First Field Trip

It is almost midway through July and finally we have our first non rain-drenched weekend day of the summer. So Kat and I were eager to go to a place of beauty for our first outing away from our base RV camp. As I mentioned before, we chose the RV park in Cumming, GA to stay the remaining 6 months of the year because it is withing 60 miles of all of the North Georgia state parks and other places of interest. The strategy is that we can leave our camper in place and drive to nearby destinations without putting the extra wear-and-tear on Hemi-Lou (our Dodge Ram 1500).

Kat loves waterfalls and wanted to try out some new photography techniques that she has learned. (You can see her photos here.)  So, we chose Amicalola Falls State Park as our first day trip away from base camp. This state park is 42 miles from our current location with parts of it climbing some moderate grades and some very steep grades once you enter the park to the campground area. I do not think I would be comfortable pulling our camper up and especially down such a grade. So having a nearby base camp will work for us very well.

Amicalola means “tumbling waters” in the Cherokee language and was a place held in high regard by those peoples. I can understand why. It is hard to stand in this place and not think about how our government forced the Cherokees out of this area into an unfamiliar land 1,000 miles west. It is definitely not a bright spot in our history.

Amicalola Falls State Park has a trail to Springer Mountain, the official starting point of the famous Appalachian Trail. With that in mind, we will definitely return a few more times while we are in the area to explore some of the vast hiking trails. We will especially love the hiking as the autumn arrives and the Blue Ridge Mountains transforms into reds, oranges and yellows that bring tourists from all over the world.

All in all, we are very pleased with our first day trip away from “home”. But what was really nice, was coming back to the camper and having the lake and beauty right outside our door. I know I was so taken in by the beauty of our surroundings and really liking the choices that we have made, but I needed validation from Kat. But before I could ask her how she was adjusting, she grabbed me and told me how much she loves our life now and was grateful for a man that shared her love of the outdoors. So, I guess I got my answer.

Until next time - Kit