Highpointer

Madison is now officially a "Highpointer."  That would be one of those folks that goes to the highest points of each and every state.  Here she is with Mommy - it's the first time the both of them have been to the top of Brasstown Bald, which is in fact the highest point in Georgia.  Daddy has a few highpoints on the list:  Guadalupe Peak in Texas, Britton Hill in Florida, Clingman's Dome in Tennessee, Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina, Sassafras Mountain in South Carolina, Mount Driskill in Louisiana, Woodall Mountain in Mississippi, Mount Cheaha in Alabama, Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, High Point in New Jersey.  It's more of a hobby than anything, but it's a fun one.  As they say in "The Sound of Music," "Climb every mountain!"

Today was a nice fall day, and it was just too good to pass up going somewhere, so we packed a picnic, and got in the car to drive northward.  Once we got past the mess that is Dahlonega, we were able to find the Richard Russell Scenic Highway, and just enjoy the ride.  Yes, the leaves were cascading all around us, vibrant colors, and not too many cars once we got past Lumpkin County.  Because we left a little later, we were ready to eat a little quicker, so we dropped by Vogel State Park, and enjoyed a nice picnic there by a stream.  Here's Mommy and Madison again, posing on top of the bridge over that stream.

With our tummies full, we needed to drop by someplace to get gas.  Fortunately, there was Booger Hollow.  This is the name of a convenience store nearby Vogel State Park.  We didn't actually go inside Booger Hollow, opting to pay for gas outside and leave shortly after.  But you can imagine the conversations that ensued after stopping at a place called Booger Hollow.  Really, I'm glad we didn't go inside the convenience store.  Some things are better left to the imagination.  Why is this place called Booger Hollow?  Our minds can probably come up with much wilder ideas than whatever the reality is.  Maybe.  ANYWAY, we drove on from there, and not too far from that point is the entrance point to the road up Brasstown Bald, which we ascended in no time.

One great thing is that there was a shuttle to the top.  Daddy has always walked, but with Mommy recovering lately, it was good to have a shuttle available.  We waited a bit for that, but soon made it to the top of Georgia.  And the view was wonderful!

Here above you can see Mt. Yonah, and just to the right of Yonah, there is Pink Mountain.  In between those two, you can see the airstrip where Daddy used to live in White County.  We know this because from the airstrip, you can clearly see the tower on top of Brasstown Bald.  

Speaking of seeing things at a distance, here's a neat photo below.  Daddy zoomed the photo in afterwards, and you can actually see Atlanta from Brasstown Bald.  It's at the center of this photo, at the top of course.

There's a nice museum up top.  They had some stuffed animals there, including a turkey - but the funny thing is the three of us saw a wild turkey cross the road on the way there.  There's a train engine on top of the mountain too, inside the museum, along with Indian artifacts and examples of geology that Madison was ready to help identify.  Daddy's never been in the museum before, mainly because he used to get to this mountain after hours, around sunset.  But this time was nice, and it was also warmer too - the temperature was quite chilly up top!

Madison made a friend while waiting in line for the shuttle.  She's very outgoing, and the two of them had fun on top of the mountain, sitting in rocking chairs or checking out the view of the lake near Hiawassee.  But we were ready to go after driving a bit, and we knew we had a bit of a drive home as well.  Still, there was just one more stop to make on the way down the mountain.

Okay, don't tease Smokey the Bear.  Lesson learned!

Anyway, we drove home a different way, down 75 and towards Cleveland once more.  And after picking up some McDonald's from a slightly belligerent manager, we were once again on the final leg of the tour, and on our way home.

It was a nice day out, a nice outing to see the leaves.  Fall is here with power, and we were out in in, loving every moment.  And on top of all that, Madison has now added her first highpoint to the list.