FALL TRIP #4

There were some cool days.

Fall Trip 2009 #4
From Georgia Into South Carolina

Weather
She was wearing a down filled coat and fur hat with ear flaps. He was wearing a shirt and shorts. The seasons are changing in Georgia. No one is quite sure what to wear.
I remember in North Carolina, last year, when it was impossible to buy mitts or toque during the first snowfall. Gloves were the only thing available. Not here in Georgia. Already the stores are filled with winter wear. What I can't buy are t-shirts!
I have put plastic on the screen door and tightened it up with the hair dryer. Now we can keep our door open and not feel the chilly mountain breeze.

Liar! Liar! Pants on fire! There was to be no rain today. I couldn't find the rain on the NOAA radar either. BUT... I washed the truck anyway. It was a disgrace.
Cathy stopped at Wal-Mart for craft supplies and I inhabited Ingles getting ready for spaghetti and meatballs tonight.
(Excellent meal especially accompanied by garlic bread and homemade meatballs.)

Dahlonega
There was a gold rush in Georgia! In Dahlonega ( dah-lon-e-ga) we visited the Gold Rush Museum. This area was the scene of the first gold rush in the U.S.
The museum still has some of its original brick walls which can be seen when the docent unlocks the special door. Why is this brick wall locked up? When you look at the brick you can see the sparkling flecks of gold. They were made of the tailings from the mines.
While viewing the photos from the turn of the century, I spotted one of a woman who was identical to our friendly waitress at Papa John's Pizza. I never did get back to her to ask if her ancestors were from Dahlonega.

The museum is in the town square surrounded by tourista shops and restaurants. An excellent place to visit but beware of the Gold Rush Weekend in October; this little town swells to over 250,000!

Downtown Square

This is our last day here. This morning will be our second visit to the Georgia Mtn.s UU church in Dahlonega. It is a small fellowship, meeting in a re-constructed gas station. Friendly and welcoming. We've even met fellow RVrs there. Their comment: "It is is way too Baptist around here to consider going anywhere else to church."
( The 'offertory' was a swinging version of In the Mood. Wow! The walls were shaking! The speaker was Gerald Robison from Atlanta. His presentation was about the superiority complex of U.S. citizens. A thoroughly enjoyable and soul searching presentation.)

Church banner: notice how it blends in with the wall painting

It is a very cool morning. Supposed to be even cooler tomorrow. We will finish packing this afternoon; fill up our water tank so I won't have to deal with frozen hoses in the morning and put up the awning. Since we are not driving far tomorrow we will be able to drive into town to the Huddle House for breakfast. ( A great repast in a newly refurbished HH.)

This is recharge day. All the gizmos are being recharged: PSP, DS, drill, and beard trimmer. The camera batteries are rechargeable but I have almost given up on them. Take two pictures, sneeze, and they are drained. I will try them once more.

Weirdness
In a previous blog I mentioned the strangeness of South Carolina: its railroad crossings and YIELD signs. I have another strange one; this time from Georgia.
I have proof that aliens have visited here. On the country road between Cleveland and Dalongega, there is a two mile stretch where the powers that be have installed a center turn lane. Sounds good? Well, there are turn arrows in the lane but there are no places to turn into. At least, not the kind of places I am used to. Ditches, guard rails, fields - on the other side ditches. Now, we have watched some drivers use thus lane as a passing lane. Not a good idea. Every so often in this turn lane, they have put up a group of posts. Sometimes those posts are hidden in the shadow of a tree.
Strange but true.

Dangling Death
We headed into Pendleton on Tuesday. While traveling down the back road I spotted a motorcyclist. He was flagging me down from the side of the road. I debated about stopping; I made the decision to stop and see if he needed help. He simply pointed twenty feet in front of my truck. The local power line was hanging down. I would have run right into it. He was phoning 911. The wires across the road were flailing and shooting sparks.

Pendleton, SC The Square

Pendleton is a small town on the outskirts of Clemson. It is historic. That means its shops are craft and antique repositories.
(We now have a sewing table on the back seat of the truck.)
We were directed to the Village Baker for lunch. Oh my! I had the toasted veggie melt accompanied by an 'on the house', dark chocolate covered macaroon! When we have that kind of lunch, it means we will have soup for supper.

Farmers' market on the way to Dahlongega

Lake Hartwell Camping and Cabins
We are settled on the side of a pine covered hill in Lake Hartwell Camping and Cabins. It is nice here under the tall pines. It is really on the lake. Good for fishing but it is catch and release - PCB warnings are posted.

Lake Hartwell Pics

Books and Strawberry Shortcake
On Wednesday, we headed to a bookstore in Anderson. Never made it. Lowes, Target, The Party Store, and Hobby Lobby hi-jacked us!
We made a second try on Friday and were successful in finding McDowell's Emporium New and Used books - Dedicated to the Care and Feeding of Bookworms Since 1988; what an absolute delight. We almost didn't find it because it is disguised as a small frame house. As soon as we walked in the younger McDowell wanted to know if we needed help.
" I have a long list but I've already checked your website and you don't seem to have them." I gave her my list and a smile, then wandered off into the stacks. In two minutes she was beside me handing the first bunch from my list. I asked her to marry me but she was already committed. Another three minutes and she was back again. Wow! That is all I can say! I have my Winter reading supply. ( www.mcdowellsemporium.com )

Lunchtime. We eventually found a parking spot outside of Mama Penn's Real Southern Cooking. Friday at lunch - really busy. We sat at the counter. Next to Cathy sat a very handsome, young gentleman - works for Verizon. She had already been told by the waitress that he would not bite. We eyed his piece of strawberry shortcake. Turned out that he orders it every Friday as a treat. After finishing our flounder and fries, we hemmed and hawed then ordered two shortcakes. The gentleman immediately spoke up and said, "I'll pay for them." Now that is truly Southern hospitality!!
( www.mamapenns.com )

I was called into Target after lunch; Cathy was called into Michaels. There was loud shouting as I walked down the main aisle in Target toward the computer accessories shelf. I continued to ignore the yelling until the lady walking toward me, pointed over my shoulder. I turned. There was a young man all excited and running toward me. Almost at the point of hyperventilation, he exclaimed that it was so good to see me again. Well, it turns out he thought I was someone that he had worked with. We sorted that out. We shook hands and I continued on my down the aisle. You know, when I think about it, I have never had a woman pursue down the asile. Hmm.. but that reminds of the time... Well, that's another story.

We drove to Wahalla on Thursday. A nice drive to the foothills on a sunny day. Gift stores and nothing much else but we did have delightful conversations with store owners. We had expected to visit with the Kudzu crafting lady but seems she doesn't open her store much anymore. A friend tells me that you have to email and phone ahead. There is always a possibility that the Kudzu has done her in.

Pine Acres and Aiken, SC
Saturday morning we packed and meandered down to Aiken, SC. Lovely drive on an almost empty four lane road. We pulled into our spot at Pine Acres and were immediately shaking hands with a family from Texas.
Long story there. If I get time, I'll share it.

Traveling to Aiken we passed a Baptist church; that can't be avoided. Cathy has calculated that there is one Baptist church for every three miles of road. If Baptists started collecting road tolls, we would all be poor. Anyway, their sign said: WHEN THE TRUMPET SOUNDS, WE'RE OUTTA' HERE. So, I thought, let me see if I could get a couple of trumpet players together and show up on the church lawn Sunday at 11:30. I advertised on Facebook but couldn't get any applicants. My friend Stephen, in Israel, said we should be using a shofar instead of a trumpet.

We set up, then bopped on down to BI-LO to gather our vegetables for our part of church lunch on Sunday. Thanks to the wonderful world of computers we can arrange things like that way ahead.