Tennessee has the most beautiful waterfalls. Early in the summer when the rain is still abundant, the waterfalls are full of water.
My first waterfall hike was to Margarette Falls Waterfall in Greenville, TN. The hike was stunning all the way to the waterfall. Lush green forest, bubbling (and in some areas more than bubbling) stream led to the tall cascading waterfall that I had to myself early in the morning.
Laurel Falls was another highly rated hike in Hampton, TN. The trail to the waterfall was a bit longer with multiple bridge-assisted water crossings and a bit more people and one snake.
Other hikes took place on the Appalachian Trail (AT), like Indian Grave Gap to Beauty Spot. This trail was almost completely empty, even on a holiday. The views of Blue Ridge Mountains at the top were stunning, although there was no specific spot where I would consider a stop-for-lunch view point.
I went back to Grassy Ridge Bold via AT, a stunning hike I did back in 2022 when I rented a place in Greenville. I never thought that I would return here as a resident. It's fascinating looking back at some of my posts just 2 years ago. Life changed so much in a short period of time. Who knows where I will be in another 2 years!
I frequented Tweetsie Trail both on foot and on a bike. The local paved trail with plenty of people but in a nice setting. There are not too many trails for biking, and the roads are just country roads that could barely fit a car, not talking about a bike. I rode on the roads once, and I have to say that people were really patient, but you just never know. I took my bike to Asheville to French Broad River Park and rode along the river. I now just keep the bike in my car in case I get a change to ride somewhere.
With the hot weather in Tennessee, hiking was not as frequent for me as in other parts of the country. Humidity and high temperatures is a recipe for sweating, and I hate to sweat. As the weather cools down in September, it would be much better.
I spent some time visiting Asheville and Jonesborough theaters and saw multiple plays. At some point, I would go to the theater every weekend as tickets were not very expensive, and I felt like I needed an outlet for my need to experience new things now that frequent traveling was gone.
I met a few people and made an effort to establish a circle of friends, something I have been missing while traveling, but now was determined to do. It's still a work in progress as the area does not have too many like-minded people.
I established a routine. Well, somewhat of a routine. On Saturdays, I wake up early to go to the farmer's market and then head to my volunteer shift at the animal rescue farm. Then I have the rest of the day to myself and either go to Asheville for a hike and grocery shopping or stay locally. I like the routine, but miss new things. I often think that my comfort zone is shrinking, so I schedule more trips and outings.
No comments:
Post a Comment