Scouting the Gorge

It is amazing how just a couple of days of perfect weather can wash away weeks of rain soaked frustration. Wrapping up an extremely soggy August, we are now in a cycle of dry and unseasonably cool weather. Guess what? Time for another road trip. So, we wound up Hemi-Lou and our canines made for the Blue Ridge Mountains of North East Georgia. Destination: Tallulah Gorge State Park.

The drive was surprisingly easy. Interstate 985 transitions into Georgia Hwy 365 and takes you almost to the doorstep of the state park. I always like to see non-stressful approaches to places of wonder. I am more likely to return with the travel trailer when the terrain is accommodating. From our current base in Cumming, GA, the distance was 77 miles or 1 hour, 28 minutes of travel.

Tallulah Gorge State Park is the home of a series of 4 cascading falls that make up Tallulah Falls. The gorge has been given the nickname of the “Niagara Falls” of the south. It is also listed as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia.


More pics here.

Attempting to describe such a place definitely demonstrates the limitation of adjectives in the English language. I can use words such as majestic, breathtaking, splendorous and awe-inspiring, but they really do not convey what we experienced with our eyes. 

Unlike the major tourist draws like the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone, this site only gets a few thousand visitors a year. Permits are required to hike the floor of the gorge. We were able to hike around the north and south rim of the gorge, but pets are not allowed on the floor of the gorge, nor are they allowed to venture down to the suspension bridge.

So, we count this trip as a scouting trip. The short term goal will be to target a long weekend in September to take our time hiking and shooting photos, engorging ourselves in the gorge, if you will. 

Kat is starting to get requests for some of her prints from prior locations, and I am sure that demand is going to increase after she finalizes the edition on the images she captured on this trip. In the future, I will add some links to purchase some of her artwork in various formats.

We can't wait to go back and do some real exploring.

Until next time - 

Happy Trails,

Kit

Not Always Fun and Games

Just a short note as I do not want to dwell on it.  But it does help keep our lives and travels in perspective.  The North Georgia August has continued to break records for rainfall.  We have tried our best to enjoy the outdoors even in rainy weather, but lightning and flooding are more than plastic panchos can cover.  So, we have been spending more time indoors in our camper than we would like.

The poor dogs have had to endure short and wet walks, mostly just to relieve themselves.  The timing has been uncanny, every afternoon as I am coming home from work, the rain starts and has spoiled most afternoons and evenings.  Kat and I have been frustrated, mainly because we desire to stay active both struggle with our weight and we begin losing the battle if we have periods of inactivity.  Plus, who wants to stay cooped up in a 29 foot home.

So we did take some action to increase our living space.  We setup an 11 x 11 covered screen room so we can enjoy the outdoors sans 6 legged flying critters.  But, even that has been challenged by sideways rain.  But we have been able to use the room a few times now.  It makes such a difference eating and relaxing outdoors

We have also been more able to utilize our outdoor kitchen.  (A camp stove and oven).

The 2nd thing we did was to purchase a 22 inch TV and install it under the counter.  We had been getting by without a television since we were spending most of our free time outdoors.  The constant rain did cause us to adjust our priorities a bit.

We did not do anything elaborate like get cable.  We are using our Roku for most of our entertainment and the antenna for local coverage.

So, we did add spend a little money to upgrade our living space this week.

The next item was not such a success.  Last Sunday evening (a rare dry evening) I was walking the 2 bigger dogs by the lake.  It was a nice, enjoyable walk.  The dogs were able to play and wrestle.  So, with them secured on their leashes, we starting walking back towards our camper.  As I neared the road that leads up the hill to our camper, I noticed that the neighbor's toy poodle had got free from its owner and was running straight toward my dogs, barking and growling.  I tried to move away from the small dog, but it veered right into and attacked my (much bigger) dogs.  Obviously, this is not an example of how smart poodles are supposed to be.  Now, Zorro, really hates to be in fights, so he actually slid out of his collar and put some distance between himself and the situation.  But Nova, who notoriously has small dog aggression, did not back down.  She ferociously defended herself.  The poodles owner finally arrived and helped me to free the poodle from Nova.  It was quite horrific.  I expected severe damage to that poodle.  Fortunately, no vital places were punctured on the dog.  It had blood on 3 legs and will make a full recovery.  One more minute may have been a different result.

I know the poodle was traumatized, but it will do the same stupid thing next time.  I was traumatized too and even Nova seemed pretty shaken up from the whole matter.  So, I have decided to just pick Nova up in future instances like this.  We were very lucky that it was not worse.  Then a few days later, I got a chance to test this method.  Again, the rain was a factor.  A storm had come through right as most people were coming home from work.  So, everyone had to wait until the lightning and rain subsided to walk their dogs.  As we were walking our dogs, I noticed about 10 other dogs being walked, not usually a big deal, but ... the rain had caused all of the dogs to feel a bit anxious, it seemed.  To make things worse, a little girl (about 7) was trying to walk here medium size dog.  It was too much for her.  The dog pulled her off her feet.  She let go and the dog was headed right for us.  (Deja vu).  Just then a chihuahua got off leash and headed toward the loose dog which was headed for us.  A perfect storm of events.  I did manage to pick up Nova.  Kat took Zorro and we headed up the hill without incident.

 We managed to get through the week and it appears that this weekend will be drier.  Things are looking up, already.  This was not as much fun to talk about and post, but I do not want to give the impression that nothing bad ever happens to us.  We just push through and try to not let it impact our overall outlook.

Until next time - Kit.

Yes Virginia, the Grass is Greener …

More than a month has passed since we cut the tether from our stick house. We have been staying at a very scenic RV park by the lake. We are hanging around the edge of metro Atlanta while my current job continues. Our next big step will be to exit my full time job for other possibilities. Oh yeah, that is a big step for me. I am very comfortable where I currently work. I have been there 7 years and I have plenty of work for the foreseeable future. But, we want to travel across the United States, so I need to find a way to replace that income, at least a fair portion of it.

Now, that anxiety will always be there. But, I have to examine how far we have come in just a few months. We were able to save enough money to buy our RV. We sold all of the things that were holding us back. We transitioned out of our stick house and now we can just step out our front door and be in nature. That is quite a change in a short period.

I realized the other day, as I was talking to a co-worker, how different we are than most people. I mentioned that I went fishing the afternoon before and she stopped me. “Hey wait! Did you say that you went fishing on a Tuesday?” Staying a couple hundred feet from a scenic late does give you that advantage. I then remembered that most people (and formerly us) have to wait until the weekend to enjoy recreational activities. 

 

 The work week is bondage for most. Even most of your weekend is taken up with activities that you were too busy to do while you were working, further cutting into your recreation. No wonder so many people are burnt out. This year has been especially tough on people in Georgia. It has rained most weekends this summer. The weekend plans have been quashed for many. Fishing on Tuesday is a huge mental advantage.

A good place to fish on Tuesday or any day

The lifestyle change and decisions we have made are worth it. For the first time in our lives, we are on the side where the grass is greener. When I get home from work, it is like a mini-weekend, every day. Of course, it would not be as enjoyable without Kat here to partake in it all with me. She handles the little things during the day (laundry, housekeeping, etc.) that make it possible to jump right into enjoyment when I am home. I cannot emphasize enough how important her contributions are.

Free time is more valuable than I could have imagined. In the last month, I have been able to spend quality time with our dogs and work on their training. Zorro no longer requires a leash. We still keep it on him in public places, but it is good to know that if I drop the leash, he will stay close by.  Now, I want to start teaching him to catch a frisbee. Nova nearly has her small dog aggression under control. I have also taken some time to learn some Spanish.

Worth the extra free time

I am sure that this lifestyle is not for everyone. I wish we had embarked on this journey years ago. But we were not in the mindset to even consider such a thing. But now we feel more free than we ever have in our 27 years together.

Giving Away the Farm - At Least the Stuff on the Farm

Hello, Kit here.  The countdown is now at 6 days.  It is Sunday night and and Kat and I are winding down after a dizzying weekend of accomplishments.  It is amazing to me how much a couple can collect during 27 years of marriage and how much work it is to get rid of it.

Tomorrow, we are closing on the selling of our stick built house and will be moving out at this coming weekend.  The weather finally cooperated.  The last few weekends were complete washouts, so we could not get to clearing out the back yard, which so desperately needed it.  It would have been preferable to work on that over a few weekends, but it wasn't meant to be.  So, we are now up against the deadline, but that seems to be when we get truly motivated and get the work done.  Even if it meant working 18 hour days to get it done.  We also had to get the 2 cats to the airport Saturday morning for their flight to Seattle.  So, here is how or weekend went:

Saturday

• Took the cats to the airport to fly to our daughter and husband in Seattle
• 2 truckloads to Goodwill
• Emptied food storage.  We had a full walk-in pantry.  Tossing anything close to out of date and distributing the other to charity.  This was a 4 hour chore.
• Completely emptied the kitchen cabinets

Sunday

• Cleared backyard (we formerly had chickens and rabbits and associated equipment) -5 hours

We still had a considerable amount of useful stuff to get rid of.  Kat put a "free" add on Facebook and Craigslist.  The response was overwhelming.  In a few hours we gave away:

• A worn, but comfortable couch (it only weighed about 4 million pounds)
• A microwave and cart
• 5 full tubs of books
• Book shelves
• Gas grill
• Dishes, coat racks, pots and pans
• Clothes, sheets and other miscellaneous items

I have to be honest, when Kat gets going and in the mode, I cannot keep up with her.  She puts it in another gear and leaves me in the dust.  She does a good job of keeping me on track as I tend to get distracted.

So, now it is after 10 PM on Sunday.  I am using this time to write down my thoughts and wind down.  We still have too much to do, but at least we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  The tunnel to new adventures, that is.  It is going to be such a relief to shake of the burden of our house and all of the stuff that has held us down.

It is interesting that when we talk to people and tell them why we are getting rid of everything, they do not think we are crazy.  People are taking notice and it is getting their wheels spinning.  Could it be that we are spawning a new revolution?  We may be bringing a barrage of new explorers in our coat tails.  I think that would be fine.  I am of the opinion that our possessions weigh us down and prevent us from really enjoying life.

Last night, after working all day and into the evening, Kat and I took 45 minutes to walk the dogs in the neighborhood and watched some of our neighbors toiling and working on their immaculate lawns and gardens .  We discussed how we spend 40 hours a week working to pay our mortgage, car note, cable, utilities, smart phones, etc. and then dedicate our weekends to prettying up our yards, several hours a week cleaning the inside of our homes and hope to catch a few moments of time for ourselves.  That was us, too.

We are about to move out of that cycle into a new cycle of attempting to enjoy each day first, even if it means having less material items.  But, the path to get there is not easy, as we have found.

Thanks for taking a few moments to read my rambling.

Until next time - Kit

Initital Destination - Decided

Well it is finalized.  We will be leaving our stick built house on the weekend of July 1.  The timing is right for us.  It is just prior to the 4th of July Travel menagerie.  The hard part was to determine exactly where we would park for the remainder of the year.  It is really quite a big decision.  I will still be working my day job in mid-town Atlanta, so it has to be in a reasonable place for commuting.  Currently, I utilize the GRTA Xpress bus from Conyers to Atlanta.  So, I was seeking a place that I could do something similar, but be in a place of beauty.  Conyers is ok, but not exactly picturesque. We looked at a few promising places.  Each of them having pros and cons.

• There are a few state parks, but they are just outside the range of reasonable daily travel.

• We checked out a park in Marietta.  It was very convenient to Atlanta, but it was more like a parking lot than an RV park ... not something we want to start out with.  Somewhere like that may be alright for a couple of days, but not for an extended time.

• Acworth has a small RV park by Lake Allatoona right be the marina.  It was nice enough, but it was really mixed use.  There could potentially be large crowds during holidays and there were some pretty seedy mobile home parks nearby.  So, it would work in a pinch, but not ideal.

•  Stone Mountain has 2 RV parks.  Stone Mountain Park has a premium campsite.  However, the price is also premium.  It is not a place that we could save much money (which is a huge part of our goal).  The other park in Stone Mountain is Stone Mountain Heights.  This is a very large mobile home/RV Park with large lots, laundry and a pool.  It is also very reasonably priced at $500/month.  This seemed like it would be the choice ... but, then we took a trip to Cumming.

• Twin Lakes RV Park - Cumming, GA.  This location has some high appeal as it is on the edge of the North Georgia mountains.  The autumn changes in North Georgia are stunning, plus, being north of Atlanta, the heat of summer should be less severe.  There is also a GRTA Xpress bus nearby.  The downsides of this park are: No laundry facility, no showers/bathrooms, no internet.  It is more expensive than some of the other options.  But there are some very interesting perks: 2 onsite well stocked fishing lakes; A huge outdoor activity center.  Walking trails, athletic fields, Nature Trails through protected wetlands and most importantly a dog park.  

Now, having the dog park nearby is a huge factor.  We really love walking and running with our dogs.  But they really need some time to romp and play with each other.  Then there is just the absolute beauty of this location.

This tree is stunning by the water between the reservoirs.

 Kat taking pics by the lake.

Neighbor welcoming us

Breakwall and reflection

Now some photos from Fowler Park.

One of the many boardwalks.

Climbing vine example

Boardwalk in weltland

Me being artsy

The excitement is growing for us.  We have much to do between now and the end of the month.  But the next step of our journey is coming up very fast.

Until next time ... Kit

Working hard to get on the road

Well it is Monday, June 3.  We are now into our 2nd week of living in our RV.  We are still sitting in the front yard of our stick built house with the deadline date of July 8th for departing from this life to never look back.  Right now, the stick built house is a real burden.  We are only really using it as a bathroom and shower.  The only other reason that we go in there is to sort items for sale and throw away and to see if there is anything else that we need for our RV.

Our old house has a huge fenced in back yard and our dogs loved to go through the dog door and run and play all day long.  But since we moved into the travel trailer, they do not seem to have a desire to go back there any more.  It is convenient to let them go back there and take care of business, but they prefer to stay with us 24 hours a day.  I thought it would be a huge adjustment for them to lose their yard, but they seem very content for us to walk them.  So, we are doing our best to keep them with us.  When we leave this house, we aren't going to have a yard for them to romp in unattended, so we may as well adapt, also.  The funny thing is that even after the hundreds of miles that we have run, walked and hiked with Nova and Zorro, they still seem uncomfortable pooping in front of us.  Occasionally, they will do it at the dog park, but rarely when we are walking.  I am sure that will change soon.

Really, this move is more like a major detox.  We have modified our lifestyles to living in a smaller space and we are really enjoying it.  Kat loves how close everything is in the kitchen and that it takes 15 minutes to deep clean the whole inside of the camper.  We really have a routine going already.

Well, we worked hard today, getting rid of junk.  So, I am going to cut this short.  In an upcoming posting, I will talk about how we are optimizing and organizing our space.

Until next time Kit 'n Kat.

Armadillos and Adventure

Explorers - Day One.

Yesterday, Kat and I took our first official trip since beginning our RV adventure.  Since it is Memorial Day weekend, we really did not want to go somewhere loaded with people.  So, we drove 20 miles east of us to Hard Labor Creek State Park near Rutledge, Georgia.  Kat and I really like this park as it is never crowded and plenty of nature trails, and 2 lakes for fishing, kayaking, swimming, etc.  It also has a very nice campground with plenty of amenities, but we didn't stay there this time.

We took our 3 dogs (Nova, Ninja and Zorro) as we always do on hiking treks.  Now, it is nice to have 3 dogs hiking with you ... unless you want to take nice photos.  That can be challenging.  The dogs have a different agenda then you do for the wildlife that you are trying to photograph.  2 of our dogs are Catahoula rescues which make amazing hunting dogs.  In fact, Nova, the female doesn't only chase wildlife, she regularly catches it.  She is extremely fast.  Fast enough to catch and kill squirrels.  She is 43 pounds of terror for wildlife and pure affection for her humans, think of Dino from the Flintstones.  Zorro, her adopted younger brother is a larger version of the breed.  At 70 + pounds, he is too slow to actually catch anything faster than a turtle, but he goes through the motions pretty well.  Usually, he chases Nova who is chasing the critter.  Thus, we keep them leashed when hiking.  Our 3rd dog, Ninja is a long haired 12 year old Dachshund that believes he is Rotweiler when it comes to other animals and he is the one that usually instigates trouble.

So, when we came up on the family of Armadillos, we were amazingly able to keep all 3 dogs quiet and Kat got a couple of camera shots. 

None of the shots were great and Armadillos aren't exactly exotic rare animals, but seeing a family in a burrow is not something you see every day.

 

 Armadillo Facts:

The Armadillo found in the Southern United States is the Nine Banded Armadillo.  Armadillo is a spanish word that means 'little armored one'.

Little known facts about armadillos:

• Armadillos are good swimmers and can hold their breath for up to 6 minutes
• Armadillos are the only creature known to have fire ants as part of their diet
• When startled, armadillos can jump 4 feet vertically, however, it would probably not be a good idea to try an experiment of eating fire ants to see if it gives you the ability to jump 4 feet.  It is probably unrelated.

See, you can always learn something from our blog.

We did not see anything of note on the rest of the 3 mile hike accept for quiet and serene nature, but no complaints there.

I am sure that our pictures will improve over time as we
get more experience.

Until next time,

Kit

Kit & Kat - An Intro

Hello,

We are Kit and Kat Zander.  We are full time RV explorers.

  We have begun a quest of exploring the United States.  We are starting in the South-eastern region of the U.S.  We have spent almost 30 years working 9 to 5 jobs to maintain our modest house, trying to appear successful, all the while allowing debt to really hold us back from enjoying life.

So, we set ourselves free from our mortgage and picked up stakes.  We saved up for a 2000 Dutchmen 29 foot Travel Trailer and embarked on our adventure on May 18, 2013.

 Joining us are are 3 brave and loyal dogs.  Nova, Zorro and Ninja.  As you can see, Ninja has some delusions of grandeur.  We haven't had the heart to tell him that he really isn't St. Nicholas.

 

Kat will be using her considerable skills as photographer and I will do my best to document our adventures.  Our adventure begins near Atlanta, Georgia.  We are going to spend the next 6 months in this area, discovering historical places and places of beauty.  It is our goal to share our experiences and perhaps encourage others to experience life to its fullest.

Until next time,

Kit-n-Kat