We had a great first week of school last week, but very hectic with me starting my 29th year of teaching, Abby starting 3rd grade at Johnson and the boys starting their middle school years at Model Middle and Phyllis having to deal with all of us being on the crazy side for the whole week! On Friday, the kids headed off to their dad’s so we decided on an impromptu trip to the mountains to reenergize and have some adventure together! Packed up the primitive camping kit and hit the road early Saturday! First stop was a morning hike up Brasstown Bald! I hadn’t been here in years and Phyllis had never been, so it was a wonderful stop! From there, we went to Jim’s BBQ, the best anywhere, near Blairsville, and on to Desoto Falls Recreation Area! With the kit we use on our canoe trips, set up took about 30 minutes at a great campsite! Then we went on an early evening hike to the Falls! The upper Falls were amazing even with limited water flow! These are highly under-rated Falls! The Lower Falls were decent and a good short hike, but nowhere near as good as the Upper!
After returning from a few miles hiking the Falls, we had a grilled hamburger around a nice fire and relaxed for the evening! A great day! On Sunday, we got up early and had a bacon and eggs breakfast around another fire (I love a good fire!!) We packed up and headed out! We were just wandering and ended up at Smithgall Woods State Park! We had checked it out before, but not hiked the trails! We did a short trail that turned out to be nearly all uphill! A good morning hike, but enough for the second day! We left there and wound up in Helen! We had a great lunch and then hit the candy shop for some amazing Pecan Brittle and a candy apple for Phyllis! Nice scenic drive home!
Along the way, we saw some of the most amazing mushrooms I have ever seen! There are some kinds I didn’t even know existed and they were everywhere! We also made a new camp friend in Teddy the bullfrog and Speedy the Snail crossing the trail to the other side! We saw the most amazing views from the highest point in Georgia!
I am not usually an impromptu person! I plan EVERYTHING, but I think this trip may change my mind! It worked out great and took no planning and very little packing! Spending the time with the most amazing woman I have ever met, my beautiful wife Phyllis, makes every moment so special! I spent so many years not knowing what love like this can feel like and now I feel it every day! Trips like this just make me feel like the luckiest man on earth! Knowing that we can do them even more often when a day pops up gives me even more to look forward to! Can’t wait for the next adventure!
