As we headed north on I-95 and after crossing the state line into Georgia, I could feel the gradual snap of the many strings of responsibility letting go of daily life. Our goal for the first day was to be in north Georgia in the Chattahoochee National Forest. We made it to the ranger station, got a map and headed out in search of a space in the deep woods. We were directed to the area of Warwoman Wildlife management, just outside the town of Clayton. At first, we weren’t finding anything as we traveled up a gravel mountain road. As a last resort, we decided to check out a National Forest campground nearby called Sarah’s Creek. We figured we could get a spot at least for the night. Turns out, it’s not your typical campground with tent and campers lined up next to each other.* Most sites are primitive and are spread out over 2 to 3 miles of gravel road all along the stream. Awesome!

The first night is always difficult with new sounds of the environment. The stream of water flowing over rocks, cicadas, loud-mouth frogs and then waves of rain throughout the night. The site we found turned out to be a peaceful woodland paradise and even though we had more rain throughout the next day it became our day of rest. We wanted a good hike for Wednesday so we headed to Tallulah Gorge. Let me tell you, it is drop-dead gorgeous!* You have to fill out a liability release permit (free) to hike the gorge and they only allow 100 permits per day. We were number 99 and 100! Close call! Just to get down to the gorge you go across the swing bridge which means you have to go down 1600 stair steps.This equates to the height of a forty story building! Those with permits, continue across the boulders, * traverse through water to get to the next set of boulders and then follow the gorge across more boulders for about two miles. This included several challenges to climb, balance, hold onto trees to assist your footing and crawl on all fours across very slick large rock faces at 45°. One of those “slippery slope” kind of things. Alfredo was like a hyped-up Tarzan with an adrenaline rush from the thrill of the challenge of making it through nature’s own obstacle course. Through all these tough trials, we hiked as a team, helping each other navigate through the gorge.* The pay off at the end was getting to the swimming hole and sliding down the falls into mountain fresh cold water. Ahhhh….
The rocks under the water are smooth but also very slippery, so getting out of the water is a challenge in itself. Luckily, there is a knotted rope to pull yourself up to an area not quite as slick. Unfortunately, even while using my hands and feet in a spider crawl fashion towards a level area, my right foot slipped out from under me causing me to slide about 2 feet and slamming my shin on a smooth rise on the rock. There was nothing graceful about it. I looked like a spindly fawn on an icy slope. It didn’t really hurt much but within 5-10 minutes, the bumped area swelled up to the size of a big lemon below my knee. Nothing broken, thanks to all the yummy bone broth that Alfredo always cooks with to keep our bones and joints healthy.
So, our sojourn didn’t end there. No trams, shuttles or Uber to get you back. Rather than facing the same gauntlet of challenges in reverse to make our return, we ventured on to the South Rim Trail that goes along the other side of the gorge. However, this route goes UP. No stairs. No rails. You just find your own way climbing these deep set rocks and boulders while gripping trees and tree roots at what appears to be a 75 degree angle.* I only bumped my sore shin once and that was all I needed to keep me cautious. It was a five hour adventure before we made it back to the visitor center. It was a beautiful day, a challenging day and it’s only Wednesday, our 3rd day into our 2019 Eastern Mountains adventure.

A special note to my Playful Pet Portraits Peeps! I realize that all this has nothing to do with pet portraits, but I thought you’d like to know what’s going on for the next two months. I’ll be working on a project for a client as we meander through the Appalachian Mountains to Maine. Then, it is full-time at the easel for me. I have four orders to begin in October and if you’re considering a portrait for Christmas or a fall/winter birthday surprise, please send your order by the end of October to ensure a timely delivery.

Now, back toward eastern mountain adventure! After Georgia, we drove to the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina. We reserved a spot at Elkmont campground because I was invited to attend the annual awards dinner for TICA (The International Cat Assoc) and this was the closest place to camp near Pigeon Forge, TN where it was held. This was especially exciting for me for two reasons. One, “Otome”, a Japanese bobtail who has adopted me as her auntie Rae Marie, received her 2019 Best of Breed~Japanese Bobtail Alter Award and 8^th Best Alter in the Southeast Region. Wahoo! We are roomies when I go to the cat shows. Two, I recently completed a surprise portrait for a very special lady in the cat world. Her cat, “Pierrot”, won the award of Best Household Pet in the Southeast Region! So, some of her friends pulled altogether to commissioned me to do the portrait. Before the Award festivities, I was able to do a video of her “first look” of the painting. Naturally, she was overcome with a portrait of her precious “Pierrot”, but also, the generosity of her friends. We were all delighted with her happy tears from such a heartfelt gift.
I truly love being able to bring such joy to people‘s hearts using my talents.

An added benefit to the awards night was seeing the many friends I’ve made over the last year and a half, all decked out with beautiful gowns and tuxes which included elaborate Viennese masks. This all happened thanks to the introductions and generosity of Patty Mahany. Patty has been an attentive and inspiring friend (and promoter) from the very beginning. We laugh, share stories, and insights and, above all else, we pamper our little kitty diva, Otome. That night, Patty gifted everyone at our table with a ceramic lucky cat figurine, Maneki-neko. So my little lucky cat is making her appearance throughout our travels.*
From there, we headed for the hills of Virginia, just north of Damascus. We found BearTree Campground and it was the perfect place for a respite and to get back into the groove of being in the outdoors.
Traveling further, we found yet another beautiful area around Lake Moomaw. We found a spot right on one of the many shores. It was very peaceful and serene during the week ( the weekend was another story) and it allowed us to relax and let our creative juices flow. I worked on the portrait and some jewelry while Alfredo did a watercolor of our gorgeous lakefront view. Since we were the only ones at this primitive area, it was great to swim “au natural” and cool off. We met some great folks there at the marina store and they informed us about an upcoming free concert of bluegrass music. What a treat!

Well, this post has become quite lengthy but we hope you’ve enjoyed the photos and travel news. We don’t have much internet time, so the posts will be sporadic, at best.

Sending Love and Hugz,

Rae Marie and Alfredo