The Hike Inn; Amicalola Falls State Park, Georgia; Saturday [11/16].

[sword_chocobro]

One of the great things about planning these weekend get-aways was finding some really unique and interesting places all around the country, and so when Gladio set out to find somewhere to visit to celebrate Nell's birthday a little bit, he figured a place called The Hike Inn would be pretty fitting! And he was not wrong on that assumption, considering that even just getting to the place required a hike from the state park's visitors' center, so when they arrived yesterday, there was a little bit of exploration there before they headed out to the lodge deep in the foothills of northern Georgia.

They didn't entirely have the place all to themselves, but, since it was definitely at the tail end of the prime hiking season, it was still pretty quiet, and those who were also staying there or passing through were enthusiasts with shared interests that Gladio, at least, enjoyed talking to when they did cross paths. But, for the most part, it was just him and Nell, laughing at the bunk beds in the cabins that he'd been prepared for, meaning their first night had been spent making slightly more room on the floor with some sleeping bags instead.

So then there they were on their big full day there, having some breakfast in the common area of the lodge with its comforting woodstove at the center of the room, light pouring through the windows that surrounded it, and Gladio was pouring over the hiking map for the area.

"Hey, look at this," he said, with a grin, turning the map and pointing at some of the information on top for Nell to read, "they've detailed some of the more interesting plants and things that grow along the trail, too. That's kind of neat."

The whole place was, really. The survivalist in him appreciated all the eco-friendly nods to conservation, the fact that it was built on stilts to have less impact on the earth, the solar panels running the place....he was even kind of excited to check out their worm beds later that evening, so he was feeling pretty good about this pick, that was for sure.

The great company certainly didn't hurt, either.

[[ for the little lady with him (or anyone who wants to get in touch) and nfb for distance, of course! ]]

Comments

[mylandmyrules]

Nell had been enthralled by the walk up in the mist, the huge trees rising above then as they hiked in. The buildings on stilts had fascinated her and she'd been amazed at just how efficiently they ran on mostly solar energy. Not quite as efficiently as her house in Soulwood, but then Soulwood was much smaller.

The bunk beds had been a surprise to her, but Gladio had obviously been aware, and when he pulled out the sleeping bags and extra blankets after a moment of his patented head scratching and 'huh', all she could do was laugh with him.

It was more fun curled up on the floor with him anyway.

She was a bit distracted at breakfast, taking to one of the staff about the solar panels and the solar/thermal energy for the hot water, making a couple of suggestions and a plan to tour and talk about them at the end of the day. But that done, she tucked into breakfast to fuel herself for the day of exploration and the beauty of discovering new wildlife.

"Amazing!" she said. "Let's go explore!"