Summary of the weekend, in words and photos!
We got to the trailhead for Smith Creek Trail in Unicoi State Park just after 10:30 in the morning. It was a 10-mile round trip to Anna Ruby Falls and back, and the sign said to expect 6 hours to make the trip.
Despite growing up in North Carolina, I’ve never done any hiking in the Appalachians! (I know, horrible.) The most noticable differences from all the hiking we do out west are 1) the lower altitude and 2) there are trees everywhere! Even when we topped out on a ridge, we couldn’t see anything beyond the trees.
We arrived at Anna Ruby Falls a bit before 2:00. They were very pretty, and we sat for a while admiring them. They are formed by two creeks that meet and tumble down to form a third creek — Smith Creek, the trail’s namesake.
We needed to refill our water bottles, but we didn’t take the “rocks are slippery” sign seriously enough, and Becca slipped. I had to retrieve her water bottle from this eddy.
We had dinner that night in Helen, an incredibly cheesy “alpine village” on the Chattahoochee River complete with copycat Bavarian architecture and things like funnel cake and beer houses.
Becca ordered crab legs. What none of us realized is that she would receive like ten crabs worth of legs.
On the way back to Atlanta yesterday, we couldn’t resist stopping at Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland, Georgia. Yes, where Cabbage Patch Kids are made. We giggled a lot and actually watched “Mother Cabbage” give birth under the “Magic Crystal Tree” with help from Intern Jerry. It was amusing and slightly disturbing.
We made it back to Atlanta in time to have a late lunch at Doc Chey’s with Carter and Kent, where Karen iced the finger she hurt when she tripped on the trail the day before in the darkness of a thunderstorm, and we all had a grand old time making faces for the camera.
And a good time was had by all!
the n. georgia mountains are beautiful — glad y’all got to experience them!
OMG, i am completely weirded out by the cabbage patch birth!!!
Great photos. Looks like y’all had a great time. Unicoi is actually one of the parks I’m considering for my wedding – did you stay in the lodge there and if so, how was it?
Ah, yes, the tourist! You saw a small portion of wonders and terrors of my world all in one weekend! Next time I will have to take you into Sautee at the coffee shop; up Blood Mountain to Hog Pen Gap(the beginning of the AT). And anyone who wants to have their wedding in Unicoi should look at Smith Gall Woods because it is less touched and more secluded and right around the corner. My opinion is that it is nicer lodging than Unicoi and better food.
Dallas, actually, we stayed in Sautee in a B&B (Bernie’s) which was lovely – kind of just what you’d expect with the fluffy and the lace inside. Unicoi lodge was completely booked, but they looked cute. Bernie’s actually cater weddings, they have big courtyard backyard which was very pretty — kind of like for people who want a backyard wedding but don’t have a backyard
It definitely felt more intimate than Helen does with its alpine cheesey-ness!
Rachel, we asked Bernie if she knew you and she said yes. We thought that was awesome. We wanted to go to Sweetwater but it closed like 15 minutes after we got to the B&B, and didn’t open on Sunday till noon (at which point we were gone).
mmm….sweetwater…gotta have sum….