Day-Tripping

Yesterday Mr. Fixit and I decided to take a day-trip to see the autumn foliage. The weather was outstanding. The leaves are just beginning to turn here in Upstate South Carolina so we thought the color would be at its peak in the North Georgia mountains and the foothills of the Smokies. I also wanted to return to Tallulah Gorge in Georgia to see the numerous waterfalls.

The leaves are not anywhere near the peak color. I was a little disappointed, but the falls at the Gorge more than made up for the lack of colorful foliage. We hiked several trails (Mr. Fixit hiked more than I did) and saw several falls. There was one trail that I would never attempt even if I were wearing the correct footwear. It involves climbing 630 steps and walking a suspension bridge. The museum was very interesting.

I wish our pictures of the falls had turned out better. The shadows were just too dark to see the complete cascades. They were beautiful.

After we left Tallulah Falls, I suggested that we drive northward to the Cherokee Reservation in Tennessee. When I was a little girl we lived the Eastern Tennessee. We went several times; every time relatives visited everyone wanted to go to the Smokies. The place has changed so much; some changes for the better, some for the worse. The last time I went several years ago, pre-casino, the majority of the workers in the souvenir stands were Cherokee; yesterday, we saw virtually none. Every shop was manned by whites. There were no artisans to be seen as there had been in the past; however, it’s possible that the artisans were at the museum. We didn’t go there. I suspect that the members of the reservation are now employed by Harrah’s Casino.

One of the better changes was that there were no captive bears or dancing chickens, or piano playing ducks. It always broke my heart to see those poor bears in small cages or performing tricks on stage.

The highlight of the trip was Goats on the Roof, a souvenir shop between Tallulah Falls and Clayton, Georgia. The shop sells the usual souvenirs, jams and jellies, home-made candies, ice cream, relishes, etc. They also sell Amish furniture.

It would be a run-of-the-mill shop except for one thing. Grass has been planted on the roofs of the two buildings comprising the store. Several goats and rabbits live on the roof. There are ramps and bridges connecting the two buildings and there are mechanisms for raising purchased food to the animals. They seemed to be very happy with lots of room to move.

It was a very nice day for us. This is the way I had envisioned Mr. Fixit’s retirement. He works so much that we seldom have time for even day-trips.

(As usual, click to enlarge photos for more detail.)