Sylvester in the hills of North Georgia and North Carolina

[Sylvester]

Just throw a bag in the Bus, get some firewood and head into the hills. That is what the wife and I did this weekend, just up and left the house Saturday morning and drove to the hills! On a friends advice we went to Tallulah River and falls, and with some great navigating from the wife, made it there before dark. Now let me tell you, we had never been, and this is all dirt road, but we were up for it, even if Samantha was running a bit off on the trip up there. It was hot but we found the dirt road and went up it with no idea what we would find. We discovered lots of trout fishing and woods, hills and the river.

Hills, valleys and chicken coops.


On the river road. You had to pay attention going around corners, you never knew what was coming around them.



Single lane bridges, cool mountain breezes and the water made it a fun drive!



Our camp spot was right next to the river, it was so peaceful and the sounds of the river put you to sleep.



No phone, no light, no motor car! No hook ups, you were unplugged and wild. We cooked dinner, played cards and read, then went to bed with the river sounds, and a raccoon on our table around 3:00 AM. It was great. I will have to post more tomorrow, I have to take a shower! Still unpacking but will post more tomorrow.

[Oregon72]

The hokey pokey was wrong. THAT'S what it is all about. =D>

[chitwnvw]

Thanks, Sly. Who went with you?

[justgimmecoffee]

Very nice!

[pj]

Anything west & south of Asheville is very interesting, especially the little towns of Bryson City, Sylva, Murphy and Franklin. When I was a small child my grandparents would take me to a little campground off the parkway outside of Cherokee and I had the best times.

Funny how when I saw your pictures of the stream, I went back to 1969 and had a little smile remembering me and my Poppy fishing. Thanks for the memory jostle, just what I needed.

BTW you may want to look up the history of Franklin. Back at the founding of the country there was hope that one of the states would be Franklin. It was to be made up out of western NC and Eastern TN with just a smidgen of upper SC and GA thrown in. Obviously never made it, beat back by politicians of the day.

[Sylvester]

It is lovely country for sure, although we rode through Helen to get there, Google that place, Bavaria in the North Georgia Mountains, pshaw. Was a traffic jam pure and simple. My wife went with me, she is a real trooper. I used to re-enact Civil War years ago, so sleeping on straw with a wool blanket in heat, mud and rain that I did hundreds of times makes anything above this luxury to me. She has taken sleeping in the Bus well, and when we didn't even use a radio, or any electrical things makes it that more special to me. All those re-enacting years earned me a small fan for the Bus, but it had no electric so no fan.

There were certainly a lot more bugs out here, wow there was one I need to look up, it was huge weird looking, like a small dragonfly. Thank goodness no deer flies, man I hate those things. NO MOSQUITO's! I could not believe that one. There were lots of fishermen up here, although I did not see any trout caught. The wife wants to try this next time. We drove to the end of this dirt road, then had to turn around and do it all over again.

When I get home I will post our trip to Tallulah Gorge, this is where they filmed "The Deliverance". Holy cow it was 90+ F out, and we went to the bottom of the Gorge, 1000 stair steps down and back up. The susension bridge could be swayed by one person in the middle, and I am 300 feet above the falls and suffer from vertigo! I could not look down for fear of loosing my mind! This place was so nice though, I felt proud just making it back up to the top, it was cooking this week here in Georgia, very hot and very humid. Next week we will be going out again, I think we are aiming for a place to canoe or kayak on, when I was a Boy Scout in Indiana we canoed a lot, and I miss it.

Remind me to tell the story of the water moccasin that landed on me in Ohio inner tubing.

[Xelmon]

Very cool pics man, finally put a face to the name!

... I used to re-enact Civil War years ago, so sleeping on straw with a wool blanket in heat, mud and rain that I did hundreds of times makes anything above this luxury to me ...

... You too huh? I'm still doing it out here on the West coast :)

[Sylvester]

... I used to re-enact Civil War years ago, so sleeping on straw with a wool blanket in heat, mud and rain that I did hundreds of times makes anything above this luxury to me ...

... You too huh? I'm still doing it out here on the West coast :)

I used to, last even I did was in 2002. I was gung ho for reenacting until 1991. I would safely say I went to over 500 events from 1982 till I stopped. I might do Civil War again, Lord knows I am in the heart of the South, and they always need Yankees to shoot at.

[Sylvester]

This was the site next to ours, you really are right next to the river.

It is not deep, but it was cold!!!



This was the only running water, human powered. It tasted great, and I took two jugs of it with us.



This was the old mining town of Tate, now just a few homes.



This is looking North into North Carolina. It really took your breath away at times.



This is the Tate City Mall. We didn't go in, but I bet it wasn't crowded with Fathers Day shoppers.



The wife and I in the road, just around the corner was a chapel, it was wide open and ready for us sinners, but we didn't go in there either.



Here is the funny part, this is the state line, there is an iron sign to the left, and I could not read it, but I took a shot of it. When I got home, when I transferred it from the camera I could see it, and it would have helped then becuase within a mile the road ended, and we had to turn back.



DEAD END



In the valley on the way back.



Comic shot. It was 90+ for this picture. Ice Ice Baby.



Tallulah Gorge, it is a long way down there!



Some of the 600 + steps down.



The suspension bridge. I about lost it on this.



This is it from above and not mine, my camera died after the last shot. I love this place, and purchased a t shirt and other stuff to contribute. All in all a great weekend in the hills

[poptop tom]

Great pics, Sylvester! Beautiful country! Nice shot of you and the Mrs., too.

You and I would get along well w/r/t walking suspension bridges. The suspension bridge at Lookout Mtn. scares the crap out me. Of course, the kids love to bounce 'ol Dad around on it. Ugh.

[sped372]

Looks awesome! Getta bumper on that thing!

[Sylvester]

Looks awesome! Getta bumper on that thing!

I wish I could get one on there! I have it, I just snapped the bolts that hold it on the body last year. They do not come out easily, and I have already snapped a tungsten bit off one already.

[Rusty74Westy]

Is that the first or second camp ground? If it is the second one, I stayed in that same spot, I mean the exact same spot. Between the two campgrounds there is a road fork off to the left. You ford the creek driving upstream and then take the forest service road over the ridge. Its a great drive if you think the van can make it over the creek.
John

[Sylvester]

Is that the first or second camp ground? If it is the second one, I stayed in that same spot, I mean the exact same spot. Between the two campgrounds there is a road fork off to the left. You ford the creek driving upstream and then take the forest service road over the ridge. Its a great drive if you think the van can make it over the creek.
John

Second camp ground. I had no idea what they looked like either. We will be going back in the fall so I will take that road. You are near me huh? For how long, I thought I was the only one for miles.

[zabo]

nice trip sylvester- thats a long trip offroad to that campground past helen, must have been fun!