Had lots of rain last night/this morning. It is 62 degrees and very, very foggy up here in the mountains of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The Mineral Museum is just okay, but the rangers there are friendly and helpful. They say they had no problems with the latest hurricane and don't think we'll have any travel problems so long as we stay west of Charlotte. Route 226, which takes us down off the mountain, is a crazy twisty, steep road with lots of warnings and runaway truck areas. As we get out of the clouds and fog we are back to rural, mostly farm land.
We pass through Rutherfordton, NC, where Greg's parents lived for several years, so detour to get a snapshot of their old house. Still looks good!
Lots of kudzu on and off. Looks like a constant battle for some occupied areas and those abandoned are quickly claimed by kudzu. It blankets everything in some areas.
We arrive at Congaree National Park, created in 2003, about 2:00 - just in time for evacuation of the welcome center for a fire drill!
These pretty spiders are all around the parking area and a ranger tells us they are called Golden Silk Orbweavers.
We watch a film which explains that this is a wilderness shaped by water. It is basically a forest in the active floodplain of the Congaree and Wateree rivers. The water can rise and fall up to 10 feet, and is important in revitalizing the land - seeds, fish, animals, nutrients. These areas are becoming rarer in the US and preserving it is important. It has some of the largest trees in the south - mainly loblolly pine, cypress, oak and sweetgum.
We take a Boardwalk Hike with 2 other walkers and a few thousand mosquitos. We were warned.
We have been hearing some distant rumbling and half way through the walk the rain catches up with us. Oh well, at least it is warm!
Since the weather is crappy, we decide to head west into Georgia. Not far over the border we stop at a Cabella's for the evening. Crazy rains with lightening cools the temps a bit, so that with the Fantastic Fan going, we are fairly comfortable. We enjoy the last of the leftover wedding bbq.
975 miles to home and I can tell Greg is already thinking of doing it all tomorrow....
9/28/18 Friday
Still raining this morning at 8:30. Enough already! We reach Alabama at 10:18 and change to Central Time.
For a leg-stretching break we stop at Hank Williams Sr.'s boyhood home and museum. Small home in an old neighborhood with an eclectic collection of memorabilia. Hank Williams was born in September 1923 and died when he was only 29. He lived a rough life but also had chronic back pain and depended on a lethal mix of barbiturates and alcohol to relieve the pain. Very talented but troubled man.
South to Mobile, then we catch I-10 and move into Mississippi, then Louisiana and finally Texas. Lots of traffic, including 18 wheelers.
Arrived home about 10:40 PM. 3,691 miles this trip, plus another few hundred in Mom's car.
Arrived to more rain, but it is good to be home.
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