March 16-19, 2010
To go Back at any time,
use Browser’s “Previous Page”
Our first real sightseeing stop was Asheville NC. Given sunnier weather and more time, we might have chosen to see the North Carolina Arboretum or even the pricey Biltmore mansion. Instead, we parked the car and simply wandered the downtown streets for several afternoon hours. We did find a few places of interest but what we enjoyed most were the many bronze artworks around town, such as this musical group in front of city hall:
The congenial dancers didn’t mind our taking a free lesson either:
We even had time for a little “window shopping” in the Grove Arcade
and checking out the giant flat iron in front of its namesake building on Wall Street:
Nearing the end of our walkabout, it was most welcome to find an artwork that could be sat upon --- and not just admired:
Next morning, we made our way from Asheville to Franklin NC, a small town in the Smoky Mountains. Franklin proved more hilly than we expected for a walk. So, after a delicious lunch at the “Gazebo Cafe” we got our exercise on the nearly-flat Little Tennessee Greenway, ending our walk at this covered bridge:
Between Franklin and Highlands NC are several pretty waterfalls that are visible from the roadside. Two are shown below, the first being Cullasaja Falls and the second Dry Falls:
If you look carefully, you may notice the trail behind Dry Falls, still closed in mid-March due to slippery conditions. In fact, that little patch of white to the right of the falls and below the trail is ice.
Dropping down into the hilly northeast corner of Georgia, we decided to check out Tallulah Gorge State Park, a total unknown to us. We were glad we did as the canyon is fairly imposing at two miles long and nearly 1000 feet deep:
When we first approached the rim, we were stymied for several minutes by this contraption, apparently lying on its side for some time:
We learned it was part of the apparatus used by tightrope walker, Karl Wallenda, in 1970. Then 65 years old, he was the patriarch of the “Great Wallendas,” a German circus family famous since the 1780’s for its aerial feats. At Tallulah Gorge, in 93 degree heat, he walked across the gorge on a two inch diameter cable, doing two headstands in the process! The BBC was on hand to film the action and 35,000 visitors watched the drama unfold in person. It was the most spectacular promotional stunt in the history of the gorge.
With our afternoon waning, we headed for our overnight stop, close by in Helen GA:
By 1969, Helen’s lumbering industry had become virtually defunct. So, the enterprising citizens cleverly reinvented the town as a whimsical version of an Alpine village. Its picturesque buildings now set the stage for a thriving trade in tourism. The town hosts many festivals and special events throughout the year, including the longest Octoberfest in the South. Outdoor activities, specialty and import shops, and restaurants are plentiful in this “mountain community with a touch of Bavaria.”
Next day, the promise of a “factory tour” at the Mayfield Dairy Farms brought us to Braselton GA, about 50 miles south of Helen. “Dairy” is a bit of a misnomer as there isn’t a live cow in sight at Mayfield. Milk is trucked in from local farms and processed at this plant. After an informative tour and an ice cream treat, Patty waited patiently out front while John, the photographer, looked in vain for a great shot of Mayfield’s plant:
With not much else on our agenda for the day except driving, we stopped in Madison GA for a stretch. Many attractive, well-kept buildings lined our route as we walked the town:
Madison was incorporated in 1809 but survived the Civil War almost unscathed, unlike less-fortunate Southern towns.
An overnight stay in Macon GA gave us a chance to visit Ocmulgee National Monument on the east side of town. The Art Nouveau design of the Visitor Center materialized as a Civilian Conservation Corp construction project:
The monument preserves and protects 700 acres of impressive American Indian mounds and archeological remains. Several groups of Indians are said to have inhabited this area beginning about 10,000 BC. There are a number of funeral and temple mounds at Ocmulgee but we found the Earthlodge the most fascinating:
Probably a council house, the 42 foot diameter main chamber could accommodate 50 men around its circumference. Access is on the left through a low passage. As we approached, we were surprised to see the entrance “well-guarded:”
Of its own free will, the guard eventually moved away, allowing us to enter and access the inner chamber:
The roof on this Earthlodge has been reconstructed since it long ago collapsed. However, the floor is original. In front of the viewer is a raised platform shaped like a large bird (head toward the viewer) and seating three persons. The bench around the wall contains 47 individual seats. At the center is a firepit; four large columns support the roof. Apparently, there were several Earthlodges at Ocmulgee but this is the only one open for viewing.
Meandering south toward the Florida state line, we chanced to drive through Moultrie GA and right past this beautiful building:
The combination of sunny skies, good sun angle and recent preservation made the Colquitt County Courthouse a sight these driveby tourists could not ignore.