Asheville, NC and Hilton Head Island, SC

On October 25 we drove to Asheville, NC for a 2 week stay.  We were looking forward to visiting the Biltmore Estate but we were still a bit under the weather and the weather did not cooperate--it rained most of the time we were there.  We did drive to Maryland to visit family for a few days.  We were on the road by 6:00 AM.  The drive there was beautiful once the fog cleared.  The rolling hills are beautiful.

Runaway truck ramp!?!

We stopped at a scenic overlook.  It did not disappoint.

We climbed 100's of steps to an even better overlook higher up.

The steps seemed never-ending.

At the top we had an even better look at the valley below.

On November 8 we drove to Hilton Head Island, SC.  We rented a villa a block from the beach for November-February.  The island is as beautiful as we remembered from our last visit.  Even though it was a bit chilly in the beginning, the beach, bike paths, and trees were still lovely.

When I ride my bike I feel as happy as a dog going for a ride with 

his head hanging out the car window!

Wind and a light rain does not keep us from walking on the beach.

There were a couple of gale warnings.  Waves were high...

and beach paths were blown out of place.

One day the beach was littered with dead horseshoe crabs.

This was a huge dead horseshoe crab.

Another cold, rainy bike ride!

Went to the Oyster Festival and enjoyed great music...

and beer and oysters.

A couple of weeks after arriving in Hilton Head we decided to see what properties were available for sale.  On December 6 we became the owners of a townhouse 1/4 mile from the beach.  Between walking on the beach and biking around the island, we have been slowly making it our own.  It's nice to have a place where we can display the souvenirs we've collected over the past 3 years.  We plan on spending most of the year on the island and traveling during the summer when we want to get away from the heat and tourists here.  Of course, we'll travel anytime of the year if there's a destination we have in mind (like Oktoberfest in Amana, Iowa!).  I'm still going to post on my travel blog.  In addition I will be starting a new blog that will focus on decorating, cooking, and island living.  When I have it set up, I will post the name here.  Check back soon!

Chattanooga, Tennessee

On October 14 we drove 1 1/2 hours from Gadsden for a week long stay in Chattanooga.  Unfortunately we were both sick for the first few days there so we had to cut back on our sightseeing.  First up was Rock City Gardens, located on Lookout Mountain, Georgia.

Here you can walk among ancient rock formations and admire the view of the valley...

We walked through many narrow chasms

Standing beneath Balanced Rock--hope it doesn't tip over on me!

Swing-a-Long Bridge, a 180-ft suspension bridge

Lover's Leap above High Falls

High Falls, a 100-foot waterfall

The valley below Lover's Leap

You can see 7 states!

Rainbow Hall

Fairyland Caverns, where black lights highlight the colors of the dioramas

Next up was Ruby Falls, a 145 foot high underground waterfall located within Lookout Mountain.  It is the tallest and deepest underground waterfall that is open to the public.  

On the walk to the falls...

At the falls we had 10 minutes to take pictures while lights changed colors accompanied by music.

The next day we went to visit Chickamauga Battlefield.  The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19-20, 1863, was the most significant Union defeat in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.  It had the second highest number of casualties in the war following the Battle of Gettysburg.

We saw several plaques that mentioned BAIRD'S Division

There were many monuments paying tribute to the brave soldiers and their fighting divisions

The Wilder Brigade Monument dedicated to John Wilder's "Lightning Brigade"

The view from the top of the monument

Next up is a visit to Asheville, NC for a visit to the Biltmore Estate.