Friday, November 26, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving from Brasstown Bald




Click here to view Live webcams from Brasstown Bald.

On Thanksgiving, we decided to take a morning hike to Brasstown Bald (the highest point in Georgia) to view the sunrise.  Unfortunately, we chose the cloudiest morning of the year!  And interrupted Furry B's beauty rest....

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Cataloochee National Forest


 Cataloochee Valley is right outside of Maggie Valley, North Carolina.  Since 2001, the area has become more popular with the reintroduction of elk in the National Forest.  The elk are an experiment by the National Park Service, to see if they can once again survive in the mountains that were once their home.  It is believed that the last elk to exist in this state were killed in the 1700s.  







Wild Turkeys....



Nuts & Berries = Bear Poo


We had fun exploring and photographing barns, houses and other buildings from the 1800 and 1900s.

Wide Open Spaces


Furry B's thoughts regarding today's adventure:

Thursday, November 11, 2010

The Lost Sea Adventure


The Lost Sea is a national landmark located in Sweetwater, Tennessee.  It houses a rich history that includes the Cherokee Indians, Civil War soldiers, and Cold War artifacts.  But of course the main appeal is "The Lost Sea" itself, which is over 4 1/2 acres and includes North America's largest Rainbow Trout.  And sorry fishermen -- No Fishing is Allowed.

For more information:  http://www.thelostsea.com/


Food and water were stored in the caverns during the Cold War.  Would anyone like a cracker and a glass of water?????





The caverns can recognize objects that are foreign to its environment and try to remove them.  This white, moldy substance is "attacking" the garbage can.



A signature from the Civil War.....


A Great Adventure!!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest

Sunday was a beautiful day to get outdoors!  We headed north to a beautful area just outside of Robbinsville, NC.  The Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest was created as a memorial for American poet and fallen soldier, Alfred Joyce Kilmer.  One of his best known poems, "Trees," was the inspiration to create this living memorial for Kilmer.
  


Beautiful Fall Colors!



Some of the trees are over 400 years old....


Photo op

 In order to keep the area natural and to not disturb plants and rich soils, the Forest Service provides little maintenance to the area.  However, there are a few wooden steps and bridges, but they are designed to blend in to the outdoor surroundings.

Cool, clear water....

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

GA 41 - TN 14

The first big win of the season...Go Dawgs!!! 



 The view from our seats...






J with Russ in the background.

Hairy Dawg --- not sure who the kid is...J just jumped in for a photo op, so L and I followed suit.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Furry B & Buster

Furry B had an adventure of his own.....He spent an entire weekend with his new friend Buster.  They played hard and had lots of slobbery fun.  Friends for life.....





Monday, September 6, 2010

Off-road Adventure --> Beasley Knob

We took a short off-road adventure on Saturday at Beasley Knob in North Georgia.  Beasley Knob is a well known OHV trail where drivers can test their driving abilities.  We only traveled on the Nelson Cove trail; but there are several trails to explore.  Had lots of fun, except for Furry B.  He didn't seem to enjoy the trip as much as everyone else.  I think the hills and tight turns made him a little nervous --- notice his anxious expression.



Sunday, July 11, 2010

Ocoee....We're Back!

We just returned from a great weekend.....camping and whitewater rafting with friends on the Ocoee River; And celebrating my sister-in-law's birthday. Unfortunately, Furry B was left behind for this adventure (but he said he had a great weekend with Grandma and Grandpa).

We set up camp at Thunder Rock Campground, which is only a short drive from the Ocoee Whitewater Center. In case you ever want to camp along the Ocoee, this campground is a great choice.  It's very convenient to the river, and the camp hosts keep it well maintained and very clean.

The first evening was spent grilling Bubba burgers; and soaking up the water (courtesy of the afternoon showers) in our tent.  On Saturday morning, we loaded up and headed to the upper part of the river to begin our whitewater adventure.  We spent most of the day trying to keep J from falling out of the raft and protecting my sister-in-law's front teeth. :) We tackled many rapids....Diamond Splitter, Table Saw, and Cat's Pajamas.  But J was no match for Double Suck.....it sucked him right out of the raft and down the river!  The finale was Hell Hole...and it did its best to flip our raft, but we prevailed!  We ended the evening with pitchers of beer and pizza at The Ocoee Gondolier.  Good times and Great friends!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Ocoee Whitewater Center



It was a great day at the Ocoee River.  The whitewater rapids were closed for the day....so we were able to enjoy a lazy day by the river.  Furry B enjoyed swimming in the deep pools and climbing over the slippery rocks.  We definitely plan to visit again and take advantage of the over 30 miles of hiking and biking trails.


Fun Fact! In 1996, the Ocoee hosted the world's first Olympic whitewater event on a natural river.


Playing hide and seek with the beach ball. 
The ball provided about 3 minutes of entertainment.....
He decided the best way to play was to bite it and carry it around.




Cool and refreshing water!




From the nature trail.....

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Happy 4th of July!


The gang's all here...




Furry B, pre-fireworks





We ventured to the big city last night to celebrate the 4th and watch fireworks.  We had perfect weather and great food.  However, this was the first and last fireworks celebration for Furry B.  By the finale, Furry B had disappeared to the backseat of the truck.  Too many munchkins and too much boom!  He will have to find another 4th of July activity next year!