The three of us at Balsam
Click Here for the Photos album 1
Click Here for the Photos album 1
We headed up I-95 to Jacksonville then over I-10 and up I-75 driving seven hours to Macon, GA where we spent our first night with Carol and Charlie Dunn. The Pathfinder was packed full with camping gear and coolers and Stephen was allotted one-half of the back seat for him and his computer. he burrowed into a den of pillows and was quite comfortable. he watched DVDs most of the drive. At the Dunn's Carol and Yvonne went to visit Jane Kennedy , an old Brevard friend who now lives in Macon. Charlie and us headed to a local park and Stephen and I played some tennis. That evening Charlie grilled some great steaks and we chatted long after our usual bedtime.
We all had big smiles on our faces the whole trip as evidenced from the photos and Stephen was a joy to be with.
Stephen and Missy at Dunn's
Ater a leisurely morning we started our drive over to Clayton, GA. first thing there was a horrible wreck on I-75 near Atlanta and then another on I-85 out of Atlanta. Both clogged up traffic for miles but fortunately for us both were in the opposite lanes so we weren't significantly delayed. We stopped at Stone Mountain and walked around the park for a couple of hours. It has been made into an amusement park and has lost the charm it had when it was just a park. The carved Confederate heroes monument on the bald mountain is very impressive. Then continued over to Clayton stopping for a few moments at Tallulah Gorge. More on it later. We stayed two nights at Kingwood golf Club and Resort because it was close to the rafting we had planned. there we had a fine dining experience and played more tennis. Both Stephen and I pounded the ball and were GREAT. It is a beautiful place and only charged $95 per night for a hotel type room, and that included breakfast. 
On our back porch at Kingwood
Bright and early the next morning Stephen and I headed over to South Carolina to raft the Chattooga River Section IV which is supposed to be one of the best and most vigorous raft trips in the East. cost $89 each for five hours on the river. Stephen was a bit apprehensive until we got started and then had a ball going through all of the Class IV and V rapids. A couple of times we almost knocked each other out of the boat from the violence of the rapids. we also got to jump off a cliff into the cold stream and I barked my shins pretty hard on a submerged rock. They served a good lunch toward the end of the trip. Great day for us both.
Rafting the Chattooga
After a good night's sleep we headed up to the Smoky Mountains for camping at Mile High Campground on balsam Mountain in the National Park. Six million people visit the Park each year but none have found this isolated paradise and we were virtually alone with great views out over the mountains. Stephen enjoyed carving and cutting down dead trees and we roasted marshmallows over our campfire. We practiced volleying out in the road when there was nothing else to occupy our time. We drove the winding, dirt mountain road through the back country stopping at the ford where we had to drive through several inches of water. We played in the stream for quite awhile and Stephen got soaked. After we got down to the flatter sections of the road i let Stephen drive for about five miles and he did great. Mormor was a little nervous and we got a strange look from a ranger. Next we went for a horseback ride in the Park . Yvonne had the most stubborn horse ever and fought Prince the whole ride. Stephen on Ranger had the best ride and me on Clyde did fine also. It was a fun ride. 
Stephen on Ranger
Rain was a minor annoyance and we never got wet in the tent on Balsam, but after two nights we decided to pack up while dry and head half way back to Macon stopping at Tallulah Gorge State Park in Georgia. There we got thoroughly soaked in the tent but managed to get things pretty well dried out before having to pack. Stephen and I took two long hikes on both sides of the gorge which is the deepest in the eastern U.S. Quite spectacular and only two hours from Atlanta. Camping has really changed. now there are five massive motor coaches to each tent or pop up trailer.
Tallulah Gorge
Back to Macon and the Dunn's where their whole family was gathered for Scott's 41th birthday. We avoided Atlanta and the freeways driving 441 all the way down to Macon. it was a delightful drive through pretty rural areas and no traffic at all. We were honored to participate. Carol again created a great meal and we had ice cream and birthday cake. Early the next morning we got a panic call from Yvette saying Hurricane Arlene was pouring rain at home and all the way up toward Macon. We checked the weather and sure enough. so we decided to drive I-16 over to Savannah and the come down I-95 to home. That worked out well with only about thirty minutes of horrendous and dangerous driving conditions. Arrived home after seven hours.