Things are crazy around here. On top of all the other craziness, I got a call a few days ago. My job just ended suddenly as of this Friday. It was always meant to be temporary job, but the sudden termination was sort of unexpected. On top of my Dad getting remarried at 87, my world is rocking on its foundations.
We're planning a trip to Florida -- actually several trips throughout the winter and early spring -- and the rental car companies really rape you during the Christmas season. A typical car goes for $1100/week!! So we've developed the practice of taking an old car down there in the fall and leaving it until the spring. But this year we didn't get around to it. Jeff's been working crazy hours, so I insisted on taking the car down last weekend.
It was a long long drive, but it was sort of fun. It was nice to get away from the crazy and be alone for a few days. I had a couple of good books on tape to listen to and I was able to stop and see the sights whenever I wanted to. In fact, I stopped here: (Jeff would NEVER have gone along with this one)
In fact, it was a nice little tourist trap with free cheese samples. I bought two hunks of cheese and a cool cheese knife.
Most amazing of all, though, I FINALLY got to See Rock City! The most venerable tourist trap of them all! Ever since I was a child, I've begged to go to Rock City and nobody would take me because (a) we were always in a hurry to get somewhere else, and (b) it's a tourist trap.
For the unenlightened, Rock City started out as a pleasure garden for a wealthy couple who lived on top of Lookout Mountain in Georgia. The views are stunning and it's said that you can see five states from Lover's Leap (Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama). When the depression hit, the wealthy couple -- now not so wealthy -- opened their garden to the public for an admission charge. The husband then had a stroke of advertising genius. He agreed to paint barns throughout the South for farmers, as long as the farmers agreed to allow him to paint "See Rock City" on them "See Rock City" became part of americana -- and I'd never seen it!
So, I took golden opportunity while there was no one to complain that we'd be late to our destination or that they didn't want to go. I paid my outrageous $20 entry fee and had a pleasant walk around some beautiful rock formations, and lovely gardens, and I saw beautiful views. I SAW ROCK CITY!
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| The entryway to all that is Rock City (and the gift shop -- who knew they would have a gift shop!?) |
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| A stream running between enormous rock formations |
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| Looking up into a Douglas fir |
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| Most of the flora was labelled for identification |
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| A damp but interesting passageway |
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| The swinging bridge -- talk about a thrill ride -- it wobbles hundreds of feet in the air |
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| Lover's Leap, where you can see five states |
1 comment:
Sorry to hear about your job - especially the abruptness of its ending. At least that gives you the time to fully enjoy this season! All the best to you and your family.
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