Greenbriar Visit to the Smokies January, 2013

Beautiful Mountain Creek

NO---that is not a typo in the heading.  This is a post I never published from January, a year ago.  We took a little trip to the Smokies ---and this post is when we visited the Greenbriar area (between Gatlinburg and Cosby).  Besides Cades Cove,  two or our favorite drives and photo opp places are to the Tremont area (between Townsend and Cades Cove) and this area,  the Greenbriar area. 

Hope you enjoy the photos.  Click on them for enlargements.

George is taking some photos of the water with his special lens.

I can't take good photos of the water like George can,  but this one is kinda pretty!

Our road along the way; See our car?  We park and hike down to the water for photos and enjoyment of the sounds and beauty all around us!

This is what I do when George is taking photos with his tripod.  The area is just so peaceful --even though it was quite cold that day.

Oh --how much beauty is everywhere!!!  I love seeing the moss growing on the rocks.

There's my Cutie Pie---getting up higher for more good photos.

I am always fascinated by the mushrooms and lichen growing on the trees in the Smokies.

Out came the toboggan---as it got colder and colder up there...

The farther UP in the mountains we traveled,  guess what we saw?????  SNOW!!!!

Think these Daffodils will make it?????  They are sprouting a little early!!!!!  Brrrrrr...

Finally,  we always just 'have' to get a picture of the two of us together enjoying the Smokies!!!

Hope you enjoyed these photos from our beautiful Smoky Mountains.. I love going there during all seasons --but in winter,  we have much of the area all to ourselves!

Have a great Monday ---and I'll see you on Wednesday!

Hugs,

Emoticons

Another March Trip/Hike: Amicalola Falls State Park, GEORGIA

Here is the gorgeous Amicalola Lodge, located at the top of the mountain.

I told you that we had a busy March planned... WELL---if you have missed out on my posts, let me just tell you that this is the FOURTH trip we have had this month.  First was Arkansas; second was Ohio;  third was North Carolina;  and this past week,  we were in Georgia!!!!!

We got a great Groupon coupon --so we spent a few days (March 24-26, 2014)  at one of our favorite lodges,  the Amicalola Falls Lodge near Dawsonville,  Georgia.  We have been there before --but this visit was one of our favorites... This time,  one of the things we did was to hike the loop around that HUGE waterfall.

Amicalola Falls is Georgia's highest waterfall and is 729 feet.  It is the third highest waterfall in the eastern United States.   There are SIX HUNDRED and FOUR steps which lead from the bottom to the top of the falls (and back)... The hike is hard since there is about a 1000 foot elevation change---but just being close to that huge waterfall all of the way  either up or down is awesome!!!!

Today I'll share a few photos from Amicalola Falls...  Hope you enjoy them!

From the bottom, looking up at the top of the mountain;  You can see the top of the falls--but they do cascade ALL of the way down the mountain.,... Ready to head up there?????

Betsy on some of the 600 steps!!!!  Pant Pant!!!

Some of the cascades along our way

I wanted you to see some of the elaborate steps they built.

REST TIME!!!!!!

Here's George (carrying his tripod) as we got closer to the top.

George crossed the bridge to get to the other side of the falls.  This is a neat area since they have built a handicapped trail for those in wheelchairs to see the top of this falls up close.

This is the top of Amicalola Falls.  I took this photo from the bridge.

The other part of the hike was away from the waterfall.  AND---it got colder and very windy (as you can tell) ---and we even experienced some  blowing SNOW....   (Crazy us---our coats were in the car!)

The views from the other part of that hike were incredible --on the top of the mountain.

A family of three (lady and 2 children) were hiking this part of the trail also ---and my comment to them was:  "I hope you all are hiking like this when you are 72!"  (Not sure they will be!!!! ha)

Us at Amicalola Falls,  Georgia

We made it --despite the steepness and the horribly cold, windy, snowy weather.  We finished our day having hiked for 3.8 miles.....  This is an awesome place ---and we highly recommend it to YOU.

Have a great weekend,  and I'll see you on Monday.

Hugs,

Emoticons