Alabama Water Falls Road Trip-January 2018

The Adventures continue…FINALLY! After weeks of being inside due to weather and other events, we finally hit the road again to find some adventure in nature! It was still below freezing, so we didn’t set out on any long hikes, but instead went to find some frozen water falls! It was a good thing we didn’t bother bringing the canoe because almost all of the flat water was frozen solid! But we found some beauty and some adventure!

Phyllis, the kids, Beast and I set out for Alabama by way of Summerville! Our first stop was right across the Alabama line in Mentone at Lake Lahousage! We found this lake a couple of years ago and it has become one of our favorite places for a good quick paddle, but this time the lake wasn’t moving and we weren’t canoeing! We headed for the old dam at the end of the lake! Technically, it isn’t a water fall, but the gap created in it makes a beautiful sight! As we unloaded and walked out on the dam, it was amazing! Ice that was thick enough to walk on, although we thought better of trying! The water flowing through the dam was half frozen and made for wonderful pictures and scenes! Beast drug Phyllis half way across the dam, but we were afraid to let him go because he might try to jump in, ice or not! After a few minutes we headed back, but Beast who has suffered the most from being cooped up, had to run! We let him go on the trail and he ran with pure joy! When we got back to the dirt road, the kids ran with him! He flew like lightening up and down the road! He was beyond thrilled! We finally got back in the car and headed out!

Our next stop was Desoto Falls! This three-level dam and falls is amazing and we have hiked all around and down below it, but today we just went to the visitor parking area at the dam where we have also canoed before! The Lake above the dam was beautifully frozen and as we unloaded, we let Beast walk out on the ice a little way! He was not to fond of the cold on his paws, but he still wanted to run some more! Some of the funniest pictures I got from the day were of Phyllis trying to hold him back while I took pictures. Take a look at the ones where she held on to a tree to keep him in check! The kids and I went down the trail first and then swapped out with Phyllis. The ice on and around the falls was so amazing! We have seen these falls in so many different ways, but this was a new one for us and it is one I will always remember! After a good visit, we loaded up again, which did not make Beast happy since we couldn’t find an open area for him to run, and headed out again!

We headed to Desoto State Park and checked out Indian Falls. It is a small fall, but it was very pretty with the ice all around it! Beast had fun checking out the water, but we managed to keep him dry. After that, we headed over to the boardwalk to go for a short hike. We were the only ones on the boardwalk and I realized it was the perfect place for Beast to run! We sent the kids on the down ahead of us and then let Beast go! He ran like the wind! Once again, we could see that pure joy on his face as he ran back and forth! We let him run and run! The kids burned out and just sat down, but Beast kept running! And running! He had the best time and finally slowed down enough to get going again! We had a good lunch at the Lodge Restaurant to round out our time at Desoto!

Next stop, Little River Falls! Love these falls when they aren’t overrun with people. This time of year, and with the cold, we were almost alone! The falls had some amazing ice and all over the wall on the far side of the canyon, trails of ice laced all the way to the bottom. We visited these for a while, then loaded up and headed to one of our favorite hidden spots. I found them in one old guide book, but otherwise they are not listed on any of the park’s maps! Greggs Two falls are a short hike down a barely marked trail, but they are very pretty and very secluded! We let Beast run free and he had a blast again. Only one scary moment when we circled around to the base of the falls and Beast went out in front of us. He hit a patch of ice and slid toward the water scaring us to death. He recovered and found a dry spot and regained control before he made it to the water. After that, he calmed way down and I kept hold of his leash until we made it out of the frozen area! He loves water, but I think that would have been a little much even for him. I sent Phyllis and the kids on back to the car while I worked my way a little farther down to the second and 3rd falls! They were pretty, but nowhere near as pretty as the first! We love these falls because we are always alone on the trail. Phyllis and I made it all the way to the bottom of the canyon when the water was low during the drought. It was a long climb through the rocks, but so much fun.

Our last fall of the day was Nocalula Falls in Gadsden! Again, the ice was amazing and the rock at the bottom looked just like an iceberg. Beast ran some more including chasing the geese out of the water. This time he got wet, but not too bad. We thought he might be running out of energy, but he was not! He could have run for hours, but it was starting to get dark so we loaded back up and headed to Logan’s for dinner!
We made one last stop at Ms. Janet Boyd’s house on the way home. She brought us our Beast and we will be forever thankful! Beast got to see his mamma and one of his sisters! Despite all the energy of the day, Beast was still ready to go! He and his sister went to the backyard and ran a whole lot more! They had so much fun, but when we finally got Beast back in the car, he fell fast asleep! He did not move all the way home! It was great seeing Janet and the dogs! They looked so big before, but Beast is larger than all of them now!

It was such a great day and we needed it so bad! Can’t wait for more adventures!