Last week end, we got to visit the Amicalola Falls State Park. It is located in Dawson county in Georgia state. The park is known for the tallest cascading waterfall (729 feet) east of the Mississippi river.
We did not know much about the area and the only help available was Google map and the GPS. We started from Alpharetta which is located at around 20 miles from Atlanta. The climate was cloudy. There were short spells of rain while we were travelling on GA-400. The cool rainy breeze was really refreshing.
The conditions changed when we started on GA-136. The road was narrower and there were a lot of trees on both the sides of the road - almost like a forest. Sometimes we got to spot beautiful houses hidden behind the veil of these trees. When we were thinking how lucky these people are who got to stay in such a scenic place, the rain started again. But this time it was heavy. The situation was just like a horror film. A road winding through a dense forest, heavy rain and a lonely car... We were a little bit fearful for a moment as there was nobody else on the road within our view and the area was unknown.
But fortunately the rain stopped after a few minutes and we got to see some houses too. At the entrance of one house, a board was hanging - "Fresh Tomatoes for Sale". Somebody was selling farm-fresh tomatoes. That reminded me of the sale of farm-fresh veggies and fruits on the highways back home. A few miles ahead a herd of sheep was grazing on a beautiful green plain. We also saw a couple of churches. It was a lovely country side.
After a trip of around an hour and 15 minutes, we finally reached the park. We parked our car and headed towards the visitor center. Here again the light rain shower was ready to welcome us. The visitor center was equipped with informative material like posters and maps, nature exhibits and live animals. It also has a gift shop. We collected the map of the park from here.
By now the rain was stopped. The rain soaked trees were looking beautiful. The picnic shelters and cottages near the visitor center were full of people intending to spend their week end with nature. We headed towards the Reflection Pool. It is a lovely lake surrounded by beautiful trees. One can see the waterfall from here when the climate is clear. It was foggy when we visited. So we got only the glimpses of the waterfall. Some children were fishing in the lake. There were wooden benches to sit. It was a serene place.
After a short break here, we took the Appalachian Approach Trail towards the waterfall. It was a moderately strenuous trail going through the crowd of trees. A stream of water was accompanying us. It was producing a sweet, rhythmic sound. For people like us who are used to electronic music, this natural music was really soothing. We were looking for some wild animals. But unfortunately could not spot any except a few butterflies. I think they were hiding in their shelters due to the rain showers a short while ago.
We spotted some wild flowers, fern and mushrooms. Slowly we reached the lower observation platform. One can see the waterfall from here. But to get a more closer look, one has to go to the Falls Overlook Bridge. It offers a splendid view of the waterfall. One can see the water jumping down the rocks and then flowing down from the bridge. The waterfall has got its name due to this jumping or tumbling of water only. In Cherokee Indian language the word "Amicalola" means "Tumbling Waters".
After spending a few moments here, we started moving towards the top of the falls from West Ridge Staircase. It is a strenuous patch comprising of 425 steps. But the wooden benches in between and the breath-taking view of the surrounding forest keep the stress at bay.
When we reached the top, the only words we could utter were "Aah" and "Wow" !!! The view over there was so heavenly that we could not say anything else. In front of us was a beautiful fragile stream of water surrounded by a few trees as if the trees were guarding this princess. A few steps away was the green plain laying cozily under the blanket of fog. A few mischievous trees were waving from the fog. There were a few people but nobody dare to disturb the peace of that place. The only obvious sound was that of the moving water and the chirping birds. Heaven would not be any different than this....
We soaked ourselves completely in that peace and then started our return journey. While returning, hubby missed one turn :( But that was a blessing in disguise!! As we were moving ahead in search of a suitable place to take the U-turn, we spotted a beautiful ranch and a farm house. It was picture-perfect !!
This trip offered us a glimpse of American country life and I'm loving it !!
We did not know much about the area and the only help available was Google map and the GPS. We started from Alpharetta which is located at around 20 miles from Atlanta. The climate was cloudy. There were short spells of rain while we were travelling on GA-400. The cool rainy breeze was really refreshing.
The conditions changed when we started on GA-136. The road was narrower and there were a lot of trees on both the sides of the road - almost like a forest. Sometimes we got to spot beautiful houses hidden behind the veil of these trees. When we were thinking how lucky these people are who got to stay in such a scenic place, the rain started again. But this time it was heavy. The situation was just like a horror film. A road winding through a dense forest, heavy rain and a lonely car... We were a little bit fearful for a moment as there was nobody else on the road within our view and the area was unknown.But fortunately the rain stopped after a few minutes and we got to see some houses too. At the entrance of one house, a board was hanging - "Fresh Tomatoes for Sale". Somebody was selling farm-fresh tomatoes. That reminded me of the sale of farm-fresh veggies and fruits on the highways back home. A few miles ahead a herd of sheep was grazing on a beautiful green plain. We also saw a couple of churches. It was a lovely country side.
After a trip of around an hour and 15 minutes, we finally reached the park. We parked our car and headed towards the visitor center. Here again the light rain shower was ready to welcome us. The visitor center was equipped with informative material like posters and maps, nature exhibits and live animals. It also has a gift shop. We collected the map of the park from here.
By now the rain was stopped. The rain soaked trees were looking beautiful. The picnic shelters and cottages near the visitor center were full of people intending to spend their week end with nature. We headed towards the Reflection Pool. It is a lovely lake surrounded by beautiful trees. One can see the waterfall from here when the climate is clear. It was foggy when we visited. So we got only the glimpses of the waterfall. Some children were fishing in the lake. There were wooden benches to sit. It was a serene place.
After a short break here, we took the Appalachian Approach Trail towards the waterfall. It was a moderately strenuous trail going through the crowd of trees. A stream of water was accompanying us. It was producing a sweet, rhythmic sound. For people like us who are used to electronic music, this natural music was really soothing. We were looking for some wild animals. But unfortunately could not spot any except a few butterflies. I think they were hiding in their shelters due to the rain showers a short while ago.
We spotted some wild flowers, fern and mushrooms. Slowly we reached the lower observation platform. One can see the waterfall from here. But to get a more closer look, one has to go to the Falls Overlook Bridge. It offers a splendid view of the waterfall. One can see the water jumping down the rocks and then flowing down from the bridge. The waterfall has got its name due to this jumping or tumbling of water only. In Cherokee Indian language the word "Amicalola" means "Tumbling Waters".After spending a few moments here, we started moving towards the top of the falls from West Ridge Staircase. It is a strenuous patch comprising of 425 steps. But the wooden benches in between and the breath-taking view of the surrounding forest keep the stress at bay.
When we reached the top, the only words we could utter were "Aah" and "Wow" !!! The view over there was so heavenly that we could not say anything else. In front of us was a beautiful fragile stream of water surrounded by a few trees as if the trees were guarding this princess. A few steps away was the green plain laying cozily under the blanket of fog. A few mischievous trees were waving from the fog. There were a few people but nobody dare to disturb the peace of that place. The only obvious sound was that of the moving water and the chirping birds. Heaven would not be any different than this....
We soaked ourselves completely in that peace and then started our return journey. While returning, hubby missed one turn :( But that was a blessing in disguise!! As we were moving ahead in search of a suitable place to take the U-turn, we spotted a beautiful ranch and a farm house. It was picture-perfect !!This trip offered us a glimpse of American country life and I'm loving it !!
2 comments:
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