excerpts from the road. part four. the finale'

((i'm still having problems here with the placement of my pic's and text. it just never comes out exactly how i want it...so much wasted space...i've searched 'help' and to no avail. oh well...))

i wanted to get in the final 'road trip' post from our vacation today...so i can move on to all my (usual) nature stuff! i saw a pileated woodpecker yesterday while heading down the street to the mailbox on the corner of the main road...i didn't have my camera.  and i saw one of those BIG Eastern Tiger Swallowtails in the front yard...perched on a plant...and they NEVER seem to sit in the yard! they just do a fly-by. i didn't have my camera.

anyway, last post left off at De Soto Caverns. from there we headed to Cheaha State Pk (still in alabama), the highest point in alabama at 2,407 ft with an old stone observation tower built by the CCC (explained in first road trip post) in the early 1900's.

after we had parked the camper and set up...
we noticed these hornets...two of them...sitting over this long hole in a tree right by the back of the camper. it looked like they were eating ants...or termites.
it wasn't until we got home and i had internet that i was able to look them up. i learned they're european hornets and are the largest in the u.s.a. it said they're not agressive...yet one of them kept us trapped in the camper one night...flying around the back door...swooping down on us when we went outside. i also learned they're attracted to 'light' at night. that explains it!

 

a Happy Mushroom

on the way from Cheaha to De Soto State Pk , DeKalb County (a DRY county...so make sure you have your supply of beer...wine...)  we stopped at Little River Canyon Falls.  which was nice because all the trails we walked in Cheaha were DRY falls (and we weren't even in DeKalb county yet...)  Little River Canyon is part of DeSoto Pk on LookOut Mountain.

The human spirit needs places where nature has not 

been rearranged by the hand of man. 

the water wasn't flowing like it should be...as this canyon is known for it's rapids. and the scenic drive along the rim was "road closed to thru traffic".  we would've loved to hike down to the bottom, but it was HOT and milo was in the camper...so we had to keep moving!  it was a beautiful view!!  a place to come back to!

this tree just couldn't decide which side of the small boulder to grow on...so it grew up on both sides!  cool!  

look at this boulder closely...can you see the face??  a profile??

at this point we're working south east...toward Auburn, AL...then into GA...then home.

next park was Chewacla, nice and woodsy...another CCC park, on Lake Chewacla.

see the tiny green anole resting on a branch? natural camo!

slowly creeping toward home...on to georgia...

and AWESOME Providence Canyon State Park!!

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.  

~Albert Einstein 

another place we'd love to see again...and hike to the bottom...but we'd have to leave milo at home. i guess we could take her with us on these hikes...get her one of those baby papoose things...i wonder if she'd be cool with that. 'cause if we just walked her on her leash...that 3 hour hike would take 10!  hmmm...

after Providence Canyon...on to GA Veteran Memorial State Park on Lake Blackshear. they have a really nice memorial to U.S. Veterans, displaying aircraft & armored vehicles outside...and an inside museum with all kinds of items from the Revolutionary War to Desert Storm. 

very cool sunset!  with a star in the sky...venus??

and now...although i hate for this to come to an end...we head to florida, to one of my favorite florida parks...

Stephen Foster St Pk in White Springs.  every 15 minutes...all day long, you can hear the (carillon) concert bells...toll the quarter hour...the hour...and nearing christmas time, christmas songs ring out of the bell tower. no matter where you are in the park, you can hear the bells! such a soothing sound!!

you know you're back in florida...when the lizards, spiders, gnats, mosquitos, gators...are abundant!!  :)

well, thanks for traveling with me!

whew! 

we covered alot of ground...hiked alot of trails...saw so many new places - some to go back to and see again!  i hope this journey wasn't too long for you!

of course if you made it this far...and are reading this line...then...i just wanna say 'thanks for joining me!'

so, i've already started taking pictures...around the house...in hot, muggy, buggy florida!

and will post in a few days...give you a rest...and me a rest. 

tomorrow's back to the same old routine...work, driving, laundry, shopping, cooking...

MAN! i can't wait to retire. i have so much i want to DO...and SEE. i have so many hobbies...things i can't wait to have time to...time to...time...to...do...whatever i want...whenever i want!

milo's pooped from the vacation too.

ZZZZzzzzzzz.

be safe...wherever you wander...

Let your heart guide you.  It whispers, so listen carefully.  

~Littlefoot's mother, Land Before Time 

laura   :]