Amicalola Falls

David took some time off work during the third week of September and so we checked a few things off our to-do and to-go list. First up was a trip into the mountains of northern Georgia and a day of hiking at Amicalola Falls State Park. It was a crisp, clear, beautiful fall day and we had a wonderful time. 

 It took a little over an hour to drive to the State Park and it was nearing lunch time by the time we arrived. We found a nice picnic table next to a little playground along one of the trails and ate the lunch that I had packed for us while David and I discussed which route to take to the Falls.

Most of the trails lead to the Falls, but they vary in difficulty and length. We didn't want anything too steep or difficult since Zara would be making the climb herself and David would have Adelaide in the carrier.

The hike was perfect. Not too steep or too long, well maintained and sufficiently shady. We did pass at least two snakes on our way though.

But the Falls were gorgeous.

I let Zara eat a sucker as a prize for making it to the Falls on her own.

You could climb about 400 steps from the base of the Falls to the top. Zara wasn't too keen on that but the view was amazing.

Of course, Adelaide conked out in her carrier but not until the very end.

After our hike was over, we headed just down the street to Burt's Pumpkin Farm where they had a large assortment of every type of pumpkin and gourd and some of the largest pumpkins I have ever seen.

These pumpkins were as big as Adelaide and ranged in prize from $40 to $80. We decided to try for something in a more manageable size and prize range.

After the pumpkin patch, we ducked in Ellijay, a small town nearby that is famous for its apple orchards. We stopped at BJ Reece's apple orchard where we purchased fresh apple turnovers, apple cider and a few pecks of apples which I then made into applesauce and apple butter.

Here was our haul from the day. It was a gorgeous day, beautiful weather, an absolutely delightful way to spend a fall day.