To make this trip more worthwhile, I’ll extend it by visiting the Swiss village Helen GA and do a few hikes in the area around Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian trail.
To keep you updated about my whereabouts, I will try to update this page once a day, with my location and adventures of the day. You can leave your comments below.
Update: Sa. August 19
Last minute change to Cookesville TN. Leaving with my van packed and Joey excited about the unknown. It’s a late start, but will try to drive as far as possible towards Tennessee. Wish me luck!
Live Update: Su. August 20 – 8AM
Comfortable night at a Walmart in Macon GA. Checked the forecast again and decided the get back to the original plan: Anderson SC. Not much difference in weather, slightly better, but closer. Hope to arrive late afternoon.
Live Update: We. August 23 – 8 AM
Well, the Total Eclipse was an experience, but I’ll have to wait another 7 years to see a complete one. Great weather until the morning of the eclipse, when the clouds started moving in. I was lucky to see C1 and C4 (start and end of the eclipse), but clouds covered the sun completely at the location near Anderson SC. The daytime darkness that happened simultaneously, was real interesting and while not a complete nighttime darkness, it was surreal. The people around grew a bit excited during his period, yet no predicted animal noises and even Joey (my dog) found it amusing.
After leaving, I found myself caught up in overly busy traffic over the next two hours, until I reached my first National Forest campsite near Helen GA. A good night sleep alongside a small creek was followed by a morning stroll through the quaint Alpine village of Helen.
That afternoon, I ended up at Woody Gap, a trailhead of the Appalachian trail near the terminus of Springer Mountain, which will be my next stop. A 2-mile hike and an incredible view of the mountains later, I was tired enough to find my nighttime parking spot and lay down for a good night’s rest.