lot of weight, however, three years later, while still thin, he is now having the time of his life, which makes our hearts sing with joy. He made us a pot of delicious beef stew while the dogs were anxiously awaiting their own dinner.
He bought the place furnished, filled with only things an old lady would like. Fine for now, Carol would not have stood for the furnishings, and according to Hank, she would have lasted about three days in the woods. Here's what his surroundings look like.
Murphy turned out to be quite the destination for this couple as you will find out in my next post which will be soon. For those of you who have come to this space in recent years you might assume that I have been posting once a week for a long time which is not how I started. Because I know most people read this on their phones I don't think the list of years and posts shows up, however, for those who do read on a bigger screen you will see that I was crazy for blogging, posting 251 times in 2007!! That even astonishes me.
your friend,
Gail
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