Eclipse, Waterfalls, and Rocks

David and William Jones observe solar eclipse

We bid farewell to our sons in Auburn and headed toward North Georgia to see the eclipse in totality.  Our first stop was Doll Mountain Army Corp of Engineer campground near Oakman, GA.  The campground was off the beaten path through a high-end residential neighborhood.  The facilities were outstanding with large level concrete pads, 50amp service, and water.  We stayed a couple nights and put it on our list of places to return. 

Next, we travelled to Mountain View Campground near Cleveland, GA and Helen, GA.  Pattie and I honeymooned near this area more than 30 years ago and we always look forward to returning.  Mountain View is a resort with all the amenities including a water park, horseback riding, and cabins.  They also participate with Passport America (50% off regular rates).  It proved to be an excellent location to view the solar eclipse in totality.  We used a colander to make interesting shadows and noted the natural shadows changing. 

My oldest son and his best friend joined us for the event and we were able to move things around in The Bus so everyone had room to sleep. 

We explored the area for several days and enjoyed some good German food in Helen’s Alpine Village.  We also looked at some property in the area, as this is one of the places we may consider settling once we come off the road.  We saw some nice homes, but we discussed it and are just not ready to invest in property and the obligations that come with it. 

Just outside Helen, GA is Anna Ruby Falls.  We took an afternoon and hiked in to see the falls.  This was my first outing since I tore a calf muscle.  The trail was paved and allowed me to take my time, stretch the muscle, and work it carefully. 

A few months ago, we spoke to fellow RV’ers who asked if we had been to the great canyons in Georgia that they call a “Little Grand Canyon.”  We decided to find it and discovered there are several touted canyons in Georgia.  We picked Cloudland Canyon State Park as our next destination.  The park was very nice with an East and West Rim campground.  We stayed on the East Rim and hiked into the gorge to see the waterfalls.  The hiking is a bit strenuous with just over 600 steps one way and you need to be in good health before attempting to make it to the bottom of the gorge.  We took our time and made it just fine although we were a bit sore the next day.

On another day, we traveled to Rock City Gardens, Ruby Falls and Point Park all in the Lookout Mountain range.  All my life I have seen barns with “See Rock City” painted on the side and have finally seen it.  These three sites are in North Georgia and South Tennessee near Chattanooga.  Each is unique and worth a visit. 

You can see 7 states from here!

The Rock City Gardens have interesting rock formations that remind me of Dismals Canyon in Alabama.  The difference is Rock City Gardens has made it a groomed commercial garden where Dismals Canyon is more natural. 

Panoramic view from the Flag Court of  7 states.

                                                             

Pattie contemplating Lover's Leap...Noooo!

Groomed trails

Fat Man's Squeeze...appropriate name

Ruby Falls is inside a cavern 1,120 feet below the surface and ¾ mile inside the mountain. The cavern can only be reached by an elevator.  It was originally discovered when the owner of the area was attempting to reach Lookout Mountain cave whose entrance was blocked when the railroad was built at the base of the mountain. 

Atop Lookout Mountain at Point Park, we visited the Civil War memorial for the Battle of Chattanooga.  This was a great location with maps depicting landmarks that you can see and picture how the battle unfolded.

From here we began heading southwest and stopped in Gadsden, AL to learn a little about this area of Alabama.  We stayed at the City Park adjacent to the Noccalulla Falls Park.  We were able to hike into the gorge and walk behind the falls here.  The campground was very nice and at a reasonable price.  If you have not visited Gadsden, AL before, I recommend it.  The city planners have invested in green spaces and multi use trails making it a nice place to spend time.

From Gadsden we headed to Tuscaloosa, AL to spend some time with my mother and anxiously watch the disaster in Houston, TX.  We are on standby for possible deployment and are in prayer for the victims and responders.

Thanks for keepingupwiththejonesrv!

Note: Rock City Gardens thought it was cute to place these creepy little gnomes all around the garden. What a fun tactical shooting range this would be.