We packed up in the drizzle after cooking breakfast at Hodges Vineyard and then headed home on the back roads of Alabama. We stopped for a second cup of coffee at the town square in Troy and the rain continued all the way home. We unloaded the trailer and the car in the rain as it is predicted to rain all night and tomorrow. We have loads of laundry to do and always the chore of getting reorganized.
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| Mural on side of the old drug store |
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| Pretty town square in Troy where we had a scone and a latte |
We made coffee and hiked to the lake and then packed up in time to eat breakfast again at Nomad Market on our way to our Harvest Host, Hodges Vineyards near Camp Hill, Alabama. On the way, we stopped at the Etowah Mounds Historic Site and enjoyed the outside exhibits, nature trail and museum. We were warned that the directions were difficult to find the Hodges Vineyards and we wandered on the back roads until we found we had made one wrong turn and Google Maps finally directed us there. The sky was black as we set up camp at one of the full hook up sites on a concrete pad and hurried into the tasting room before they closed. We sampled all their dry red wines and bought two bottles and got set up for the rain. We were comfy under the visor canopy with a view of the vines with one other fifth wheel on the other side of the parking lot. We grilled our steak as the rain turned into a drizzle. It was drizzling when we woke up and cooked breakfast and packed up to head home to Valparaiso. Our neighbor turned out to be from close by Niceville and was also returning from the Finger Lakes.
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| Etowah Mounds Historic Site |
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| Replica of native hut built on the mounds |
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| Enlargement of necklace design |
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| One of three mounds with stairs to the top |
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| Butterflies loving the Queen Anne's Lace |
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| Mountain view from top of mound |
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| Beautiful hiking trail along the water |
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| Crystal clear water |
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| Blue bluebird houses |
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| Our Harvest Host, Hodges Vineyards |
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| Impressive gate to estate tasting room |
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| Long road to tasting room and event center |
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| Our campsite at Hodges Winery |
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| Over 30 wines to taste as many as you like |
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| Award winning wines although many too sweet for our tastes |
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| Gift shop filled with artsy wine racks |
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| Rows and rows of vines |
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| White grapes too early to pick |
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| Our big fifth wheeler neighbor at winery |
Another misty morning as we head into nearby Murphy to find the Walmart to buy another lawn chair and to find an outdoor dining breakfast place. Our destination for tonight is right across the North Carolina border into Georgia to Morganton Point Recreation Area in the Chattahoochee National Forest to camp with our cruising friends. It was cool and pleasant sleeping in our pasture last night. The outdoor dining restaurant we picked was unexpectedly closed for a holiday so we headed towards Morganton and found the Nomad Market near the lake with the best waffles and French toast with berries for a late breakfast. We set up camp at Morganton Point Recreation Area and then found the nearest open winery at Odom Springs Vineyards in Blairsville. What a wonderful hostess as we were poured up glasses of her dry reds. We also sampled her other favorite wines and we purchased a bottle as we admired her tasting room and recommended she become a Harvest Host. Back to the campsite to hike to the lakeside picnic area and beach before we had happy hour and dinner with Valerie and Graham. Such a delight to catch up with them and their Little Guy camper.
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| Our campsite at Morgonton Point along the lake |
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| Social distancing sign that caught our attention in the park |
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| Impressive entrance to Odom Springs Vineyard |
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| The extensive vines |
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| Netting to protect the luscious grapes from the deer |
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| On the way to the tasting room |
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| Our favorite reds |
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| Gift shop filled with wine goodies |
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| Whimsical art |
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| Family pride |
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| Gorgeous outside seating |
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| Afternoon view of mountains across the lake |
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| Morning view of mist obscuring the mountains |
A perfect morning to cook omelets before we got underway off the mountain from Mountain Rose Vineyards heading into Tennessee and then through to Haynesville, North Carolina to our Harvest Host stay at Walnut Hollow Ranch. It is a working cattle ranch and RV Resort near Nantahala National Forest. We stopped in a quaint town at a coffee shop and walked their nature trail. A crowd was out for a Sunday stroll with their dogs. We drove past the entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway and through the hills to the breathtaking entrance to the ranch. We were led to a green pasture for our campsite. The host and one other motor coach are here for the night at the full hook up sites. We purchased a T-bone steak to grill tonight and a sirloin for tomorrow. The steak was delicious since we worked up an appetite taking the hiking trail up the hill overlooking the ranch.
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| Perfect trail down to an outdoor concert venue |
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| Bee hive for solitary bees |
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| Purple display of wildflowers |
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| Smoky Mountains along the NC Scenic Byway |
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| Pond at the Walnut Hollow Ranch |
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| View from pasture down to the ranch store |
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| Our campsite at Walnut Hollow Ranch |
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| Toasting with our new Yuenling beer huggies |
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| Perfect spot in the shade for happy hour |
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| Another pond stocked with bass for fishing |
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| Hiking up the hill for a panoramic view |
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| Spectacular view of Cutie RV from above |
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| Woke up to a misty morning around the ranch |
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| Artistic dew on the spider webs on the fences |
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| The cattle behind electric fences in the fog |
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| Beautiful landscaping and yard art |
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| All roads were surprisingly concrete |
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| Did not get pictures last evening and now herd has moved |
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| The host is a software engineer from Florida working remotely |
