Franklin, North Carolina July 1, 2021 – September 5, 2023
The first stop we made on our travels three years ago was Franklin, North Carolina. So, when we were looking for a place to stay this summer so Steve could easily fly down to see his father, we decided to stay here again. We were pleased to find that many of the friends we met three years ago were here to welcome us.
The area around Franklin is beautiful. The drive in is beautiful. We traveled and took in the sights on the Blue Ridge Parkway – which was also beautiful.
More views:
The last time we were here, we hiked and viewed several water falls. This time we tried to find different hikes and different waterfalls. I am glad to say that we were successful. We hiked in the Tallulah Gorge State Park to see the falls. This hike included over 1000 stair steps. It was horrible, but the waterfall was pretty. We also hiked at Deep Creek Trail in the Smokey Mountains National Park several times. I have to admit, this hike was one of the most beautiful that we have ever seen. Most of the trail bordered on a creek and included three different waterfalls.
We also went white water river rafting on the Nantahala. I took my mother on this trip before she passed away – it was her last bucket list item. The trip this time was fun although the people in our raft did not want to get wet or go over any rapids. Why they were on the trip is beyond me – and they fell into the raft going over the largest rapid and ruined the picture for the whole raft.
The weather in Franklin was fabulous and we spent a great deal of time at the pool and visiting with the friends we met three years ago. The drink I concocted when we got on the road was a big hit. It is sort of a combination between and Old Fashion and the Keeneland Breeze (If you want the recipe, just let me know!). I call it “The Monica” and as I told Heather – it is sweeping the nation!
Three years ago we tasted bourbon with Heather and Ron (Big Ron) and we decided to taste bourbon again. Ron has an excellent selection.
We did not venture out to any new breweries during our stay, but we did stop by
Currahee Brewing Company one Sunday to enjoy the beer and live music. It was fun. We also went to Slanted Window Tasting Station for some local wine and live music.
One of the highlights of our stay in Franklin was catching up with Rene and Tom Willoughby, who we knew from Panama City. They live in Blairsville, Georgia. We met them for lunch at the Black Dog Pub in Hayesville, and then we also met them for lunch at the Crane Creek Vineyards in Young Harris, Georgia. The lunch at the vineyard restaurant was fantastic and the views from the winery were wonderful. We had lots of fun hanging out with Rene and Tom and hope to see them again soon.
Now we are headed down the road to Asheville.
“Franklin’s Tower” by The Grateful Dead