Sadly dropped Katie off at the airport just like every time. I wish she could stay for ever and a day but that will have to be another day hopefully very soon. I made some posts and calls to try to get Atlanta one more time since the sun was truly shining today. Have had a couple of really good friends helping me do some research beforehand and lining up things to do in most cities but we were really coming to a loss in Atlanta, or everyone was working, which happens to be what most people do on Monday through Friday. I decided after cruising the college campuses that it would be good for my heart and soul to get up in the mountains and feel that nature again. So I did just that and headed up to Dahlonega and the upper Georgian blue mountains. This little town with a square was supposedly the first gold rush in the states and most of their cities attractions were made of solid bits of gold. Really nice people in town and they told me to go take a rim road for nice pics of the mountains. Happened upon a trekkers paradise when there were lots of boots hanging from a tree off the road. I felt like I had walked into the wizarding world of backpackers appalachia when I went in. Amazing guys with beards who ready trekkers for the 6 to 8 month walk from Georgia to Maine. How did I forget about the Appalachian trail, all of this travel in the van around the country I forgot that some people put their lives into a 30 pound backpack and walk for half the year. Wow. Met Lumpy in the store who was a seasoned vet of the trail and most of the guys that worked there. They ready hikers and send back in a box what they don’t need for the trail. Also got to interview a hiker about to head off the next day with plans of doing the whole trail in 5 months. Good interviews and awesome that some people do just decide to just check out and hit the woods. I feel it, nature, ancient, the lovely mountain hills of the lower Appalachia, it must be an amazing journey and so life changing. I rode the rim until the sun set and then came down the mountain to stay somewhere north of Atlanta. Oh yeah, 2 amazing people got back to me about touring around Atlanta tomorrow, very excited!
OMG! Another photo of a color-coordinated shelf display! Love these photos, Josh! Love ’em! And the two sky photos, one with clouds and mountains, ah, the Appalachians! And the one with the brick building, all sturdy and there for no telling how many years. A government building? Adore the beards and the hairy men, the cell phone booth–what an ever-lovin’ hoot!