Tobacco Road to Hotlanta and beyond
Got to tap the photos to see 'em all. Bozo's been doing a lot of travelling. All the state line crossings in order. We stayed w/ Will S. In Decatur, GA. Unfortunately his fiance, Megan, was out in LA for work so we missed her. We did get to meet Murphy, though and he's a hoot. Loves to play tug of war w/ his big chew turtle. I was a mentor for Will when he did a City Year program in Seattle about 5 years ago. He liked it enough to apply for and attend the UW's Social Work school for postgrad degree. He went back to his hometown of Atlanta after his Masters. He contacted Cathy through Facebook and wondered if Bozo was coming to Atlanta. We had already considered that since we had to go through there to get to Florida. He graciously gave up their bedroom for us and slept in his study/office on a large couch. His fiancé was out of town on business or we would never have agreed to that. We are sorry that we missed her. We talked about flying through Atlanta in the future on our way to Sicily. That would be a logical choice once we relocate to Arizona. Phoenix to Atlanta to Rome or Palermo is a common route.
Took a day trip from the farm since Cori has to work, and went to Hanging Rock State Park. It was developed by CCC workers in the 1930's, you know one of those "socialist" programs FDR implemented to help young unemployed men throughout the nation during the depression.
We hiked down the trail to the "Hidden Falls". It's supposed to be a .4 M easy walk but it ain't for disabled or the walking dead. Those of us who do these little trips have what is northwest called as ranger miles. It may only be due to the uphill trails but, damn, those one-milers are often more than that. There's a further set, the "Window Falls", but the heat and humidity ruled that one out at the get-go. Pretty countr. We got some nice photos of the falls and it was nice and cool, compared to the ridge line trail to get there. The falls are located down in a small hollow and would be really nice except for the love they get from visitors. The local stone that forms the mountains in this area is an erosion resistant quartzite. There's a nice lake, w/ a sandy beach in the park and lots of parking. You can see why it's one of the state's most heavily used parks.
That evening my niece took us to the "backside" of the park to see the sunset over the Blueridge Mountains from next to Tory Falls and Tory Cave, which played a local role near the end of the Revolutionary War. You can drive to w/in a couple hundred yards of the site while most non-locals walk miles on the trails to get there. Make friends w/ a local. She learned of it from her Tai Chi teacher.
Foodie Time: Had lunch on the road to Atlanta. Gotta do the "Q" in the south, but then again, we often look for small local smokeries when we're on the road. E-burg's Rodeo City and the Ranch House on 8 west of Olympia are Washington finds. Bozo gives Grandaddy's 4 clowns.
Had dinner in Decatur. (How poetic, it almost rhymes.) The Floataway Cafe is a hidden gem. A bit pricey, but delicious and imaginative meals. In-house ingredients, like ricotta gnocchi and squid ink mostaccioli. Will really enjoyed the bratwurst. That Waluke Slope wine was a nice light cab. We'll look for it next time we go winehunting in E-WA. After dinner we went to Cake and Ale in downtown Decatur near their square. Nice area, reminded us of South Lake Union but w/ lots more people around. Too bad downtown Seattle is so damn dead at night. You either have to be in Pioneer Square, Ballard or Cap Hill for any life at night.
We're staying at the Shamrock Inn in Ocala, FL on our way to Clearwater. Nice funky and eclectic place. There's a family run Italian (naturally) place right next door that has great reviews. Guess where we're having dinner tonight.
Ciao, Bambini.