After spending 3 days in New Orleans and the amazing storm we decided to spend a couple of days in northeastern Georgia at a state park before arriving in Asheville North Carolina.  From New Orleans to Asheville is about 600 miles with 4 days to get there.  We are meeting our friends, George & Rita whom we had met last year in Branson Missiouri .    We chose to stay at Tallulah Falls State Park in Georgia. 

The town of Tallulah Falls is centered around this amazing Gorge of granite walls and water that plunge through a 1,000 foot chasm offering some spectacular views from above.  The falls are controlled by the dam that was built by Georgia Power.  Getting to the water is down over 600 steps!  I wasn’t sure I was up to the task as my knee was still swollen from the tumble in New Orleans, so we opted for the trails along the brim of the gorge. 

Tallulah Falls

Tallulah Falls

Duke takes a plunge upstream from the dam

We also took a nice paved trail above the dam where we found a spot to put our feet in the water and Duke decided just his feet was not enough.  It was a good thing he was on a leash cause there was a bit of current.  Being the internet guy he is, Paul found out that the power company has aesthetic releases periodically during April & May and there will be one on Saturday!   Postponing our plans we decide we will stay 2 more days so we can see this.  And, Paul decides we will be walking to the bottom of the gorge to get the best view! 

Saturday morning we are up early and ready to climb to the floor of the gorge.  This view of the Dam shows how much water they were letting out; on Friday water was only coming from the small hole in the third gate from the right of the picture – a big difference.  Our hike down the gorge only took about 15 minutes.   We spent 15 minutes at the bottom enjoying the water and taking photos and then it is time to make the the trek up the 600+ stairs!  It was not near as tough as I thought it would be and it only took about 30 minutes.  I figure that’s pretty good for me, faulty heart, bad knee, and WAY out of shape! 

Crossing the suspension bridge at about 350 steps

The view down river from the landing at the bottom of 600+ steps

 The town of Talluluh Falls was a booming city in the 20’s and then the dam was built and everything changed.  There are a few businesses that are still thriving and there is Talluluh Falls School which is a boarding school for 7-12 grade.  I didn’t even know there were still boarding schools.  It is a beautiful campus and it certainly is in a beautiful place.  That is something I am noticing when we talk to local people from this area – they love this place they call home.  I have had several people tell me “I live in paradise”  They are certainly right.

 Other things the area is known for is the movie Deliverance was filmed here and Carl Wallenda, of the The Flying Wallenda’s walked across the Gorge in 1970!  Oh, another little tidbit – Paul actually met Carl Wallenda when he worked in the amusement park after high school in Old Forge, NY.  Apparently he was a cousin to the owner!

We really ate here

Another find, Long Creek, South Carolina where the only thing it appears here is a diner, “2 Redneck Chiks”.  Paul makes the quick decision that this is where we will eat dinner!  This was definitely a must stop, the owners were so proud of their place and there little spot of paradise that it was infectious!  Dinner was like eating with your family, they never stopped talking and bragging about their place!  Very cool.  We arrived about 6:30 pm and the special was Turkey dinner with fixins’.  Sounds good, the bad news was the husband had just eaten the last of the gravy and the cranberry salad!  Turkey dinner without gravy?  Well they never offered a menu so part of a Turkey Dinner is what we had for dinner!  The stuffing was great (would have been better with gravy!).  She did make a sweet potato casserole that tasted more like dessert but dessert was peach cobbler.  The best part of dinner was she said I could have her recipes since we are not local. Guess she was concerned about competition!   When she returned from the kitchen with her recipe it was hand written and stuffed into a small 3 ring cookbook just like anyone else would have in their kitchen.  Who knows if I will ever make it but I will definitely add it to my book.  This is the stuff that makes me laugh when we are traveling, ordinary people doing ordinary things 3,000 miles away from each other and all thinking they are doing something special!  They are!