THE APPALACHIAN TRAILER...

Our daughter is working in Atlanta on the film adaptation of the book A Walk in The Woods by BillBryson.  (We are currently reading the book.)  She has a few days off over the Easter weekend so it’s a good time for a visit.  We drive directly to the production office outside of Atlanta and park Dimples in the guarded lot.  She will be safe and secure during our visit.  After meeting our daughters colleagues we head over to her rental; a cute brick bungalow on a tree lined brick road in a historic neighborhood.

It rains on and off all weekend but that’s OK. We hang out, watch movies, get mani-pedis, and go out to eat:

Breakfast at American Roadhouse: They only do breakfast and lunch and they do it so well!  It is hard to decide what to eat. We finally decide on:

The Southern Classic Benedict – Poached eggs over Canadian bacon on a buttermilk biscuit with country gravy and fresh fruit.

Red Flannel Hash - A hearty mixture of corned beef, Idaho potatoes, peppers & onions topped with two eggs any style. Served with creamy stone ground grits & buttermilk biscuit.

Love Me Tender Waffle - Belgian waffle topped with crispy chicken, cheddar cheese eggs & thick cut bacon.

Although we are each happy with our meal choices, it’s hard not to sneak a bite off each other’s plates. This is fine, very fine, southern food, with generous portions and friendly service. (Next time we’ll have to try the Banana Bread French Toast.)

Named one of the “Best New Restaurants in The American South” in 2013 by Conde Nast Traveler, owned by three James Beard award winners (one, a former Indigo Girl) and pioneers of the farm to table movement in Atlanta; The Watershed on Peachtree lived up to it’s lofty reputation.  As usual, we start with cocktails and appetizers: Country Ham Wrapped Shrimp – Crusty and succulent.  Eggplant Fries – Crisp and tender and Blue Crab Churros – I think I’ve died and gone to heaven! While we linger over drinks and appetizers, Chef Joe Truex stops by our table (seems he knows our daughter and her colleague that we are dining with.) He tells us about a special Royal Red Shrimp dish that he’s preparing tonight. We chat a bit and Chef Truex heads back to the kitchen. The waiter returns to take our order: 

Roasted Moulard Duck Brest with grilled radicchio, peperonata and compressed Georgia Apples, Bone-in pork chop with spicy collard greens and bacon jam, and the special red shrimp dish. 

When our orders arrive Chef brings the shrimp entree to the table and announces that he prepared this personally. The food is absolutely delicious; again we sneak bites off each other’s plates.  Since the portions are not excessive there is room for desert.  While we linger over port and deserts, Chef joins us again. We talk about food and swap recipes. (Seriously, he even told us his secret ingredients – but if we told you – we’d have to kill you!)

Amicolola Falls

On Easter Sunday we pick up Dimples and head up to the Amicolola Falls State Park, where filming starts the next day. The road to the Amicolola Falls Lodge is a 24% grade, nothing that Dave can’t handle.  We just cruise right up but our daughter can’t keep up with us in her rental car.  (Gotta love a Diesel!) We stay in the lodge RV Park.  The park is located on a hill above the lodge, great views, large spaces with BBQ, fire pit and picnic table, there’s even a laundry room.  The cast and crew stay in the lodge and another nearby resort.  The Staff of the Lodge are exceptional during our stay.  Dealing with the Hollywood invasion and the other hotel guests who were inconvenienced.

After we check in we head to the falls.  Four hundred seventy-five steps down to the mid point of the falls.  It’s easy going down, not looking forward to the return trip.  The view from the bridge over the middle of the falls is spectacular.  Just as we are about to head back up, we get a text from our daughter. She wants to come join us.  There’s a parking lot and an easy access trail nearby, so she drives down, takes some photos of the falls and we all drive back up.

Springer Mountain
Southern AT Terminus

Arch to the AT approach trail

The next morning we stop by the visitor center and watch Robert Redford and Nick Nolte walk through the approach arch to the Appalachian Trail, (hereafter referred as the AT) and walk through again and again.  Some folks might find this exciting – right like watching paint dry… So we set off to do a little hiking.  Off Forest service road 42 is a parking lot across from the AT approach trail.  We hike up about a mile to Springer Mountain – the official southern terminus of the AT. It’s a beautiful spring day and trees are starting to blossom and wild flowers poke out from nooks and crannies.

Spring has..

Sprung...

On our final day we hike in the morning to the bottom of the falls from the visitor center.  By noon it’s raining, so we head to the lodge to use their WIFI to plan our next location.  They’re filming in the lobby and the restaurant. It’s a zoo! Equipment and technicians are everywhere. We stay out of the way by camping out on the third floor balcony. After they wrap we bid them all farewell as they head back to Atlanta.  They have thirty more days of this craziness… we only have to get up tomorrow and head to Cherokee, NC.

Reading A Walk in the Woods and seeing a bit of the movie making has given us an inspiration for this summer’s travels.  We have a general notion to eventually get up to Maine… so why not follow the AT?

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