Friday Foto Friends: Mountain Vacation Part Two

Happy Friday Foto Friends!!  I am continuing on with our north Georgia mountain vacation, part two...HERE's a link to Part One in case you missed it.  We packed a lot of sight seeing and good eating into just a few days. Actually, we were only there Saturday evening through Tuesday early morning, so we did have to boogey to do all that we did. There was a lot of driving around winding mountain roads, but it was all so beautiful still dressed in its autumn dress so that made it worth it all.

On Monday, after "climbing" up Black Rock Mountain (well, our car did the climbing), we had worked up quite an appetite.  So we headed into the little town of Dillard, Georgia, just up the road a few miles. Dillard is well known for its renowned "Dillard House" restaurant and inn. (See the link below for more information).

The Dillard House

My hubby and I had been there to eat many, many years ago, apparently before we had kids because our son did not remember it. I just remembered that they brought us so much food, served family style, and that in the past they had always grown many of their own vegetables right there on the property. Apparently they do still use locally grown vegetables and food, and it is always well worth the trip to dine there.

Here is the menu that we had for lunch:

They bring every bit of that food to your table, served in small bowls and platters, and they will bring you more as needed and requested. Don't plan on eating again that day!

Oh, and you can take home a doggy bag if you have any leftovers! I think we ate it all except for one piece of chicken!  It was that good!

This is the lady who started it all back in 1917.  You can read more about her on the website linked above.

This was our view from the dining room:

Here we are, waiting to be served:

After consuming such a sumptuous feast we had to take a walk around the property.

There is much to see and do there on their "farm".  They have horses for trail rides, and a petting zoo for the children. 

I believe the carriage can be rented for weddings and other special events:

It was such a beautiful day, we wished we had the time and energy to take a horseback ride, but it's been way too long ago for me and after having major back surgery in 2007, I don't think I dare risk the possibility of falling off of a horse...

I did enjoy petting this one's velvety nose.  He seemed to appreciate my attention. Sorry I didn't have a carrot to give him.

Daughter in love Rose was wishing we had time for a ride too, but maybe "next time"...

Next we went to the Tallulah Gorge and Tallulah Gorge State Park.  

Click on THIS LINK FOR PICTURES from their website.

These are the pictures that I took at the original Tallulah Gorge lookout point. I remember going here when I was a little girl. It was pretty scary then, and it is still scary today.

Especially scary that I could have stepped right on that clay area you see in this picture and gone right over the cliff because there was no guard rail there. There was a guard rail about 8 feet (if that) back, which I was standing behind to take these pictures, but it was in poor repair and easily stepped over. We actually watched one person step over the rail to take pictures. I gasped and said to him that edge is not secure, but he ignored me and kept taking pictures. I noticed he had a can of some kind of beverage in his other hand. Not sure what kind, but I am thinking it was altering his thinking.  However, he was an adult and my husband suggested that I should be quiet and let him do whatever he wanted to do as it was obvious he wasn't listening to me anyway.  That being said, we hurried back to our car and went to the newer state park, where it is much safer and well designed for viewing the gorge and the falls without falling over the cliff.

This is where that man was standing.

Below is a picture of the old original look out building for the gorge. This is the same building that was there over 60 years ago when I went there as a child. They used to sell souvenirs, etc., where I am sure I bought something with my allowance money that I saved for our summer vacations for just that purpose. Now this old building is boarded up and looks to me like it is about ready to fall over the edge.

I was happy to get away from that location and go to the state park.

Click HERE for Karl Wallenda story.  Back in July of 1970, the famous Karl Wallenda tightrope walker walked across the Tallulah Gorge.  My husband and I were living in a town not too far away at that time, Toccoa Falls, Georgia. My hubby was part of the Civil Defense team that went to help out with the crowds and security that day. He remembers watching Karl Wallenda walk across that gorge on that tightrope very well.  I stayed home as I was expecting our first child in about 6 weeks,  (the one seen below in this funny picture), and didn't want to get caught up in the crowds and all the excitement.  Here's another link with more pictures of Karl Wallenda and his walk across the gorge.

This was at the visitor center at the State Park, and of course we had to have our pictures taken.

Here are the pictures I took from the lookout points on the trails at the State Park:

That bridge spans across the gorge. You can hike down there to cross it, but then remember you have to hike back up the trail, and getting down is one thing, but coming back up is quite another. Plus I wasn't too crazy about going across that swinging bridge. (I don't know if it really swings, but I wasn't taking any chances).

I believe we are looking at the place where Karl Wallenda had his tightrope: (below)

While we are standing up there overlooking this extremely deep chasm, my son proceeds to tell me that when he was in college at a college not far away (the same town where we had lived way back when I was expecting him, but we moved away before he was born, and then he went back there to college), anyway, he proceeds to tell me that the "outdoor club", of which he was a founding member, hiked into this gorge and he and others actually jumped into this river right there at that spot.  Now, mind you, he was not up as high as we were at that moment, but he was still high enough and the very thought of him jumping down into that river right there gave me serious chills.  Now, this was a Christian college where he attended, and no, he was not drinking or high or anything like that, just a crazy college kid out with his friends. I am glad that I did not know about that back when it happened. It was hard enough for me to think about now, some 25 years later!!!  His wife was a bit awed by this information as well.  Thankfully he did not offer to demonstrate this action for us again. I am sure it would not have been permitted anyway. This all happened before it became a state park. 

I said a little prayer of thanksgiving that my son survived his college years and that event.

Do you ever wonder what things your kids might have done that you didn't know about, and it's probably better that you didn't? All the more reason to always cover our kids with our prayers.

Okay, enough of that interesting, but somewhat awesome place.

The next morning we packed up and headed back home.  On our way we passed by this "Old Sautee Store", which is an old general store that is still set up the way it was back in the olden days. I actually remember visiting this store when I was a child on our vacation. I was happy to see it was still there, however it was not going to open until 11:00 a.m., and we couldn't wait around for that.

This is just an old log shed next to the store that I thought was interesting:

I was able to peek inside the windows of the store, and thankfully there was a light on so I could see what it looked like inside:

This was the part I remembered from before. The shelves stocked with old tin cans of groceries from many many years ago:

And this was the counter, with the old timey scales an lanterns,  etc. 

I was always fascinated with stuff like that, and maybe that's why I have so many "old things" here at my house, especially like in my Hoosier Cupboard, which I have shown you before.

Well, that concludes our travelogue of our trip to the North Georgia mountains.

Before we left the house where we were staying, I noticed this one lonesome lovely daylily blooming in front of the house:

This picture reminded me of the following passage in Luke 12:22-32.  I think that many of us are concerned about our future right now in this country, and are not sure just how things are going to turn out, and how it may affect our lives and our families.  Hear these words spoken by Jesus to His disciples:

Luke 12:22-32 NKJV

Do Not Worry

22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, 

what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 

23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 

24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 

25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 

26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 

27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 

and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 

28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?

29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 

30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, 

and your Father knows that you need these things. 

31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

I know, easier said than done. But let us put our trust in the Lord. He knows exactly what we need and He has promised to take care of us. Let us seek His face first of all, "and all these things shall be added to you."   And most of all, "Do not fear, little flock..."

Oh, and thank you for all of your wonderful comments on my previous post. I have read them all and appreciate them so much. I haven't responded to everyone yet because I am still so far behind in my reading and writing and other things here at home as well, but I do appreciate each and every one of you so very much.  

Have a blessed and beautiful weekend my friends.