March 2007
Archives
March 13, 2007
Vacation Time
Here I am, on "Vacation" in the mountains
of North Carolina. Looking out the window, I can see Tusquittee Mountain
and a small valley down below. I hope the people who live in this area understand
and appreciate the beauty of the area.
We visited Ana Ruby Falls near Helen Ga. on Sunday.
The half mile walk up a paved trail was worth the effort.
The weather was perfect and the falls impressive.
Most places here remain closed until "Spring"
and in some cases even May 1st. Helen, Ga. is open year round and this
time of year the crowds are sparse. I recommend a trip to Helen. The downtown
area is modeled after an alpine village.
Many of the shops and restaurants are bavarian themed complete with the music
and food. Summer is the best time to
visit. That is when the village comes alive.
Monday we drove across the corner of Georgia to South
Carolina. The trip took us through some of the most mountainous
country in Georgia. Passing through Clayton Ga.and crossing into SouthCarolina
we traveled through "Apple Country" and into Clemson then on to
Travelers Rest, South Carolina. It is a three hour drive from Hiawassii, Ga
to Travelers Rest, but well worth the time. The scenery was often breathtaking
and the drive relaxing.
If your expecting a social or political commentary,
sorry, I have not seen any news or read a paper since Sunday. It is nice
to not know what is going on in the world for a change. I dont even have internet
at the moment. This will be posted later when I get to a WiFi HotSpot somewhere.
But be assured I am reading during this time, my vacation book is " Zen
in the Art of Writing", by Ray Bradbury.
Mankind has been repeating oral history since Adam told
his children how he was created. We still do today, whether we
realize it or not. Granparents tell of "the war" or "the depression".
We here about the first car or a new house from our parents.
And we, now the parents and grandparents, tell our stories of "back when".
I guess that is what we did tuesday. We visited
a old home site and told the grandchildren stories of their parents riding
go-carts down a twisting hillside drive. We talked about
the swing that once hung in the tree and the cows that roamed the meadow down
below. A creek a few miles away brought back
memories of a cousin getting baptized and our daughter jumping from the bridge
into the cold rushing water. We skipped stones
just like momma and her brother use to do and talked about the time I tried
to cross the creek with our two year old on my hip.
The pictures tell the whole story. Let's just say the water is cold and once
across you are faced with the realization that the only way back is the way
you came.
These stories must be told. They make us who we are. Wednesday we will find
something new to do and who knows,
we might add a new story to our collection.
Wednesday, we visited the John C Campbell Folk Art School.
It is a peaceful place with the feel of a small college. A craft shop
offers the student and alumni a venue to display and sell their art. It is
"Folk Art" , wood crafts, carvings, candles, iron work
jewlery and such. There is even a book section for the would be artist in
you. Scattered over several acres are buildings for
different art classes. I saw too blacksmith shops. They even teach a course
in digital photography along with canning and basket
weaving. Hows that for variety? If you get a chance I recommend a visit to
this unique corner of the Smokey Mountains.
Thursday, back to Travellers Rest and a visit to Anderson, SC. We checked out New Spring Church,one of the fastest growing churches in America. They came from eleven people to 7000 in 10 years!
Friday we headed home with a side stop at the Tangers
Outlet Mall and a two hour traffic jam in Atlanta. Glad we planned on
not rushing home.
I think I am glad to be home. I look forward to routine again.