Our Last Full Day

Sunday... much more relaxed.


We had breakfast and headed off to church, but not before snagging a few pictures (of course).



Here's Kristiina in her new dress from Old Navy giving me... what else?... a belly shot!




Gotta love the self-timer!




My precious girl.


After church and a quick change of clothes we opted to have lunch at The Daily Grind in downtown Murphy. Come to find out, 99% percent of the shops and restaurants are closed on Sunday. (Note to self for future reference.) Hmmmm, what now? We decided on a pizza buffet. Very so-so, but at least we were full.


Today's adventure ...mild adventure... would take place at Vogel State Park in Blairsville, GA. It was a longer drive than I expected (it had been recommended, but I hadn't visited it yet), but that long drive was such a pretty one that we didn't mind.



We sat on a swing for a while and just enjoyed the lake view.

She got out the big lens to capture a dragonfly. Beautiful!

My girl doing her thing!

Beautiful lake for fishing and swimming.

Oh! What's this?! We walked around the entire lake and at one end, found a short path to a waterfall!

It was a nice aftrenoon, and now...

Time to call it a day!

Waterfall Finale

I realize that no one besides Joe, my mother and Kristiina may be interested in seeing this detailed account of Kristiina's visit... so sorry.

Bear with me - just one more day to go after this waterfall finale post!



So, having had our fill of Goforth Creek, we headed further up River Road to have a picnic lunch by Lake Ocoee, then decided to go back in the direction of home. We wanted to photograph the waterfalls at the property across the street from us.

But first, on the way we made a quick detour to Horseshoe Bend Park. I wanted her to see the Toccoa River and the serene surroundings.



Here's a family enjoying watching a family of ducks.




This river is popular for tubing and fly fishing, though the fishermen are not thrilled when it's full of tubers... it scares the fish away.




Okay, on to the last of the waterfalls. This is at the "Waterfall Park" which is the common area in the development. We just had a pig roast there last month for property owners.

This one is on the property, too. On the other side of the mountain where the rental cabin is.

"Thank you, Kristiina, for yet another belly shot!" (I couldn't get enough of them.) {grin}

Whew! That was a full day!! It ended with dinner and a quiet evening at home.

Me 'n Miz Preggers

...experience Goforth Creek.



Enjoy the highlights from this segment of our Saturday (last)... but as you go on our photo journey with us, I want you to have the proper visual:



I'm in my slip-on, keds-style sneakers (inappropriate), and Kristiina... well, she has a swollen belly, both of us have packs slung on our backs, tripods tucked under our arms, and cameras hung around our necks.



Now, imagine us climbing, hopping, jumping, balancing, slipping, sliding, and skidding. Our shoes are soaked, the seats of our pants are muddy, and we're laughing our fool heads off!



Got it? Okay, off we go!

We're climbing out to the middle of the creek to capture these...

Contemplating the next shot.

We did finally get out of the creek and onto a trail!

But we didn't stay on the trail for long... "Hey, crazy pregnant lady! Be careful!"

Well, there you go. Thanks for indulging me; that was a boat load of pictures. But we love Goforth and it's so diverse, it takes a lot to give you the full effect.

You might think that does it for Saturday since we spent HOURS there... but we're not done yet. We packed the day full of fun! Stay tuned for part 3, the final waterfall jaunt.

Our Adventure

Saturday was our adventurous day! After breakfast, we started at the Ocoee Whitewater Center.


We took this little path, a portion of which is actually the old Copperhill Mine Road, used in the late 1800's for hauling copper ore by wagon train.




Now, it's just a pretty foot-path and gives us access to this...






That's the Ocoee River bed, and is how it looked when Mom, Aunt Mega, and Alana were here in May.

When Kristiina and I ventured there this past Saturday, however, the dam was open and so...




It looked like this! And every few minutes, kayakers and rafters would come into view.






Here's Kristiina photographing a kayaker as rafters whiz past her!






We enjoyed watching them do their thing in the ferocious whitewater.







Here's a couple now who just made it to the safety of calmer water. I think these were the two Kristiina was watching, above.







It appears they're taking a moment to pose for us as rafters continue on to the next rapid... but I think they were really just resting for a bit.

See that bridge in the distance... we're headed there next.





Whoo - there's a lot of activity on the river today! Kristiina and I have both done whitewater rafting on this very river (years ago... I haven't done it yet since living here). It is sooo exhilarating (with perfectly serene moments, as seen above)! If you ever get the chance, give it a try!




Kayakers watching their friends maneuver the rapids.









The Whitewater Center. There's a restaurant, gift shop and conference center which can be reserved for various gatherings, including weddings. It's a beautiful building inside and out. The second level has dozens of rocking chairs on the deck overlooking the river. Tranquility.

It was a fun, busy, action-filled place that day, with something for everyone... hikers/bikers/kayakers/rafters/photographers and spectators!

Okay, by now it's only about noon, and we're off to Goforth Creek which is where our physical activity began... hiking and rock-hopping the creek. I'll save it for tomorrow, but just wait!