“Headin South”

Ann Arbor, Michigan – September 19 – 22, 2021
Columbus, Ohio – September 22, 2021
Camp Creek, West Virginia – September 23 – 27, 2021
Watauga Dam, Tennessee – September 27 – 30, 2021
Flat Rock, North Carolina – September 30 – October 8, 2021
Lincolnton, Georgia – October 8 – 13, 2021

We ended our summer Great Lakes Trip after having an awesome time and headed South. Our first stop was Ann Arbor, Michigan. Originally we intended to see University of Michigan play in the Big House, but with the pandemic still out there, we sold our tickets and delayed our trip to Ann Arbor. We only spent three nights and the weather was horrible. We walked around Ann Arbor, but we were unable to go to the Institute of Art in Detroit. Maybe next time. The Institute has five Van Gogh paintings and I am sorry I missed out.

We spent one night at a Harvest Host location outside of Columbus Ohio called Outerband Brewing. The stop was short, but dinner, beer, and conversation with fellow campers was pretty good.

Our next stop was Camp Creek, West Virginia. The park was great. We hiked the trails in the park. The water level was low, so the waterfall was very low to almost non-existent. We stopped (you guessed it!) at a brewery in nearby Princeton, West Virginia called Sophisticated Hound. This was a short stop, but a good one.

Next stop was the Watauga Dam Campground (we visited last year) outside of Elizabethton, Tennessee. This park did not disappoint. We had a great site. We hiked near the dam on part of the AT. We also re-visited White Duck Taco and (another surprise – a brewery!) Yee Haw Brewing in Johnson City, Tennessee. Our friends Janet and and her husband (friends from Panama City who now live in the area) drove over to see us – but mostly to see Ziva. Ziva loved the area until she was attacked by dogs who were not on a leash. Her tent collapsed under the attack and Steve had to cover her until the dogs were controlled by their owner. It was horrible! I have not recovered from the attack, but Ziva has. Do not get me started on dog owners who think their dogs are wonderful and do not need a leash!

We made a stop in Flat Rock, North Carolina (we also visited last year) This is a great park located near Asheville and Hendersonville. We were only here for eight days, but our visit was packed. Steve’s friend (Drew) from MBA school at Florida visited and helped replace our awning motor. Flat Rock had a great walking trail made on an former golf course. The trail was beautiful and we walked it most days. We revisited Marked Tree Winery and Burntshirt Winery with our friend Paula (we met her last year when we were in Franklin, NC). One day we drove into Asheville and visited with a friend from Panama City Beach at Pleb Urban Winery. Last year Sierra Nevada Brewery (sometimes referred to as “Malt Disney” – I love this name) was closed because of Covid, but open this year. We loved the brewery.

Our last stop on the trip south was Lincolnton, Georgia. I know – why in the world was Lincolnton on our trip. Well it is between Flat Rock and our next stop, and it was across the river from McCormick, South Carolina. McCormick is the city where my great grandfather and great great grandfather lived. We visited the cemetery and saw lots of Cothrans buried there. The courthouse had a fire in 1898, where most of the records were destroyed, so I was unable to do much research. The park was beautiful and we had a wonderful site on the water.

Next Up the Suwanee Roots Revival

“Headin South” by Zach Bryan